French words from Proto-Germanic
5 French words with Proto-Germanic in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages.
banc
It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *bancus, borrowed from Proto-Germanic *bankiz (“bench”). The Late Latin word is attested indirectly by its derivative bancalis “cushion to sit on” (6th–9th…
blanc
It is borrowed from Proto-West Germanic *blank (“shining, bright”), a West Germanic adjective reconstructed from Old High German blanc (“shining, white”), Old Norse blakkr (“pale”) and Old English…
champion
It is inherited from Old French champion, inherited from Medieval Latin campiō (“fighter in a judicial duel”) (recorded in 643), which is from Proto-Germanic *kampjo (“fighter in a judicial duel”)…
flacon
It is inherited from Old French flascon, inherited from Late Latin flascō (“bottle, wine vessel”), recorded in the 6th century in Gregory of Tours. The Late Latin word is derived from flasca, which…
robe
It is borrowed from Proto-West Germanic *rauba (“booty, plunder”), whence the sense “clothing taken as booty”. The Germanic word, Wiktionary's Proto-Germanic *raubō, is related to English rob and to…