Franc
nounA unit of currency formerly used in France and Belgium and still used in Switzerland and several other countries.
How to spell franc
5 letters · 1 syllable
How to pronounce franc
What does franc mean?
- nounA unit of currency formerly used in France and Belgium and still used in Switzerland and several other countries.
Franc in a sentence
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Before the euro, every French price was quoted in the franc.
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The Swiss franc remains a strong currency in foreign exchange markets.
Where does franc come from?
Language of origin: French
The franc takes its name from the Latin phrase Francorum Rex, meaning 'King of the Franks', the inscription stamped on a gold coin first minted in 1360 to pay the ransom of the captured French king John II. The word Frank itself derives from the Germanic people who gave their name to France, and some link it to a word meaning 'free'. French simply shortened the coin's name to franc, and the unit endured as the currency of France until the euro replaced it in 2002. English borrowed the spelling directly from French, keeping the final 'c' that the look-alike adjective 'frank' (meaning candid) renders with a 'k'. That single-letter difference is the whole spelling trap: the money ends in 'c', the honest manner ends in 'k', and both share the same Frankish ancestor.
How the word is built
- franc (single root; from the Latin legend Francorum Rex, 'King of the Franks', struck on the original coin)
Words that sound like franc
They sound the same but mean different things, so the meaning decides which spelling to write.
- frank: Open and honest in speech, saying plainly what one thinks even when it is uncomfortable.
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