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Where does the word "choice" come from? It comes from Frankish kausjan, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
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Where does the word "choice" come from? It comes from Frankish kausjan, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
Choice’s story begins in Frankish: kausjan meant “to test, taste.” A Frankish verb related to English 'choose'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as chois. 'choisir', to choose, is its verb. It reached English by 1300s as choice. 'choice' as an adjective, 'excellent', dates from the 1300s too. Today, choice means an act of choosing; excellent in quality.
- Stage 1 · Frankish · ancient kausjan "to test, taste", a Frankish verb related to English 'choose'.
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval chois "choice", 'choisir', to choose, is its verb.
- Stage 3 · English · 1300s choice "an act of choosing", 'choice' as an adjective, 'excellent', dates from the 1300s too.