List of French words of Germanic origin (C-G)

This list of French words of Germanic origin consists of Standard Modern French words and phrases deriving from any Germanic language of any period.

Scope The following list details words, affixes and phrases that contain Germanic etymons.

Words where only an affix is Germanic (e.g. méfait, bouillard, carnavalesque) are excluded, as are words borrowed from a Germanic language where the origin is other than Germanic, (for instance, cabaret is from Dutch, but the Dutch word is ultimately from Latin/Greek, so it is omitted).

Likewise, words which have been calqued from a Germanic tongue (e.g. pardonner, bienvenue, entreprendre, toujours, compagnon, plupart, manuscrit, manoeuvre), or which received their usage or sense (i.e. were created, modified or influenced) due to Germanic speakers or Germanic linguistic habits (e.g. comté, avec, commun, on, panne, avoir, ça) are not included.

Many other Germanic words found in older versions of French, such as Old French and Anglo-French are no longer extant in Standard Modern French. Many of these words do, however, continue to survive dialectally and in English. See: List of English Latinates of Germanic origin.

List

C cabot "dog" ( alt. of clabaud "loud barking dog" < claber < Gmc, cf Dut kabbard "chatterer") cafignon ( < Frk *kaf "thimble" < Gmc, cf Germ Kaff "ball, lump of dough", Fr eschafillon "nutshell") cagot "bigot" (Uncertain origin, two hypotheses posit: < cagot "hypocrite" < Prov câ "dog" + Gothi "Goths"; or < Prov cagot "infidel" < Prov cap "head" + "Germ Gott "God") cagote cagoterie cagotisme cague ( < Dut kaghe, kaag < Gmc) cahot cahoteux cahoter "to jolt" ( < Frk *hottōn, hottisōn "to shake" < Gmc, cf Dut hotten "to shake") cahot cahotage cahotant cahoté cahotement cahute "hut, ship's cabin" ( < Du kajuit) caille "quail" ( < OFr quaille < ML quaquila, quaccula < Frk *kwakkula < Gmc, cf MDu kwackele, OHG quahtala "quail") caillebotter (also cailleboter) ( < caille + botter < Gmc) cailleboté (also cailleboté) caillebotis (also caillebotis) caillebotte caillou "flint, stone, pebble" ( < Dut kai, kei "stone" < Gmc, cf Germ kiesel "stone, pebble") caillouteux cailloutage caillouter cailloutis caillouter caillouté cajute cake cake-walk cale "wedge, support" ( < Germ Keil < Gmc) cale-pied caler "to support, steady, fix" décaler caler calé calée calance (also calence) calage calfeutrer calfeutrage calfeutrement caliborgne caliborgnon calot "nut" ( < écale < Frk *skala < Gmc) cambrousse (also cambrouse) cambrousard cambrousarde cambrousier cambuse "(naut.) cook's room" ( < Eng caboose < Gmc) cambusier came ( < Germ Kamm "comb" < Gmc) camembert camerlingue camerlinguat camion-stop camisard camoufler "to camouflage" ( < Ital camuffare "to disguise" + MFr camoufflet "puff of smoke" < MFr moufflet < Germ Muffel < Gmc) camouflage camoufle camouflet camoufleur camoufleuse canamelle canard "drake, male duck" ( < OFr quanart < quane "little boat" < Gmc + -art, -ard < Gmc, cf Germ kahn "floater, little boat") canarder canardière canardeau canardier cane canarder canardement canasson cancan cancanage cancaner cancanier cancanière cane "duck" ( < OFr quane "little boat" < Gmc, cf Germ kahn "floater, little boat") caner canette caneton cannot canesou (also canezou) canette ( < cane < OFr quane < Gmc) canette "beer-jug" ( < Fr cane < Germ kanne "a can" < Gmc *kanna) canon canif "penknife" ( < OFr < Frk *knīf and ON knífr < Gmc *knībaz "knife") cannot "canoe, little boat" canotage canoter canotier canotière cap-hornier capre caquer "to cure (fish)" ( < OFr quaquer < MDu kaaken) caque caquage caqueur caqûre encaquer caquelon caqueter "to cackle" ( < Gmc, cf ME cakelen, Du kakelen, MLG kākeln, Swed kackla) caquet caquetage caquetant caquète caqueterie caqueteur caqueteuse caquetoire caquette carapater carapate (also carapata) carapatin carcan "pillory" ( < OFr quercant < Gmc, cf OHG querca "throat") cargo-boat cargo-stop carle carlin "a pug, pug