French franc
1
6.7
- noun
- Literature
:
franco
- I found some old coins, including several French francs, in my grandfather's attic.
- French franc and deutsche mark
- million French francs
Examples
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France bids 7,000 French francs.
-
The devaluation, after 45 years of parity with the French franc, could help African exports in the medium term.
Academic text (1994) -
For French francs--
-
- French francs.
-
He had bought it new for the French franc equivalent of $575.
Fiction book (1993) -
F-French francs?
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The recent run on the French franc, coming in the wake of the removal of the British pound from the ERM, demonstrates the costs of participation in the system.
Academic text (1994) -
Over the past 12 months, international financial markets have anticipated that outcome by depressing the value of the Deutsche Mark, the French franc, and the other European currencies that move with them by 25 percent relative to the dollar and the yen.
Academic text (1997) -
While originally conceived as public works made in the name of African socialism, tapestries such as Camara's Invitation sold for an average of 5,000 French francs, a figure well beyond the means of ordinary Senegalese citizens.
Academic text (2002) -
Since the old rate of 50 CFA francs to 1 French franc was artificially maintained by French budget transfers, the new rate of 100 CFA francs will steeply increase import prices.
Academic text (1994)
Synonyms
54
6.5
A type of money used in some countries and formerly used in France
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the currency unit of France' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'French' (relating to France) with 'franc' (a unit of currency); a B1 learner who knows both words will understand this referent. This is a straightforward attributive adjective + noun construction common cross-linguistically, and the historical fact that it was replaced by the euro does not affect its compositional transparency.
Etymology
French franc comes from a coin made in France long ago called a franc, a word that also meant 'free'. One popular story says the first francs were made to pay a king's ransom, and the name stayed as the name of France's 'money' until it was replaced by the euro.