ancien

Inherited from Middle French ancien, from Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin *anteānus (“that which came before”), a compound of ante (“before”) +‎ -ānus (adjective-forming suffix). Related to the Old and Middle French ains.

• IPA^(key): /ɑ̃.sjɛ̃/, (in liaison) /ɑ̃.sjɛ.n‿/

• Audio (France, Paris)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛ̃
• Homophone: anciens

ancien (feminine ancienne, masculine plural anciens, feminine plural anciennes)

1. (always placed before the noun) old, former, ex- (no longer current)

   Mon ancien petit ami m’a plaquée.

   My ex-boyfriend ditched me.

2. (usually placed after the noun) ancient (very old)

   Elle a acheté une maison ancienne.

   She has bought an ancient house.

   le grec ancien (rarer also l’ancien grec) ― the Ancient Greek language

   l’ancien français ― the Old French language

• vieux

ancien m (plural anciens, feminine ancienne)

1. an old person

• Ancien des jours

• → Ido: anciena

• “ancien”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• canine

From Old French ancien.

ancien m (feminine singular ancienne, masculine plural anciens, feminine plural anciennes)

1. old
2. previous; former

• French: ancien

From Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin *anteanus, from Latin ante.

ancien m

1. (Jersey) ancient

• anciennement
• ancienneté (“ancient times”)

• anciien, ancïen (diaereses not universally used by scholars of Old French)

From Vulgar Latin *anteānus; see there for further etymology. See also the related ains, ainz.

• IPA^(key): (early) /anˈt͡sjɛn/
• IPA^(key): (late) /ãnˈsjɛ̃n/

ancien m (oblique and nominative feminine singular anciene)

1. old, ancient

• juene

• Middle French: ancien
  • French: ancien
• Norman: ancien
• → Galician: ancián, anciao
• → Italian: anziano
  • → Medieval Latin: antiānus
• → Middle English: auncyen
  • English: ancient
• → Sicilian: anzianu
  • → Maltese: anzjan
• → Spanish: anciano

• viel