francus

Forms

francus (feminine franca, neuter francum); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Frankish *Frankō (“a Frank”), from Proto-Germanic *frankô (“javelin”).^[1] Köbler connects it instead with *frankaz (“bold, free”), for which Pokorny's roots are only tentatively proposed.^[2] Compare Old High German Franko (“a Frank”) and Old English franca (“spear, javelin”).^[1]

The sense “free” is a generalisation of the people's name: Etymonline explains that the Franks, as the conquering class, alone had the full status of freemen.^[3] Niermeyer notes that in medieval documents the name of the nation and the legal status often cannot be told apart.^[4] Through Old French franc it is the source of English frank.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler finds the noun first in the panegyrics of Eumenius (264–c. 312 AD),^[2] where the singular Francus stands collectively for “the Frank”, the Frankish people;^[5] the plural Francī “the Franks” is used by Claudian and Vopiscus.^[5]

Semantic evolution

As an adjective, “Frankish”, it appears in Jerome's Life of Hilarion, of the Frankish language.^[5][6][2] The land of the Franks is Francia.^[5] In Medieval Latin the adjective came to mean “French”,^[1] and above all “free”: personally free, not servile, and then, of a dependant, exempt from certain manorial dues and services, privileged.^[4][7][2] As a noun francus is a freeman or such a privileged dependant,^[4][7] and, in a forged diploma of the 12th century, a coin, the “franc”.^[7][2][1] British writers use the noun for the Franks, the inhabitants of Francia, and the Normans and Anglo-Normans.^[8]

Timeline

• 264–c. 312 AD – Eumenius uses Francus of the Frankish people.^[5][2]
• c. 383–419/420 AD – Jerome uses the adjective of the Frankish language.^[5][2]
• 507–877 – Frankish capitularies use francus for a personally free man or woman.^[7][2]
• c. 1127/29 – A forged diploma of Charlemagne calls coins francī.^[7]
• c. 1300 – English frank “free, generous” is borrowed through Old French.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (Late Latin) Frankish, of the Franks.^[5][1][9]
2. (Medieval Latin) French.^[1]
3. (Medieval Latin) free, not servile (of a person).^[4][7]
4. (Medieval Latin) exempt from certain manorial dues and services; privileged.^[4][7][2]

Noun

1. A Frank;^[5][1][8] (Medieval Latin) a Frenchman.^[5][1][8]
2. (Medieval Latin) A freeman; an enfranchised dependant.^[4][7]
3. (Medieval and New Latin) A franc (coin).^[7][1]

Related words

• Francia
• English frank

Usage notes

British medieval sources also have an unrelated francus or franca, a pen for fattening animals, from Old French.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
8. ^ a b c d Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
9. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson