French word origins english words

The percentage of modern English words derived from each language group are as follows:
Anglo-Norman French then French: ~29%
Latin (including words used only in scientific, medical or legal contexts): ~29%
Germanic: ~26%
Others: ~16%

A great number of words of French origin have entered the English language to the extent that many Latin words have come to the English language. 45% of all English words have a French origin.[1][verification needed][better source needed] This suggests that 80,000 words should appear in this list; this list, however, only includes words imported directly from French, such as both joy and joyous, and does not include derivatives formed in English of words borrowed from French, including joyful, joyfulness, partisanship, and parenthood. It also excludes both combinations of words of French origin with words whose origin is a language other than French — e.g., ice cream, sunray, jellyfish, killjoy, lifeguard, and passageway— and English-made combinations of words of French origin — e.g., grapefruit (grape + fruit), layperson (lay + person), mailorder, magpie, marketplace, surrender, petticoat, and straitjacket. This list also excludes words that come from French but were introduced into the English language via a language other than French, which include commodore, domineer, filibuster, ketone, loggia, lotto, mariachi, monsignor, oboe, paella, panzer, picayune, ranch, vendue, and veneer.

English words of French origin can also be distinguished from French words and expressions used by English speakers.

Although French is derived mainly from Latin (which accounts for about 60% of English vocabulary either directly or via a Romance language), it also includes words from Gaulish and Germanic languages (especially Old Frankish). Since English is of Germanic origin, words that have entered English from the Germanic elements in French might not strike the eye as distinctively from French. Conversely, as Latin gave many derivatives to both the English and the French languages, ascertaining that a given Latinate derivative did not come to the English language via French can be difficult in a few cases.

Historical context[edit]

Most of the French vocabulary now appearing in English was imported over the centuries following the Norman Conquest of 1066, when England came under the administration of Norman-speaking peoples. William the Conqueror invaded the British Isles, distributing lands and property to Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French soldiers. As a result, Old French became the language of culture and the administration, evolving into Anglo-Norman French. The majority of the population of England continued to use their Anglo-Saxon language, but it was influenced by the language of the ruling elite, resulting in doublets. Consider for example the words for the meats eaten by the Anglo-Norman nobility and the corresponding animals raised by the Anglo-Saxon peasants: beef/ox, mutton/sheep, veal/calf, pork/pig, or pairs of words pertaining to different registers of language: commence/start, commerce/trade, continue/go on, depart/leave, disengage/withdraw, encounter/meet, maintain/uphold, marry/wed, menace/threat, purchase/buy, revenue/income, vend/sell. Words of French origin often refer to more abstract or elaborate notions than their Anglo-Saxon equivalents (e.g. liberty/freedom, justice/fairness), and are therefore of less frequent use in everyday language. This may not, however, be the case for all English words of French origin. Consider, for example, some of the most common words in English: able, car, chair, city, country, different, fine, fruit, journey, juice, just, part, people, person, place, real, stay, table, travel, use, very, and wait.

After the rise of Henry Plantagenet to the throne of England, other forms of dialectal French may have gained in influence to the detriment of Anglo-Norman French (notably the variants of Anjou where the House of Plantagenet came from, and possibly Poitevin, the tongue of Eleanor of Aquitaine). With the English claim to the throne of France, the influence of the language in use at the royal court of France in Paris increased. The cultural influence of France remained strong in the following centuries and from the Renaissance onward borrowings were mainly made from Parisian French, which became the de facto standard language of France.

Notable fields of French influence[edit]

Feudalism[edit]

Norman rule of England had a lasting impact on British society. Words from Anglo-Norman or Old French include terms related to chivalry (homage, liege, peasant, seigniorage, suzerain, vassal, villain) and other institutions (bailiff, chancellor, council, government, mayor, minister, parliament), the organisation of religion (abbey, clergy, cloister, diocese, friar, mass, parish, prayer, preach, priest, sacristy, vestment, vestry, vicar), the nobility (baron, count, dame, duke, marquis, prince, sir), and the art of war (armour, baldric, dungeon, hauberk, mail, portcullis, rampart, surcoat). Many of these words related to the feudal system or medieval warfare have a Germanic origin (mainly through Old Frankish) (see also French words of Germanic origin).

