Etymology

vaunt

V4A1U1N1T1

Today it means: To speak boastfully. Full definition →

Middle English vaunten ← Anglo-Norman vaunter ← Old French vanter
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vaunt · verb, noun1

  1. Latin · derived fromvānus“vain, boastful”
  2. Old French · derived fromvanter
  3. Anglo-Norman · derived fromvaunter
  4. Middle English · inherited fromvaunten
  5. English todayvaunt

From Middle English vaunten, from Anglo-Norman vaunter, variant of Old French vanter, from Latin vānus (“vain, boastful”).

vaunt · noun2

  1. French · borrowed fromavant“before, fore”
  2. English todayvaunt

From French avant (“before, fore”). See avant, vanguard.

Words from the same roots

Latinvānus all →

vainvaingloriousvaniloquence

Frenchavant all →

retrogardevamplate

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.