dog" ( < Carolinus < Gmc) carlingue carlingage carlisme carliste carolus carolin caroline carolingien carolingienne carolingisme carpe "carp" carpé carpeau (also carpiau) carpillon casse "crucible" ( < LL caza < OHG kezi "stove") casseau casse-pattes casserole casserole "saucepan" casserolée Catalan catalane catgut cauchemar "nightmare" ( < cauche- "to press" + mar "demon, mare" < Gmc, cf Germ Nachtmar "nightmare") cauchemarder cauchemaresque cauchemarder cauchemardant cauchemardante cauchemardesque (also cauchemaresque) cent-garde cep "stock" ( < Lat cippus "stake, beam" < Gmc, cf OE cipp "beam, chip of wood", Dut kip "strip of wood") cepage cèpe cépée receper chabraque "cloths laid on a cavalry horse" chadburn chagrin "sorrow, affliction" chagriner chagriner chagrinant chagriné chainse chairman chalon chaloupe "shallop" chalouper chaloupier chalouper chaloupé chambellan "chamberlain" chambellage chambranler chambranle chambrelan chamois "chamois" chamoiser chamoisine chamoiser chamoisage chamoisé chamoiserie chamoiseur chanlatte charlemagne charlemagne faire charleston charlot charlotte charlotte charlottine charolais (also charollais) charolaise (also charollaise) chasse-bosses chasse-marée chat "trade ship" chatte chat-huant "screech owl" chatiron (ceramics) ( < Germ Schattierung "nuance" < Gmc) chatironner chatironner chatironné chatterton chaton "bezel" chatouiller "to tickle" ( < ML *catilare, cattuliare "to tickle" < Gmc, cf OHG kizzilōn "to tickle", Dut katelen, kietelen "to tickle", ON kitla, OE citelan "to kittle, tickle") chausse-trappe "caltrop" chelem chemise "chemise, shirt" ( < OFr chamisae < Lat camisia < Gmc *khamiþi-, cf OHG hamidi, hemidi "shirt", OE hemeþe "shirt"; cf OIr caimis & Welsh camse from the same Gmc source) chemiser chemiserie chemisette chemisier chemisière chemiser chemisage chenapan "scamp" chewing-gum chic "chic, elegant, stylish" ( < Fr < Germ schick "skill" < Gmc) chiquement chicaner chicane chicanerie chicaneur chicaneuse chicanier chicard chiche chicoter chicot chicote chicotte chiffe "rag" ( < chiffre "worthless thing" < OFr chipe < ME chippe "chip, shard, small piece" < OE cipp < Gmc, cf MLG & MDu kippen "to chip eggs, hatch") chiffon chiffon chiffonner chiffonnier chiffonnière chiffonner chiffonnable chiffonnade chiffonnage chiffonnant chiffonné chiffonnerie chigner chiner chine chiné chinée chipe chiper chipette chipoter chiper chiperie chipeur chipeuse chipie chipoter chipotage chipoterie chipoteur chipoteuse chipotier chipotière chips chiquage chique "ball, game ball" ( < Germ dial Schick "ball" from schicken "to send" < Gmc) chiquenaude chiquenaude chiquenauder chiquer "to chew" ( < Germ schicken "to deliver blows", lit "to send" < Gmc) chique chiqué chiquet chiquer ( < chic < Gmc) chiquement chiquet chiqueter choc "shock, jolt" chocotte choisir "to choose" choisi choisie choix choisisseuse choisisseur chope "beer glass" chopine choper chopine chopiner chopper "to stumble" chopin choquer "to shock, jolt" choc choquable choquant choqué choquement chouan chouanner chouannerie chouc choucas "daw, jackdaw" choucroute "sauerkraut" chouette "owl, owlet" chouque chouquet cible "target" cingler "to sail" cinglage cinglant cinglante cinglé cippe ciron cironné cironnée clabaud "liar" clabauder clabauder clabaudage clabauderie clabaudeur clabaudeuse clabot (also crabot) clabotage claboter clac clam clamecer (also clamser) clamp clampage clamper clampin clamser (also cramser, crampser) clan (also clamp) clapet "valve" clapir clapier clapoter "to clap, chop, splash" clapot clapotage clapotant clapotement clapotis clapper "to clap" clappement claque "smack, slap" claque-bois claque-bosse claque-dent claque-des-genoux claque-faim claque-merde claque-oreille claque-patin (also claque-patins) claque-soif claquedent claquemurer claquer claquage claquemurer claquemuré claquer claquant claqué claquement claqueur claquet claquette claquoir claquet claqueter clatir clenche clic cliche clichage clicher "to stereotype" cliche