The Norman origin of the British monarchy is still visible in expressions like Prince Regent, heir apparent, Princess Royal where the adjective is placed after the noun, like in French.

Heraldry[edit]

The vocabulary of heraldry has been heavily influenced by French (blazon, or, argent, sable, gules, passant), for more details see tinctures, attitudes, and charges of heraldry.

Sometimes used in heraldry, some mythological beasts (cockatrice, dragon, griffin, hippogriff, phoenix) or exotic animals (lion, leopard, antelope, gazelle, giraffe, camel, zebu, elephant, baboon, macaque, mouflon, dolphin, ocelot, ostrich, chameleon) draw their name from French. It is also the case of some animals native of Europe (via Anglo-Norman: eagle, buzzard, falcon, squirrel, coney, rabbit, leveret, lizard, marten, ferret, salmon, viper).

Military[edit]

The vocabulary of warfare and the military include many words and expressions of French origin (accoutrements, aide-de-camp, army, artillery, battalion, bivouac, brigade, camouflage, carabineer, cavalry, cordon sanitaire, corps, corvette, dragoon, espionage, esprit de corps, état major, fusilier, grenadier, guard, hors-de-combat, infantry, latrine, legionnaire, logistics, matériel, marine, morale, musketeer, officer, pistol, platoon, reconnaissance/reconnoitre, regiment, rendezvous, siege, soldier, sortie, squad, squadron, surrender, surveillance, terrain, troop, volley). This includes military ranks: admiral, captain, colonel, corporal, general, lieutenant, sergeant. Many fencing terms are also from French.

Politics and economics[edit]

The political/economic lexicon include many words of French origin like money, treasury, exchequer, commerce, finance, tax, liberalism, capitalism, materialism, nationalism, plebiscite, coup d’état, regime, sovereignty, state, administration, federal, bureaucracy, constitution, jurisdiction, district.

Law[edit]

The judicial lexicon has also been heavily influenced by French (justice, judge, jury, attorney, court, case).

Diplomacy[edit]

attaché, chargé d’affaires, envoy, embassy, chancery, diplomacy, démarche, communiqué, aide-mémoire, détente, entente, rapprochement, accord, treaty, alliance, passport, protocol.

Arts[edit]

art, music, dance, theatre, author, stage, paint, canvas, perform, harmony, melody, rhythm, trumpet, note, director, gallery, portrait, brush, pallet, montage, surrealism, impressionism, fauvism, cubism, symbolism, art nouveau, gouache, aquarelle, collage, render, frieze, grisaille.

Architecture[edit]

aisle, arcade, arch, vault, voussoir, belfry, arc-boutant, buttress, bay, lintel, estrade, facade, balustrade, terrace, lunette, niche, pavilion, pilaster, porte cochère.

Aviation and automobile engineering[edit]

France played a pioneering role in the fields of aviation (nacelle, empennage, fuselage, aileron, altimeter, canard, decalage, monocoque, turbine) and automobile engineering or design (chassis, piston, arbor, grille, tonneau, berline, sedan, limousine, cabriolet, coupé, convertible).

Cuisine[edit]

baba au rhum, beef, beef bourguignon, boudin, caramel, casserole, cassoulet, clafoutis, confit, consommé, cream, croissant, custard, filet mignon, fillet, foie gras, flognarde, fondant, fondue, gateau, gratin, madeleine, marmalade, mayonnaise, meringue, mille-feuille, mustard, mutton, navarin, pâté, pastry, petit four, pork, porridge, potage, pudding, puree, ragout, ratatouille, roux, salad, sauce, sausage, soufflé, soup, stew, terrine, trifle, veal, vol-au-vent.

Colours and Other Influences[edit]

Other influences include the names of colours (ecru, mauve, beige, carmine, maroon, blue, orange, violet, vermilion, turquoise, lilac, perse, scarlet, cerise), vegetables or fruits (courgette, aubergine, cabbage, carrot, cherry, chestnut, cucumber, nutmeg, quince, spinach, lemon, orange, apricot), and months of the year (January, March, May, July, November, December).

Terms coined by French people[edit]

Some of the French words that made their way into the English language were coined by French speaking inventors, discoverers or pioneers, or scientists: cinema, television, helicopter, parachute, harmonium, bathyscaphe, lactose, lecithin, bacteriophage, chlorophyll, mastodon, pterodactyl, oxide, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, photography, stethoscope, thermometer, stratosphere, troposphere.

