700s

French words from Latin words first recorded in the 8th century

6 French words inherited from a Latin word whose earliest known written record dates from the 8th century, earliest Latin record first.

1. journal

   704

   from Latin diurnalis

   It is inherited from Old French jornal, inherited from Late Latin diurnālis (“of the day”), from diurnus (“of the day”), from diēs (“day”). The TLFi and Bloch–Wartburg treat it as a derivative of…

2. prière

   720–730

   from Latin precaria

   It is inherited from Old French preiere, inherited from Medieval Latin precāria (“charter of request, petition”), recorded in 658 in Merovingian Latin. This is the feminine of the classical…

3. force

   763–764

   from Latin fortia

   It is inherited from Old French force, inherited from Late Latin fortia (“deeds of strength or courage”), recorded from the 4th century, the neuter plural of fortis (“strong, brave”) (see fort)…

4. mêler

   800–899

   from Latin misculo

   It is inherited from Old French mesler, inherited from Late Latin misculō (attested in the 9th century), an extended form of Latin misceō (“to mix; to stir up”). The root of “miscēre” is…

5. parler

   800–899

   from Latin parabolo

   It is inherited from Old French parler, inherited from Late Latin parabolāre, a verb of Church Latin (7th century) derived from parabola, which in the Gospel sense “parable of Christ”, then “word of…

6. sorcier

   800–899

   from Latin sortiarius

   It is inherited from Old French sorcier, inherited from Late Latin sortiārius (“teller of lots, fortune-teller”), recorded in Hincmar of Reims (860) and, as sorcerius, in the Reichenau Glosses of…

All French words inherited from Latin, by century →