French words from Middle High German
5 French words with Middle High German in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages.
bousculer
It is formed from French bousser (“to knock”) + culer (“to move backwards”), joining verbs of similar meaning, according to the DHLF and the Grand Robert. The first verb (1416), widely found in…
bride
It is probably borrowed from Middle High German brīdel (“rein”). The word's first area was northern France, and the Rey dictionary takes this borrowing as the likeliest explanation. The related Old…
cric
It is borrowed from Middle High German kriec (“engine for aiming and turning heavy war machines or lifting loads”), first as a term of military engineering, for a crossbow jack. Bloch and Wartburg…
élan
1. The word for impetus is a back-formation from French élancer, first spelled eslan. The verb is formed on lancer; the FEW files the family under Late Latin lanceāre. Rey notes that it is no longer…
quille
1. The word for the skittle is borrowed from Old High German kegil (“peg, stake”), adapted to French. The TLFi gives the immediate source as borrowed from Middle High German kegel, already used of…