English
France
France comes from Latin francus ‘Frankish, of or pertaining to the Franks’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *frankô.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frankô‘a Frank’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*Frankōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrancus‘Frankish, of or pertaining to the Franks’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEFrancianext step skipped: Frankish *Frankō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400France
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1837same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frankô‘a Frank’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*Frankōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrancus‘Frankish, of or pertaining to the Franks’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEFrancianext step skipped: Frankish *Frankō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400France
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1837same form
Earliest quotation: 1837, George Sand, Mauprat: “For a long time the dormouse and polecat had…”
The story
Believed to be most likely from Frankish *Frankō (‘a Frank’), from Proto-Germanic *frankô (‘javelin’).
Linked words
through Latin francus ‘Frankish, of or pertaining to the Franks’
Today it means
name A country located primarily in Western Europe. Official name: French Republic. Capital and largest city: Paris.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *frankô / France