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Gauche

3 stages from Frankish to English.

Today it means socially awkward

Where does the word "gauche" come from? It comes from Frankish welk, passing through French before entering English (1750s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
welk
Frankish · ancient
"weak"
a Frankish word, possibly related to 'walk'
2
Stage 2 of 3
gauche
French · 1700s
"left; clumsy"
left-handed people were thought clumsy
3
Stage 3 of 3
gauche
English · 1750s
"awkward"
'sinister' has the same left-is-bad idea
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Read the full story

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.