Where does “bois” come from?

bois (Old French) comes from Frankish busk, from Proto-Germanic buskaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- — to become, grow, appear.

bois (Old French): woodland; woods

Definitions

  1. woodland; woods

Ancestry of “bois”, step by step

bois traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Frankish busk

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frankishbuskbush; bush, thicket
2Proto-Germanicbuskazbush; thicket
3Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰuH-to become, grow, appear

via Latin buxus

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinbuxusthe evergreen box tree; a thing made of boxwood
2Ancient Greekπύξοςbox tree; boxwood

Words derived from “bois”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- →Every word from Proto-Germanic buskaz →Every word from Frankish busk →