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Where does the word "gauche" come from? It comes from Frankish welk, passing through French before entering English (1750s).
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Where does the word "gauche" come from? It comes from Frankish welk, passing through French before entering English (1750s).
Gauche’s story begins in Frankish: welk meant “weak.” A Frankish word, possibly related to 'walk'. By 1700s, the word had taken hold in French as gauche. Left-handed people were thought clumsy. It reached English by 1750s as gauche. 'sinister' has the same left-is-bad idea. Today, gauche means socially awkward.
- Stage 1 · Frankish · ancient welk "weak", a Frankish word, possibly related to 'walk'.
- Stage 2 · French · 1700s gauche "left; clumsy", left-handed people were thought clumsy.
- Stage 3 · English · 1750s gauche "awkward", 'sinister' has the same left-is-bad idea.