Old French

American  

noun

1. the French language of the 9th through the 13th centuries. OF, O.F., OF.

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Old French British  

noun

1.  OF.  the French language in its earliest forms, from about the 9th century up to about 1400

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Etymology

Origin of Old French

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

“Beaufort” comes from the Old French of “beau fort” or “bel fort” for beautiful fortress.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

Rooted in agrarian traditions, the term originates from the Old French glener and the Latin glennare, meaning "to gather."

From Salon • Jan. 28, 2025

Others still have functionally random names, like the onomatopoeic Bobolink and Veery, or Osprey, which is derived from the Old French word ospreit, itself coming from a Latin word meaning “bird of prey.”

From Slate • Jan. 25, 2024

“Domain” derives from Old French, denoting heritable or landed property; its Latin-derived cognate, “domicile,” means, of course, “home.”

From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2022

“Fine, Old French, maybe Latin or something,” she said, flustered.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny