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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Old French

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026

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

As a noun, suppa became soupe in Old French, meaning bread soaked in broth and sowpes in Middle English.

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2023

Apparently, “nice” comes to us from Latin, through Old French, into Middle English, then into the English we speak today.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 20, 2020

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

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

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