Named after French people[edit]

Some French words were named after French people (from their family name), especially in the fields of science (ampere, appertisation, baud, becquerel, braille, coulomb, curie, daguerreotype, pascal, pasteurise, vernier), botany and mineralogy (begonia, bougainvillea, clementine, magnolia, dolomite, nicotine), fashion and style or any other cultural aspect (lavalier, leotard, recamier, mansard, chauvinism, kir, praline, saxophone, silhouette, guillotine).

Proper names[edit]

The names of certain cities in non-francophone regions/countries entered English with French spelling (Louisville, Constance, Ypres, Bruges, Louvain, Turin, Milan, Plaisance, Florence, Rome, Naples, Syracuse, Vienna, Prague, Munich, Cologne, Aix-la-Chapelle, Seville, Constantinople).

In North America, the names of some of the Native American peoples or First Nations the French came in contact with first are from French (Sioux, Saulteaux, Iroquois, Nez Perce, Huron, Cheyenne, Algonquin). It is also the case of some place names such as Canada, Arkansas, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Vermont, Baton Rouge, Boise, Chicago, Des Moines, Detroit.

Main patterns of influence[edit]

Some words from Old French have been imported again from Middle French or Modern French, but have generally taken a more restrictive or specialised meaning the second time. Consider for instance these doublets : chair/chaise, chief/chef, luminary/luminaire, liquor/liqueur, castle/château, hostel/hotel, mask/masque, necessary/nécessaire, petty/petit, ticket/etiquette, troop/troupe, vanguard/avant-garde. Note that the word in French has kept the general meaning: e.g. château in French means «castle» and chef means «chief». Even when not imported several times in different forms, loanwords from French generally have a more restrictive or specialised meaning than in French: e.g. legume (in Fr. légume means «vegetable»), gateau (in Fr. gâteau means «cake»).

In some cases, the English language has been more conservative than the French one with Old French words, at least in spelling if not in pronunciation: e.g. apostle (O.Fr. apostle / M.Fr. apôtre), castle (O.Fr. castel or chastel / M.Fr. château), forest (O.Fr. forest / M.Fr. forêt), vessel (O.Fr. vaissel / M.Fr. vaisseau). Other Old French words have even disappeared from Modern French: dandelion.

On the other hand, a move to restore the classical roots (Latin or Ancient Greek) occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries. Thus words from Old French saw their spelling re-Latinized. Although in most cases this did not affect their pronunciation (e.g. debt, doubt, indict, mayor), in some cases it did (e.g. abnormal, adventure, benefit). The ph transcription of words of Greek etymology was restored instead of the f. Thus fantosme became phantom, fesan became pheasant. This move occurred also in French, although less systematically: Old French farmacie became pharmacie («pharmacy»), fenix became phénix («phoenix»), but fantosme became fantôme («phantom, ghost») and fesan became faisan («pheasant»).

Beside re-Latinization that blurred the French origin of some words (e.g. peradventure), other modifications in spelling have included folk etymology alterations (e.g. andiron, belfry, crayfish, female, gillyflower, gingerbread, penthouse, pickaxe, pulley).

Furthermore, the spelling of some words was changed to keep the pronunciation as close to the original as possible (e.g. leaven), whereas in other cases the French spelling was kept and resulted in totally different pronunciation than French (e.g. leopard, levee).[2] Terms that most recently entered the English language have kept French pronunciation and spelling (ambiance, aplomb, arbitrage, armoire, atelier, barrage, bonhomie, bourgeoisie, brochure, bureau, café, camaraderie, catalogue, chandelier, chauffeur, coiffure, collage, cortège, crèche, critique, debris, décor, dénouement, depot, dossier, élite, entourage, ennui, entrepreneur, espionage, expertise, exposé, financier, garage, genre, glacier, intrigue, liaison, lingerie, machine, massage, millionaire, mirage, montage, panache, penchant, personnel, plaque, promenade, rapport, repertoire, reservoir, routine, sabotage, sachet, souvenir, tableau, terrain, tranche), though this may change with time (e.g. the initial h in hotel is not silent anymore, consider also the evolving pronunciation of herb, or garage). Expressions like femme fatale, faux pas, haute couture, bête noire and enfant terrible are still recognisably French.

