'Français' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'francais', where 'franc' meant 'free' and '-ais' was a suffix denoting origin or nationality.

'Francais' transformed into the modern French word 'Français', and eventually became the modern English word 'French' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'a free person from the Frankish tribes', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a person from France or the French language'.