DictionaryRoot: à
Old French
à
to or toward
Forms
- a-
- à — The independent French word is written with an accent.
Origin
From Latin ad, “to, toward.”
Note
French lost the Latin final consonant, while many learned borrowings retained a fuller Latin form.
1 / 10
verb
abandon
uh-BAN-duhn/əˈbændən/
To leave something behind and cease supporting or pursuing it.
Etymology
Old French à bandon meant “at will” or “at discretion,” carrying the idea of putting something under another’s control. Giving up control developed into relinquishing something entirely, then leaving or forsaking it.