Borrowings are not a one-way process (See Reborrowing), some words of French origin ultimately come from Old English (Anglo-Saxon words): e.g. bateau, chiffon, gourmet. While conversely English words of French origin made their way «back» into Modern French: budget, challenge, design, discount, establishment, express, fuel, gay, gin, humour, interview, jury, management, mess, pedigree, rave, record, reporter, spleen, sport, squat, standard, suspense, tennis, ticket, toast, toboggan, tunnel, vintage.

A–C[edit]

D–I[edit]

J–R[edit]

S–Z[edit]

See also[edit]

  • Influence of French on English
  • Glossary of French words and expressions in English
  • Law French
  • Glossary of fencing (predominantly from French)
  • Glossary of ballet (predominantly from French)
  • Lists of English loanwords by country or language of origin
  • List of English words of Gaulish origin
  • List of English words of Latin origin
  • List of English Latinates of Germanic origin
  • Latin influence in English
  • List of French words of Germanic origin
  • List of French words of Gaulish origin
  • List of French words of Arabic origin
  • List of French words of English origin
  • List of German words of French origin

References[edit]

  1. ^ «Why Study French». Athabasca University.
  2. ^ Leading some to say that «English is just badly pronounced French».

External links[edit]

  • Online Etymology Dictionary
  • Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales (in French)

English is from the Germanic language family, and French is a romance language. So they don’t have much in common, right? 

Well, actually, although the two languages have different backgrounds, English is full of words derived from French vocabulary. Just take budget, camouflage, chic, entrepreneur and sport—they all have French roots! 

Why, you ask? Long story (very) short: Starting in the 11th century, French speakers occupied England. For 200 years, French noblemen were in positions of power, and the language of the ruling class was French. This contributed to the formation of the mixed-up language of Middle English, and things continued to evolve from there!

Fascinating, isn’t it?

Below, we cover 11 words with French origins, including their original forms and examples of how to use them. 

  • 1. Advice
  • 2. Beige
  • 3. Budget
  • 4. Camouflage
  • 5. Chic
  • 6. Denim
  • 7. Entrepreneur
  • 8. Honesty
  • 9. Money
  • 10. Mortgage
  • 11. Sport

Ready to start learning with Lingoda?


1. Advice

What it means: A recommendation about what to do in a particular situation

French background: “Advice” stems from the French avis, meaning “opinion, idea, view, or judgment.” The word avis evolved from the French phrase Ce m’est à vis, which translates to “It seems to me.”

How to use it: I’m trying to decide on a career; I would really love your advice on what I should do!

2. Beige

What it means: A pale yellowish-brown color

French background: This one comes from the Old French word bege, translating to “the natural color of wool and cotton; not dyed.”

How to use it: Every house in this neighborhood is beige! When I have a house, I’m going to paint it bright purple.

3. Budget

What it means: A plan that shows how much money a person makes, spends and saves

French background: It’s said that the word “budget” comes from bougette, which evolved from the French word bouge, describing a leather purse or pouch.

How to use it: If you want to go on your dream vacation, you’re going to need a strict budget to start saving money. 

4. Camouflage

What it means: A way of hiding something by painting it or covering it with leaves, branches, fabrics, etc. to match its surroundings. 

French background: The English word “camouflage” is derived from the French verb camoufler—to disguise.

How to use it: I have a big pimple on my nose! If I use the right makeup, I think I’ll be able to camouflage it.

5. Chic

What it means: Stylish and fashionable

French background: This word in its current form is actually the same in French and in English. It comes from the French chic, meaning “stylishness.” Some say chic comes from the word chicanerie, or “trickery,” though the connection to fashion isn’t totally clear. 

How to use it: Wow! Is that a new dress? You look so chic!

6. Denim

What it means: A thick, strong cotton material typically used to make jeans.

French background: This is an interesting one: The word “denim” stems from the French term serge de Nimesserge is a strong fabric, de means “from” or “of” and Nîmes is the place it came from.  So “denim” = de + Nîmes.

How to use it: An outfit consisting of a denim jacket and a pair of jeans is jokingly called a Canadian tuxedo. 

7. Entrepreneur

What it means: Someone who starts their own business based on an idea or product they have developed.

