furnish

Where does the word "furnish" come from? It comes from Frankish frumjan, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

Furnish’s story begins in Frankish: frumjan meant “to provide, to complete.” To provide, to complete, a Germanic root of the Franks. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as furnir. Adapted from Frankish for equipping or supplying something. It reached English by 1400s as furnish. Settled as the English word for equipping a room with furniture. Today, furnish means to equip a room or building with furniture, or to supply something needed.

1. Stage 1 · Frankish · medieval frumjan "to provide, to complete", to provide, to complete, a Germanic root of the Franks.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval furnir "to equip or supply something", adapted from Frankish for equipping or supplying something.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s furnish "to equip a room or building with furniture", settled as the English word for equipping a room with furniture.