Etymograph

English

louis

Louis comes from French louis, a coin named after the kings called Louis, a name ultimately from Frankish *Hlūdawīg.

  1. Frankishc. 250–700*Hlūdawīgreconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CELudovicus
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400Looïs
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600Loïs
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentLouis
  6. French, derivedc. 1600–presentlouis‘a louis (coin)’
  7. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Frankishc. 250–700*Hlūdawīgreconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CELudovicus
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400Looïs
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600Loïs
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentLouis
  6. French, derivedc. 1600–presentlouis‘a louis (coin)’
  7. Englishtodaysame form

Linked words

through French louis ‘a louis: various gold and silver coins issued…’

lew

Today it means

noun Any gold or silver coin issued by the French kings from Louis XIII to Louis XVI and bearing their image on the obverse side, particularly the gold louis d'ors, originally a French form of the Spanish doubloon but varying in value between 10 and 24 livres.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Frankish *Hlūdawīg / louis

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