French background: This word comes directly from the French entreprendre—“to undertake.” So, an entrepreneur is someone who undertakes a new business venture.

How to use it: I never want to work in a company where I’m making money for someone else. I want to be an entrepreneur, so I can work for my own success!

8. Honesty

What it means: The quality of being truthful

French background: The word “honesty” comes from the modern French word honnêteté, which derives from the Old French term honesté, translating to “virtuous, respectable or honorable.”

How to use it: I think telling the truth is very important, no matter what. Honesty is the number-one quality I look for in a person.

9. Money

What it means: Coins and banknotes; currency

French background: The English word “money” is derived from the French monnaie, which itself comes from the Latin word moneta. Sounds pretty similar, doesn’t it?

How to use it: I’d love to go out to dinner with you tomorrow night but I have no money right now.

10. Mortgage

What it means: A loan used to purchase a home

French background: This is a descendant of the Old French morgage, which is a combination of two words: mort, meaning “dead,” and gage, meaning “pledge.” This actually has nothing to do with the death of a person. Rather, it means a deal (“pledge”) is complete (“dead”) when the loan is paid off or when the loan recipient fails to pay.

How to use it: We just bought a house! We got a 30-year mortgage, so we’ll have to pay back the loan by 2047.

11. Sport

Meaning: A type of physical activity that’s done for exercise or fun, often in the form of a competition.

French background: The word “sport” is a shortening of disport, which was borrowed from the Old French word desporter, which meant “to take pleasure.”

How to use it: Taking up a sport like soccer or volleyball is a great way to stay in shape, improve your mood and meet new friends!

English words with French origins are everywhere

The words we’ve mentioned above are just a small sample of French-derived words in English. Take the time to learn some French vocabulary or dig a little deeper into English etymology and you’ll be surprised what you find!  

Ready to start learning with Lingoda?


Andrea is a Canadian freelance writer and editor specializing in English, e-learning, EdTech, and SaaS. She has a background as an ESL teacher in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. In her free time, Andrea loves hanging out with her husband and children, creating recipes in the kitchen, and reading fiction. She also loves camping and jumping into lakes whenever possible. Learn more about Andrea on LinkedIn or check out her website.

30+ English Words with French Origins

Have you ever wondered about the etymology of the phrase déjà vu? Like 30% of words in the English language, this phrase has French origins—déjà meaning “already,” and vu meaning “seen” (the past particle of the verb voir). Since the Norman Conquest of 1066, following which a French-speaking aristocracy was established in England, French words and phrases have fused with the English language.

We’ve compiled a list of more than 30 English words with French origins that are commonly used today. Check out our list below to see if any of these surprise you!

Food

Perhaps one of the first English words that comes to mind when you consider French food is croissant (from the French word croissant, meaning “crescent”), but here are a few others:

●  Baguette—from the French word baguette, meaning “stick”

●  Cafe—from the French word café, meaning “coffee” or “coffee house”

●  Cuisine—from the French word cuisine, meaning “kitchen”

●  Eclair—from the French word éclair, meaning “lightning”

●  Menu—from the French word menu, meaning “detailed list”

●  Soufflé—from the French word soufflé, meaning “blown”

●  Soup—from the French word soupe, meaning “sop” or “broth”

●  Restaurant—from the French word restaurante, meaning “restore with food”

●  Vinaigrette—from the French word vinaigrette, meaning “vinegar”

Colors

The English word orange comes from the Old French word orenge, or the phrase pomme d’orenge, which actually refers to the orange fruit. Here are some other English words for colors that have French origins:

●  Beige—from the French word beige, referring to undyed wool fabrics of this color

●  Maroon—from the French word marron, meaning “chestnut”

●  Mauve—from the French word mauve, meaning “mallow”

●  Scarlet—from the Old French word escarlate, meaning “scarlet cloth”

●  Turquoise—from the Old French word turquiese, referring to the blue-green stones believed to have first been brought to Europe from Turkey

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Travel

You may already know that the French phrase bon voyage, meaning “have a good journey,” is also used in the English language, but here are some other travel-related English words with French origins:

●  Chauffer—from the French word chauffer, meaning “stoker”

●  Detour—from the French word detour, meaning “a change of direction,” or détourner, meaning “turn away”

●  Hotel—from the French word hôtel, and the Old French word hostel

●  Souvenir—from the French word souvenir, meaning “memory”

