Original: The French word bourgeois evolved from the Old French word burgeis, meaning "of a walled town" (cf. Middle English burgeis, Middle Dutch burgher and German BÃ 1\/4 rger).
Simplified: The French word bourgeois comes from the Old French word burgeis, meaning "an inhabitant of a town" (cf. Middle English burgeis, Middle Dutch burgher and German BÃ 1\/4 rger).