3 ms·

Yup that's where the term "lingua franca" comes from.

• mkotowski 4y ago
  Actually, lingua franca originally refereed to a pidgin bridge language (also called Sabir) in use mostly by sailors and traders in the Mediterranean Basin. While it also borrowed from French, it was mostly based on Italian dialects from what I read. [0] [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Lingua_Franca https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Lingua_Franca
• tsimionescu 4y ago
  The "Franks" in lingua franca refers to all Western Europeans collectively, it's not actually about the French.
  • coldtea 4y ago
    Etymologically. In the last 2-3 centuries it was used referring to French.
    • tsimionescu 4y ago
      Sure, but the name of the language (lingua franca) originates much earlier, when it referred to (Western) Europeans in general.