cliché clichement clicherie clicheur client-relais clifoire clin clinfoc clinquant "tinsel" clip clipper cliquart clique cliquer (doublet of clicher) "to stereotype" cliques cliquet cliquette cliqueter "to click, clack" cliquètement cliquettement cliquetis clisse clissage clisser cliver "to cleave" ( < Eng "cleave" < Gmc) clivable clivage cliveur cloche "bell" cloche-pied clochard clocher clochement clocher-porche clochette clocheter clochard clocharde clochardiser clochardiser clochardisation clocher clochant clocheter clocheton clochetonné clocheteur cobalt "cobalt" cocagne "cockayne" cocarde "cockade" clopée clopiner clopin-clopant clopinement cloque cloquage cloquer cloquer cloqué clown clownerie clownesque club clubiste clubman coachman cob cobalt cobourgeois cocagne cocard (also coquard) cocarde cocardeau (also coquardeau) cocarder cocarderie cocardier cocardière cocardisme cocasse cocasse cocassement cocasserie cocassier cocâtre coche ("bad lesson") cochet cochevis cocker cockney cockpit cocktail coiffe "cap, headdress" ( < OFr < LL cofia, cofea "helmet" < Frk *kufja, kuffja < Gmc, cf MHG kupfe "cap") coiffage coiffer coiffette coiffière coiffis décoiffer coiffer coiffant coiffé coiffeur coiffeuse coiffure coke "coke, coal by-product" coke cokerie cokier colbertisme colbertiste cold-cream colimaçon colin colin-tampon colistier colt coltis colza "rapeseed" combuger condom ( < Eng < Ital < Gmc) contre-attaque contre-attaquer contre-bouter contre-choc contre-danse contre-digue contre-espion contre-espionnage contre-garde contre-guet contre-hacher contre-haut (also contre-haut en) contre-hermine contre-heurtoir contre-latte contre-tirer contrebande contrebandier contrebandière contrebord (also contrebord à) contrebuche contrebuter contrechoc contredanse contredanser contreguérilla contremarche contremarque contremarquer contreplaqué contrescarpe contresens coq "cock" coq-à-l'âne coquard coquarde (also cocarde) coquardeau coquart coquassier coquâtre coquelicot coqueret (watchmaking term) coquet (also cochet) coqueter coquetier coquette coqueleur coquebin coquebine coqueleux coquelicot coqueliner coquelourde coquelle coqueron ("cook-room") coquet "cockerel" coquetage coqueter coquettement coquetterie coquet "coquettish" coquetage coqueter coquettement coquetterie coquin "scoundrel" coquine coquinement coquinerie coquinet coquinette corned-beef cornemuser cornemuse cornemuseur cornemuseux corroyer "to curry (leather)" corroi corroierie corroyage corroyeur cosse "shell, husk, pod" ( < Gmc, cf Germ Schote "pod", Dut schosse) cossette cossu cossue écosser cosy cosy-corner cotereaux coterie "coterie" cotidal cotillon "petticoat" cotillonner cotillonner cotillonneur cotillonneuse cotre cottage cotte "coat" cotte-hardie cottereaux (also cotereaux) cotteron cottille cottillon couque ("cake") courte-botte couvre-guidon couvre-képi couvre-poche cover-coat (also covercoat) cover-girl cow-boy cow-pox crabe "crab" crabier crevette crabot crabotage crac "crack" craquer cracher "to spit" crachement crachat craché cracheur cracheuse crachin crachis crachoir crachoter crachouiller crachoter crachotement crack cracking crailler craillement cramique crampe "cramp" crampser (also cramser) crampon "cramp-iron" cramponner cramponnet cramponner cramponnement cran créner cranter cranequin cranequinier cranter crantage crapahut crapahuter crapaud "toad" crapauderie crapaudière crapaudine crapoussin craper "to creep" crapette crapouiller crapouillage crapouilleur crapouillot crapouillot crapouillotage crapouilloter crapouilloteur craquer "to crack" craquant craque craqué craqueler craquelin craquement craquerie craqueter craqueur craqueuse craqueler craquelage craquelé craquelée craquèlement craquellement craquelure craquelin craquelot craqueter craquètement crawl crawler crawler crawlé crawleur crawleuse crayon-feutre crayon-marqueur crèche "crib" crécher crémaillère "pothook" crémaillon créner créneau crénelé créneler creps ("craps") créquier créseau