aveugle (French)

Where does "aveugle" come from?

The French adjective 'aveugle', meaning 'blind' or 'unquestioning', is inherited from Middle French 'aveugle' and Old French 'avogle'[1]. This Old French form traces back to Late Latin 'ab oculīs', meaning 'without eyes' or literally 'away from the eyes'[1][2]. This Late Latin phrase may be a calque of Ancient Greek 'ἀπὸ ὀμμάτων' or derived from Gaulish[1][3]. Furthermore, the modern French spelling and form is considered either an exception to the normal sound shift from Latin or a semi-learned formation[1].

Open questions

• The Late Latin phrase may be a calque of Ancient Greek or Gaulish rather than an independent formation. [1] [3]
• The modern French form is considered either an exception to the normal sound shift from Latin or a semi-learned formation. [1]

Full etymology tree

• aveugle (French), 'blind (physically unable to see)'
  • inherited aveugle (Middle French)
    • inherited avogle (Old French), 'blind'
      • inherited ab oculis (Latin), 'blind'
        • calque ἀπὸ ὀμμάτων (apò ommátōn) (Ancient Greek)
        • derived exops (Gaulish)

Ancestors

• avogle (Old French)
• ab oculis (Latin)

Descendants and derived words

• aveuglement (French)
• bien vu l'aveugle (French)
• il n'est pire aveugle que celui qui ne veut pas voir (French)
• point aveugle (French)

Sources

1. aveugle (French) - Wiktionary
2. avogle (Old French) - Wiktionary
3. ab oculis (Latin) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

More words starting with A

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