English
French
French comes from Old English Frenċisċ ‘Frankish, French’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *frankô.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frankô‘a Frank’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*Frankō‘a Frank’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*Frankisk‘Frankish’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150Frenċisċ‘Frankish, French’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Frenche
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1390French
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frankô‘a Frank’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*Frankō‘a Frank’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*Frankisk‘Frankish’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150Frenċisċ‘Frankish, French’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Frenche
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1390French
Earliest quotation: c. 1390, Robert Grosseteste: “Ne mowe we alle Latin wite... Ne French...”
The story
In reference to vulgar language, from expressions such as pardon my French in the early 19th century, originally in reference to actual (but often mildly impolite) French expressions by the upper class, subsequently adopted ironically by the lower class for English curse words under the charitable conceit that the listener would not be familiar with them. In reference to vermouth, a shortened form of French vermouth, distinguished as usually being drier than Italian vermouth.
Linked words
through Proto-West Germanic *Frankō ‘a Frank’
Today it means
name The language of France, shared by the neighboring countries Belgium, Monaco, and Switzerland and by former French colonies around the world.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *frankô / French