100s

French words from Latin words first recorded in the 2nd century

10 French words inherited from a Latin word whose earliest known written record dates from the 2nd century, earliest Latin record first.

1. coupable

   125–175

   from Latin culpabilis

   It is inherited from Latin culpābilis (“guilty, blameworthy”), a word of Christian Latin, from culpa (“fault”), the source of coulpe. Compare Old Occitan colpable, Spanish culpable, Portuguese…

2. mener

   125–175

   from Latin mino

   It is inherited from Vulgar Latin mināre (“to drive (animals)”), an active form that replaced classical minārī (“to threaten”). The change of meaning comes from rural and popular speech: one…

3. changer

   155–170

   from Latin cambio

   It is inherited from Old French changier, inherited from Late Latin cambiō (“to exchange, barter”), recorded from Apuleius on beside cambīre. The Latin verb was a trade word, probably of Gaulish…

4. aube

   160–220

   from Latin alba

   1. The dawn is inherited from Old French albe, inherited from Vulgar Latin alba, the feminine of albus (“white”) used as a noun, “the white one”, as in alba lux and alba diēs. Cognate with Romanian…

5. douceur

   160–220

   from Latin dulcor

   It is inherited from Old French dolçor, inherited from Late Latin dulcor (“sweet taste”), derived from dulcis (“sweet”), and remade after the feminine douce of doux. Cognate with Picard doucheur…

6. lancer

   160–220

   from Latin lanceo

   It is inherited from Old French lancier, inherited from Late Latin lanceāre (“to wield a lance”), formed on lancea (“lance”) (whence lance). Cognate with Italian lanciare, Old Occitan lansar…

7. prêtre

   160–220

   from Latin presbyter

   It is inherited from Old French prestre, the old nominative, inherited from Ecclesiastical Latin presbyter (“elder; priest”), from Ancient Greek πρεσβύτερος (presbúteros, “elder”), first used in the…

8. dessous

   200–299

   from Latin desubtus

   It is inherited from Old French desoz, inherited from Late Latin dēsubtus (“beneath”), a compound of dē (“from”) and the adverb subtus (“below”), recorded from the 4th century first as a preposition…

9. envoyer

   200–250

   from Latin invio

   It is inherited from Old French enveier, inherited from Late Latin inviō (“to travel over, walk on; to reach”), formed from in- and via (“road, way”) (see voie). Bloch and Wartburg note that the…

10. épouser

    200

    from Latin sponso

    It is inherited from Old French espouser, inherited from Late Latin spōnsō (“to promise in marriage, betroth”), the iterative of classical spondeō (“to promise solemnly”), formed on its participle…

All French words inherited from Latin, by century →