Join free

French

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

French¹

  • /fɹɛnt͡ʃ/
  • /fɹɪ̟nt͡ʃ/ pin pen merger

Rhymes with -ɛntʃ

Where it comes from

Etymology tree

Proto-Germanic *frankô

Proto-West Germanic *Frankō

Proto-Indo-European *-iskos

Proto-Germanic *-iskaz

Proto-West Germanic *-isk

Proto-West Germanic *Frankisk

Old English Frencisċder.

Middle English Frensch

English French

Inherited from Middle English Frenche, Frensch, Frensc, Frenshe, Frenk, Franche, from Old English Frenċisċ (“Frankish, French”), from Proto-West Germanic *Frankisk (“Frankish”), equivalent to Frank + -ish (compare Frankish). Cognate with Middle Low German vranksch, frenkisch, vrenkesch, vrenksch (“Frankish, French”), Middle High German vrenkisch, vrensch ("Frankish, Franconian; > German fränkisch (“Frankish, Franconian”)), Danish fransk (“French”), Swedish fransk, fransysk (“French”), Icelandic franska (“French”).

Doublet of Frankish; piecewise doublet of Francis, Franz, and Francisco, which are derived from Late Latin Franciscus

In reference to vulgar language, from expressions such as pardon my French in the early 19th century, originally in reference to actual (but often mildly impolite) French expressions by the upper class, subsequently adopted ironically by the lower class for English curse words under the charitable conceit that the listener would not be familiar with them.

In reference to vermouth, a shortened form of French vermouth, distinguished as usually being drier than Italian vermouth.

proper noun Frenches

  1. uncountable The language of France, shared by the neighboring countries Belgium, Monaco, and Switzerland and by former French colonies around the world. She speaks French.
  2. uncountable The ability of a person to communicate in French. My French is a little rusty.
  3. uncountable French language and literature as an object of study. I'm taking French next semester.
  4. euphemistic, ironic, often, uncountable Vulgar language. Pardon my French.
  5. countable A surname originating as an ethnonym. Dawn French.

noun French · Frenches

  1. collective, countable, in plural, uncountable The people of France; groups of French people. The Hundred Years' War was fought between the English and the French.
  2. dated, slang, uncountable Synonym of oral sex, especially fellatio. French--^([sic]) to do the French--Cocksucking; and, inversely, to tongue a woman.
  3. abbreviation, dated, ellipsis, slang, uncountable Ellipsis of French vermouth, a type of dry vermouth.French vermouth Tearle replied that gin-and-French and virginian cigarettes would do for him.
  4. countable A French person.

adjective more French · Frencher · most French · Frenchest

  1. Of or relating to France. the French border with Italy
  2. Of or relating to the people or culture of France. French customs
  3. Of or relating to the French language. French verbs
  4. slang Of or related to oral sex, especially fellatio. French active
  5. euphemistic, informal, often Used to form names or references to venereal diseases. French disease
  6. Used to form names or references to an unconventional or fancy style. French curve

verb Frenches · Frenching · Frenched · french

  1. Alternative letter-case form of french.french Even before I thought about what I was doing we Frenched and kissed with tongues.

french²

  • /fɹɛnt͡ʃ/ UK, US
  • [fɹ̠ɛn̠t͡ʃ] UK, US

Rhymes with -ɛntʃ

Where it comes from

From Middle English French, Frensch, Frensh, from Old English Frencisc (“of the Franks, Frankish, French”), from Franca (“a Frank”). Compare Old High German Franko (“a Frank”), akin to Old English franca (“javelin, spear”), from the use of such weapons by the Franks.

verb frenches · frenching · frenched

  1. transitive To prepare food by cutting it into strips.
  2. transitive To kiss (another person) while inserting one’s tongue into the other person's mouth. Tom frenched her full in the mouth.
  3. intransitive To kiss in this manner. We frenched by the wall.
  4. To French trim; to stylishly expose bone by removing the fat and meat covering it (as done to a rack of lamb or bone-in rib-eye steak).

Talk about this word