enfant (French)
Where does "enfant" come from?
The French word 'enfant' traces its roots back to the Latin 'infantem,' which literally means 'unable to speak.' Formed from the prefix 'in-' (not) and 'fans' (speaking), the term originally described young children who had not yet developed speech. This term passed through Old and Middle French before settling into its modern meaning as a general word for a child.
Full etymology tree
- enfant (French), 'child (someone who is not yet an adult)'
- inherited enfant (Middle French), 'child'
- inherited enfant (Old French), 'child'
- borrowed infans (Latin), 'speechless, inarticulate'
- prefix in- (Latin), 'un-, non-, not'
- inherited *en (Proto-Italic), 'in'
- inherited *h₁én (Proto-Indo-European), 'in'
- inherited *en (Proto-Italic), 'in'
- suffix fāns (Latin), 'speaking; saying'
- deverbal for (Latin), 'to speak, talk, say'
- inherited *fāōr (Proto-Italic), 'to speak'
- inherited *bʰéh₂ti (Proto-Indo-European), 'to speak, to be talking'
- derived *bʰeh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to shine, glow light'
- inherited *bʰéh₂ti (Proto-Indo-European), 'to speak, to be talking'
- inherited *fāōr (Proto-Italic), 'to speak'
- deverbal for (Latin), 'to speak, talk, say'
- prefix in- (Latin), 'un-, non-, not'
- borrowed infans (Latin), 'speechless, inarticulate'
- inherited enfant (Old French), 'child'
- inherited enfant (Middle French), 'child'
Ancestors
- enfant (Middle French)
- enfant (Old French)
- infans (Latin)
Descendants and derived words
- bon enfant (French)
- enfant chéri (French)
- enfant de chœur (French)
- enfant de pute (French)
- enfanter (French)
- enfant gâté (French)
- enfantin (French)
- enfant prodige (French)
- enfant sauvage (French)
- enfant soldat (French)
- enfant terrible (French)
- enfant trouvé (French)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris