Etymologically
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fric

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 10:12. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /fʁik/[1]

Forms

fric m (uncountable)[1]

Etymology

The origin is not clear.[2][3] It is perhaps a clipping of fricot “feast, good meal”, from the money needed for such festivities; the Grand Robert, the GLLF and the Petit Robert accept it, but Rey notes that it is not proved.[2][4][5][6][3] Rey also suggests a derivative of fricasser or frire meaning “food”, like blé and galette for money, and mentions an old phrase meaning “by dishonest gain”, kept in fric-frac but unexplained.[3] Wiktionary adds the influence of fricoter.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaston Esnault records it in 1879, from the manuscript notes of Nouguier, Macé uses it in 1889.[2]

Semantic evolution

It has remained a familiar and very common word for money.[3] In slang être au fric meant to be rich (1901, Bruant), and the adjective friqué “rich” dates from about 1930.[3]

Timeline

  • 1879 – First record, according to Esnault.[2]
  • 1901 – Être au fric, Bruant.[3]
  • c. 1930 – Friqué.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (familiar) Money, dough, cash: avoir du fric, plein de fric.[2][6][1]

Word family

  • friqué
  • fricot
  • fricoter
  • fric-frac

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert