- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- c. 1170, Béroul, Tristan
- Ultimate origin
- Frankish (*frank)
Pronunciation
- IPA: /fʁɑ̃.ʃiʁ/[1]
Forms
franchir[1]
Etymology
It is from French franc (“free”) + -ir.[2][1][3] The adjective comes from the name of the Franks, from Frankish *frank.[3][4] Compare Old Occitan franquir.[5]
The original sense was “to set free”; the modern sense comes from “to free oneself of, get clear of”, hence “to get past an obstacle”.[3][6] Bloch and Wartburg and the Grand Robert compare the use of Latin līberō (“to free”) for crossing a threshold or a river freely.[3][6][5]
Earliest recorded meaning
About 1170, in Béroul's Tristan, it means to set free; the same years give franchir qqc. à qqn, to grant something as a free possession.[2][7]
Semantic evolution
The sense “to free, enfranchise” was usual until the 15th century, also in Anglo-Norman, where it meant to grant someone a franchise.[3][8] One could franchir une rente, redeem it and so rid oneself of it;[5] Littré sees in this the passage to franchir un fossé, to get rid of a ditch by jumping it, one of the rare cases of an abstract sense turning concrete.[5]
The sense “to pass over an obstacle by jumping or climbing” appears in Perceforest (first half of the 14th century), and “to go beyond a limit” in Montaigne (1580).[2][7] Franchir le pas is recorded before 1615, and franchir le Rubicon, after Caesar, in 1872.[7][9] In sailors' language franchir une pompe means to pump out all the water.[9][7] Derivatives include affranchir (13th century) and infranchissable (1792).[3]
Timeline
- c. 1170 – Béroul: “to set free”.[2]
- 1245 – Franchir qqn de qqc., to free someone of a charge.[2]
- 14th century – Perceforest: to jump over an obstacle.[2][7]
- 1580 – Montaigne: to go beyond a limit.[2][7]
- Before 1615 – Franchir le pas.[7]
- 1690 – Furetière: franchir l'eau, of pumping a ship dry.[7]
- 1792 – Infranchissable.[3]
Meanings
Verb
- To pass over (an obstacle) by jumping or climbing; to clear: franchir une barrière.[9][1]
- To cross (a line, a river, a border); of a bridge, to span.[1][9]
- To cover (a distance) or get through (a period of time).[1][7]
- (figurative) To overcome (a difficulty): franchir les barrières sociales.[9]
- Franchir le pas: to take the decisive step, franchir le Rubicon: to make an irrevocable decision.[9][1]
- (nautical) Franchir une pompe: to pump out all the water.[9][7]
- (obsolete) To set free.[7]
Word family
- affranchir
- franchissement
Related words
- franc
- franchise
- Frankish *frank
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
- ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
- ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 15/2, 163b
- ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
- ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
- ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
- ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry
“Franchir.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/franchir. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.
Last edited on . ·