foreign (English)

Where does "foreign" come from?

The English adjective 'foreign' came into the language from Middle English 'foreyn'[1], which was borrowed from the Old French term 'forain'[1][3]. Behind the Old French word lies Vulgar Latin '*forānus', meaning 'outsider' or 'outlander'[1], an adjective formed from classical Latin 'forās' or 'forīs', both meaning 'outside' or 'outdoors'[1]. These Latin adverbs trace back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*dʰwer-', meaning 'door' or 'gate'[2][4]. Over time, the borrowed word displaced native Old English terms like 'elþēodiġ' and 'fremde'[1], while English spelling eventually introduced the silent letter 'g', likely influenced by analogy with words like 'reign'[1].

Open questions

The Vulgar Latin source form '*forānus' is an unattested, reconstructed term. [1] [3]
It is uncertain whether '*forānus' derives specifically from Latin 'forās' or from 'forīs'. [1]
The explanation that the silent 'g' was added by analogy with 'reign' is tentative. [1]

Full etymology tree

foreign (English), 'Located outside a country or place, especially one's own.'
- inherited foreyn (Middle English), 'Nonlocal; not from or in one's town or immediate area.'
  - borrowed forain (Old French)
    - inherited *forānus (Vulgar Latin)
- influenced by reign (English), 'The exercise of sovereign power.'

Ancestors

foreyn (Middle English)
foras (Latin)

Descendants and derived words

antiforeign (English)
doctrine of foreign equivalents (English)
foreign accent syndrome (English)
foreign affairs (English)
foreign agent (English)
foreign aid (English)
foreign body (English)
foreign-born (English)
foreign-born (English)
foreign correspondent (English)
foreign country (English)
foreign currency (English)

Sources

Updated September 2026

More words starting with F

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris