French words from Old Norse
5 French words with Old Norse in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages.
amer
1. The word for “bitter” is inherited from Old French amer, inherited from Latin amārus (“bitter”), which Latin used both in the literal and in the figurative sense. Bloch and Wartburg think that…
but
The origin is doubtful. The TLFi, Rey and Bloch–Wartburg favour borrowed from Old Norse bútr (“log, block of wood”), a piece of wood having probably served as a target in archery; the spread of the…
joli
It is probably formed from Old Norse jól, the name of a great pagan feast in midwinter, with the suffix “-if” on the model of “aisif” “pleasant” (from aise). Littré, after Diez, thought the word had…
lieu
1. The place is inherited from Old French leu, inherited from Latin locus (“place, spot”), in early Latin “stlocus”. The Latin word translated Ancient Greek τόπος (tópos) and took over its technical…
vague
1. The wave is borrowed from Old Norse vágr (“sea”), according to the FEW, Bloch and Wartburg and the Grand Robert; compare Middle High German wâge and German Woge. Wiktionary traces the Norse word…