The story
- Middle French · derived fromavoir
- Old French · derived fromaveir
- Middle English · inherited fromavoir de pois
- English todayavoirdupois
From Middle English avoir de pois, aver de peis, haburdy poyse, haburdepays, haburdepeyse, from Old French aveir + de + peis (“asset of weight”), influenced by Middle French avoir + du + pois; compare French poids (“weight”).
Words from the same roots
Old Frenchaveir all →
haviour'havior
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.