Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate
Tracing “”…
Where does the word "famine" come from? It comes from Latin fames, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "famine" come from? It comes from Latin fames, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
Famine’s story begins in Latin: fames meant “hunger.” The root of 'famished'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as famine. Widespread food shortage. It reached English by 1300s as famine. The Great Famine of 1315–17 struck all northern Europe. Today, famine means extreme scarcity of food.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient fames "hunger", the root of 'famished'.
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval famine "hunger, famine", widespread food shortage.
- Stage 3 · English · 1300s famine "hunger", the Great Famine of 1315–17 struck all northern Europe.