Household Items

If you own a home, you likely pay a mortgage, which comes from the Old French word mortgage, meaning “dead pledge.” Here are a few items you may have around your home that are also named by words with French origins:

●  Armoire—from the Old French word armarie, meaning “cupboard” or “bookcase”

●  Cushion—from the Old French word cuissin, which is based on a Latin word meaning “cushion for the hip”

●  Portrait—from the Old French word portraire, meaning “portray”

●  Potpourri—from the French word potpourri, meaning “rotten pot”

Art

The dance style ballet (also ballet in French) was largely formalized in France. There are many other English words for the arts that have French origins—here are a few:

●  Film noir—from the French phrase film noir, meaning “dark film”

●  Papier-mâché—from the French word papier-mâché, meaning “chewed paper”

●  Poetic—from the French word poétique, meaning “poetic” or “relating to poets”

●  Renaissance—from the French word renaissance, meaning “rebirth”

Proofreading & Editing Services

The written language is also an art, and one that’s certainly tough to master. If you’d like to make sure your writing is perhaps free of clichés (cliché, meaning “stereotype”) and uses a variety (variete) of words and sentence structures, we have expert editors who can help! You can submit a free trial document today to learn more.

Great number of words of French origin have entered the English language to the extent that around 30% of its vocabulary is of French origin. It is via French that many Latin words have come to the English language. Most of the French vocabulary now appearing in English was imported over the centuries following the Norman Conquest of 1066, when England came under the administration of Norman-speaking peoples. According to different sources, between one third and two thirds of all English words have a French origin. This fact suggests that at least 30,000 words should appear in this list (however the following list only contains about 1,600 words).

Many non-Latin Germanic words have also entered English from the Germanic element in French. Since English is of Germanic origin, via the influences apparent in modern Dutch, ascertaining whether a given Germanic word is definitely from French can be difficult in a few cases.

There is a language game that consists in converting French-origin words into Germanic-origin words to make the English language seem «purer». Hence, rock becomes stone and pure becomes white. See List of Germanic and Latinate equivalents.

:»Please do not add any words to the list. It is in the process of being transferred to Wiktionary per consensus».

