Ancien
/ˈeɪn.si.ən/noun
A person or thing associated with the traditional French order that existed before the Revolution, especially the ancien régime.
Did you know?In English, “ancien” is largely preserved through the phrase “ancien régime,” whose name became a symbol of aristocratic power before the French Revolution.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ant-
“Before, in front of, or facing toward”
Classical Latin
Latin
ante
“Before or in front of”
Late Latin
Latin
anteanus
“Belonging to what came before; former”
9th–10th Century
Old French
ancien
“Former, old, or belonging to an earlier time”
16th Century
French
ancien
“Old, former, or traditional”
18th Century
English
ancien
“A French loanword associated especially with the ancien régime and its former social order”
Modern English
English
ancien
“A person or thing connected with the former traditional French order”