English
franklin
Franklin comes from Anglo-Norman fraunclein ‘a landowner of free, but not noble birth’, and goes back to Frankish *Frankō ‘Frank’.
- Frankishc. 250–700*Frankō‘Frank’literally ‘freeman’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fraunc‘free’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400fraunclein‘a landowner of free, but not noble birth’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500frankelein‘freeholder’
- Englishearliest quotation 1936franklin
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Frankishc. 250–700*Frankō‘Frank’literally ‘freeman’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fraunc‘free’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400fraunclein‘a landowner of free, but not noble birth’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500frankelein‘freeholder’
- Englishearliest quotation 1936franklin
Earliest quotation: 1936, Norman Lindsay, The Flyaway Highway: “Orlando Boop insisted on crowding in higher up between…”
Every English word from Frankish *Frankō
Today it means
noun A freeholder, especially as belonging to a class of landowners in the 14th and 15th century ranking at the bottom of the gentry.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Frankish *Frankō / franklin