A

ablihrahomo
* (Fr. «abbatial»)
*, from «abréviation»
*
* (Fr. «abhorrer»)
*
*
* (Fr. «ablation»)
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «habile» or «capable»
*
* compare «anormal»
* (Fr. «à bord»)
*, compare «abolir»
*
*
*
*, Fr. «abréger»
*
*, from Middle French, compare modern Fr. «absolu»
* (Fr. «absorber»)
* (Old Fr. «abstenir»)
*
*
*
* (Fr. «absurde»)
* (Old Fr. «abundance»)
*
* (Fr. «académique»)
*, compare «académie»
* (Fr. «Acadie»)
* (Fr. «accélération»)
* (Fr. «accent»)
* (Fr «accepter»)
* (Fr. «accès»)
*
*
* (Fr. «acclimater»)
* (Fr. «accolade»)
*
* (Fr. «accompagner»)
* (Fr. «complice»)
* (Fr. «accomplir»)
*
*
* (Fr. «compte»)
*
* (Fr. «accoutrement»)
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «accusatif»)
*
* (Old Fr. «acostumer», now «accoutumer»)
*, compare «as»
*, compare «acide»
*, compare «acoustique»
*
*
* (Fr. «acrobate»)
*, compare «acrostiche»
*
*, compare «activité»
*
*, compare «adhésif» or feminine form «adhésive»
*, which literally means «to God» («à Dieu»), farewell
*, compare «adjectif»
* (Fr. «administrer»)
*, compare «admirer»
*
*, compare «adopter»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «adorer»
*
*, compare «avantage»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «aventure»
*, compare «adverbe»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «adversaire»
*, compare «avertissement» (warning)
*, compare «aviser» (to assess [a situation] )
* (noun), from Old French «avocat» — in modern French this means an attorney or lawyer
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «affaire» (business)
*
*
*, compare «affinité»
*
*
*
* provocateur
*, compare « _fr. agression«
*, or , in abundance
* (Old Fr. «agreer»)
*, compare «agréable»
* (Old Fr. «aide»)
* (Old Fr. «esmar»)
*, in the style of…
*, from Old French «alabastre» (>Latin> Greek> Ancient Egyptian «a-labaste»)
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «hélas»
*, compare «alerte»
*, compare «aligner»
*
*, look or air
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «amande»; compare also Spanish «almendra». //NOTE: I believe almond (and almendra) come from arabic
*, (*this word is NOT from French. from «autel»
*
*
*, from «ambigu»
*
*, from «ambre gris», grey amber
*
*
*, compare «amnistie»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «amoureux»
*
*
*
*, compare «analyser»
*
*
* (Fr. «anarchiste»)
*, compare «anatomie»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «ancêtre»
*, compare «ancien»
*
*, someone who fears or dislikes England or the English
*, a speaker of English (Fr. «anglophone»)
* (from Old French «anguisse», now «angoisse»)
*
*
*, compare «annexer»
*
*
*, from Old French «anoier», now «ennuyer»
*
* (Fr. «annuité»)
* (Fr. «annulaire»)
*, compare «oindre»
*
*, compare «antécédent»
*, compare «anthère»
*
*, compare «appartement»
*, compare «apathie»
*
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «appareil»
*
*
*, compare «appréhender»
*
*, compare «à propos»
*
*
*
*, from «aire»
*, a mountainous ridge
* (Fr. «argent»)
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «arguer»
*, compare «armée»> «desarmée», «armement» Le français langue de la guerre et de l’amour (French as language of war and love)
*, from O.Fr. «arester»
*
*, from «artificiel»
* (Fr. «artiste)»
* (Fr. «assembler»)
*, from «assumer» (in its old meaning : to suppose)
*
* (Fr. «attaque»)
*
*
*
*, British name for eggplant
*
* (Old Fr. «ante»)
* (Fr. «autorité»)
*
* (Fr. «avenue»)
*
*
* (Fr. «aversion»)
*
* (Fr. «aviation»)
* (Fr. «avide»)
*
* (Old Fr. «evuider»)
*
*
* (Fr. «aveu»)
* (Fr. «axiome»)
*
* (from Old French, from Arabic «as-sumut»)
* (Old Fr. «azur», from Old Spanish «azur», from Arabic, in turn from Persian)

B

*
*, from French «bagage»
*
*, from «bande»
*, a type of headdress
*
*
*
* [Wiktionary:seth=poopface
*, from Old French
*
*
*
*, Bâton Rouge
* (Old Fr. «bataille»)
*, compare «baie»
*, compare «baïonnette»
*
*, compare «bec»
*, a type of sauce, named after a region in France (Béarn)
*, a lover or a dandy
* (Old Fr. «bealte»)
* (Old Fr. «beste»)
*, fine arts
*
*, compare «béret»
*
*, compare «bicyclette» > vélo
*
*
*
*, a love letter
*, after a beer-festival in Binche, Belgium
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «blanc»)
*, from Old French «blanquette» Blanquette de veau
*
* > blocage
*
*
* (Old Fr. «boilir»)
*
*
* (Fr. «bombarde»)
*
*
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «bonnet»
*
*
* (Fr. «bonbon»)
*
*
*
* (leap), from «bond»
*
*
*
*, from Old French «bran» or «bren»
*, compare «brandir»
*
*, compare «brassière», although the modern French for this is «soutien-gorge»
*
*
*
*
*, compare «brillant»
*
*
*, from «brocher» — to stitch
*, a type of embroidery
*
*, compare «boucle»
*, from Old Fr. «bougette» (a little purse)
*
*, from «boulette», although the modern French for this is «balle»
*
*, from «bouton»

