French

See also: french

English

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Etymology

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 West Flemish Fransch (“French”), Dutch Frans (“French”), Middle Low German vranksch, frenkisch, vrenkesch, vrenksch (“Frankish, French”), Middle High German frenkisch, frensch ("Frankish, French"; > German fränkisch (“Franconian”)), Danish fransk (“French”), Swedish fransk, fransysk (“French”), Icelandic franska (“French”).

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 cursewords 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.

Pronunciation
  • (UK, US) enPR: frĕnch, IPA(key): /fɹɛnt͡ʃ/, /fɹɛnʃ/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛntʃ

Proper noun

French (countable and uncountable, plural Frenches)

  1. (chiefly 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.
    • c. 1390, Robert Grosseteste, translating Chateau d'Amour as The Castle of Love, ll. 25 ff.:
      Ne mowe we alle Latin wite...
      Ne French...
    • 1533, Thomas More, The Debellacyon of Salem & Bizance, fol. 96:
      I... wolde also be bolde in such french as is peculiare to the lawys of this realme, to leue it wyth them in wrytynge to.
    • 1720, Daniel Defoe, Memoirs of a Cavalier, page 13:
      I could speak but little French.
    • 1991, Michael Clyne, Pluricentric Languages: Differing Norms in Different Nations, Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 169:
      Thus, complementary to the French of France, the Quebecois (and in a lesser degree the Frenches of Africa, Swiss French, etc.) would constitute languages in their own right.
    • 1997, Albert Valdman, French and Creole in Louisiana, page 29:
      Almost three quarters of the population 65 and older reported speaking French.
    • 2004, Jack Flam, Matisse and Picasso: The Story of Their Rivalry and Friendship, page 18:
      Although he would spend the rest of his life in France, Picasso never mastered the language, and during those early years he was especially self-conscious about how bad his French was.
    • 2013, Jocelyn Wogan-Browne, Language and Culture in Medieval Britain: The French of England, C.1100-c.1500, Boydell & Brewer Ltd, →ISBN, page 361:
      The Frenches of England remain as working languages in the different registers of various occupational communities and for particular social rituals. Beyond the fifteenth century, French is a much less substantial presence in England, though […]
  2. (uncountable) The ability of a person to communicate in French.
    My French is a little rusty.
    • 1742 April 4, R. West, letter to Thomas Gray:
      [Racine's] language is the language of the times, and that of the purest sort; so that his French is reckoned a standard.
  3. (uncountable) French language and literature as an object of study.
    I'm taking French next semester.
  4. (uncountable, euphemistic, now often ironic) Vulgar language.
    Pardon my French.
    • 1845, Edward Jerningham Wakefield, Adventure in New Zealand, volume I, page 327:
      The enraged headsman spares no 'bad French' in explaining his motives.
    • 1986, John Hughes, Ferris Bueller's Day Off':
      Cameron: Pardon my French, but you're an asshole!
    • 2005 May 29, New York Times Book Review, page 12:
      The book... is a welcome change from theory-infected academic discourse, pardon my French.
  5. (countable) A surname.
    Dawn French.

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations

See also
  • Wiktionary’s coverage of French terms
  • Appendix:French Swadesh list for a Swadesh list of basic vocabulary words in French

Noun

French (countable and uncountable, plural French or Frenches)

  1. (chiefly collective and in the plural) The people of France; groups of French people.
    The Hundred Years' War was fought between the English and the French.
    Under the Fourth Republic, more and more French unionized.
    • 1579, Francesco Guicciardini as, translated by Geoffrey Fenton, The Historie of Guicciardin, page 378:
      […] to breake the necke of the wicked purposes & plots of the French […]
    • 1653, François Rabelais, translated by Thomas Urquhart, Works of Mr. Francis Rabelais, volume I, page 214:
      Such is the nature and complexion of the frenches, that they are worth nothing, but at the first push.
    • 2002, Jeremy Thornton, The French and Indian War, page 14:
      On the way, scouts reported that some French were heading toward them across the ice.
  2. (uncountable, dated slang, sex) Synonym of oral sex, especially fellatio.
    • 1916, Henry Nathaniel Cary, The Slang of Venery and Its Analogues‎, volume I, page 94:
      French--[sic] to do the French--Cocksucking; and, inversely, to tongue a woman.
    • 1968, Bill Turner, Sex Trap, page 64:
      You can be whipped or caned... or you can have French for another pound.
    • 1986 May 6, Semper Floreat, page 34:
      Always use condoms with Greek (anal intercourse), straight sex (vaginal intercourse, fucking), French (oral sex).
    • 1996 October 13, Observer, page 25:
      ‘French’—still used by prostitutes as a term for oral sex.
  3. (chiefly uncountable, dated slang) Ellipsis of French vermouth, a type of dry vermouth.
    • 1930, Ethel Mannin, Confessions & Impressions, page 177:
      Tearle replied that gin-and-French and virginian cigarettes would do for him.
    • 1967, Michael Francis Gilbert, The Dust & the Heat, page 14:
      He was drinking double gins with single Frenches in them.

Usage notes

The use of the plural form Frenches occurred in early modern English but is only seldomly and exceptionally encountered in contemporary English. As with other collective demonyms, French is preceded by the definite article or some other determiner when referring to the people of France collectively.

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Adjective

French (comparative more French, superlative most French)

The French national football team.
  1. Of or relating to France.
    the French border with Italy
    • 2015 May 3, “Standardized Testing”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 2, episode 12, John Oliver (actor), via HBO:
      That must have hurt, especially because you knew the French children weren’t even trying. “Uh, go on, play weez your seellee nambeurs. Zey tell you nosseeng of ze true naytcheur of ze soula. I’ll weepa for you.”
  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, sexuality) Of or related to oral sex, especially fellatio.
    Coordinate term: straight
    French active ― person who is fellated
    French girl ― a prostitute who offers fellatio
    • 1946, Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, Bernard Wolfe, “Not too Far Tangent”, in Really the Blues, New York, N.Y.: Random House, book 1 (1899–1923: A Nothin’ but a Child), page 23:
      She was a tall redhead, with a shape that would make you jump for joy and a reputation as the best French girl in the place.
  5. (informal, often euphemistic) Used to form names or references to venereal diseases.
    French disease ― a venereal disease
    French crown ― hair loss from venereal disease
    French pox ― syphillis
  6. Used to form names or references to an unconventional, fancy or bad-mannered style.
    French cut ― sliced lengthwise in thin strips
    French fries ― french cut potato fries
    French kiss ― kissing with the tongue
    French manicure ― painting white under the finger nails
    French window or French door ― double wooden windows or doors crafted with panes of glass
    French refrigerator ― continuous refrigerator space on top accessed by two doors, with a freezer drawer below
    French polish ― type of glossy varnish for wood
    French inhale ― act of expelling cigarette smoke from the mouth and simultaneously inhaling it through the nose
    French exit or French leave ― hasty exit made without saying farewells to anybody
    French toast ― Food prepared by dipping bread into egg batter and frying

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

French (third-person singular simple present Frenches, present participle Frenching, simple past and past participle Frenched)

  1. Alternative letter-case form of french
    • 1995, Jack Womack, Random Acts of Senseless Violence, page 87:
      Even before I thought about what I was doing we Frenched and kissed with tongues.

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Translations
to french — see french

See also

References

Further reading
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