C

*, compare «cabale»
*
*, compare «cacher»
*
*
*
*
*, compare «cajoler»
*
*
*
*
*, compare «campagne»
*
*, aeronautical term
*, from «canceller», evolution of « _fr. chanceler» (1293) (to cross out)
*
*, compare «cap», land jutting into the sea, as in Cape Horn
*
* (Norman-Fr. «carre»)
* (Fr. «carte»)
* (Fr. «carrière»)
*
*
* (Old North Fr. «castel»)
*
* (Old Fr. «casuel»)
*, compare «casuiste»
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*, compare «cavalerie»
*, from «célébrer»
* (Old Fr. «ciment»)
*, compare «encenser»
* (Old Fr. «censier»)
* (Fr. «centime»)
* (Old Fr. «centre»)
* or sometimes
*
*, from «calice»
*
*
*, from «caractère»
*, compare «chasse»
*, compare «castle»
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «escheat»)
* (Old Fr. «eschec»)
*, compare «échec et mat»
* (Old Fr. «chiere»)
* compare «chief»
*
*, from «chimiste»
*
* (Old Fr. «chériss-«)
* (Old North Fr. «cherise»)
*, a military term
*, from «cheval» — horse
* (Old Fr. «chief», compare «chef»)
* (Old Fr. «chevetain», compare «chief»)
*
*
*, compare «cinéma»
* (Old Fr. «cite»)
* (Old Fr. «clamer»)
*
*, compare «clarinette»
*
*
*, a kind of hat
*, from Old French «closet»
*
*
* (Old Fr. «coigne»)
*
*, from «collier», from «cou» (neck)
*, compare modern Fr. «colonel»
*
* and , compare «comédien» and «comédienne»
*, from «comique» (funny)
*, commanding officer
*
*
*
*
*
* (Fr. «communisme»)
*, from Old Fr. «comunalté», modern Fr. «communauté»
* (milit.), from «compagnie»
*
*
*
*, from «camarade»
*, from «concéder»
*
*
*
*, from «covenant», «convenable»
*
*, compare «cormoran»
*
*
* Old.Fr. «corporal»
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. ‘coton’)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «cunte»)
* (Old Fr. : continere, Modern French : contenance)
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «contrefaire»
* (Old Fr. «cuntree»)
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «corage»)
*
*, in the UK, but called zucchini in the US
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «cosin»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «covrir»)
*
*
*
* crêperie
* Croissant — Croissanterie
*
*, from the diminutive form of the old French word, Croust, (later to come into modern French as the word croûte), meaning «Crust».
*, from «couronne»
*, from Croûte, or Crust, in French.
* (Old Fr. «crier»)
*
*
*
* (Fr. «culte»)
* (Fr. «culture»)
* (Fr. «couvre-feu»)
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «coutume»

D

*, from Old French «deis»
* (Old Fr. «dalmatique»)
*
* (Old Fr. «damage»)
* (Fr. «damner»)
* (Old Fr. «dete»)
*
*
* or
*
*, from «diffamation»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «défaut»
* (Fr. «défaite»)
*
* or
*
*
*
*
*
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «déployer»
*
*, compare «dérailler»
* (Fr. «dérive»)
* (Fr. «dérogation»)
*
* (Old Fr. «descendre»)
* (Old Fr. «desert»)
* (Fr. «des moines» of the monks)
*
* (Fr. «détachement»)
* (Fr. «détail»)
* (Old Fr. «detenir»)
*
*
*
*
* (Fr. «détroit» = strait)
*, from «deux» (two)
* or
*
* (Old Fr. «devis»)
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «devorer»)
* (Old Fr. «devot»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «dignete»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «disme», modern French «dîme», from «dix», ten)
*, compare «diplomatie»
* (Fr. «direction»)
*
* (Fr. «desappointer»)
* (Old Fr. «desarmer»)
* or , thus
* (Old Fr. «descovrir»)
* (Old Fr. «desguisier»)
* (Old Fr. «desporter», modern Fr. «déporter»)
*
*
*
* (possibly from Fr. «dix» ten)
* (Old Fr. «duble»)
* (Old Fr. «douter»)
*, from French, meaning shower
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «douzaine»
* (Old Fr. «dresser»)
* (Old Fr. «deu»)
* (Old Fr. «durer», compare «endure»)
* (Anglo-Fr. «duete» from Old Fr. «deu»)
*

E

*, from Old French «aigre»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «aigle»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «aisé»
*, compare «échelon»
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «extase»
*, compare «éloquence»
*
* from Fr. «emir», colloquial pronunciation of Ar. amir «commander»
* (Old Fr. «emperere»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «employer»)
*
*
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «encourager»
*
*
* (Old Fr. «endurer»)
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «enemi»)
* (Fr. «énergie»)
*, compare «engager»
* (Old Fr. «enjoir»)
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «inimitié»
*
*, compare «enrager»
*, compare «enrichir»
*
*
*, from ‘assurer»
*
*, compare «entrer»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «entomber»
*
* (but is first part of the meal in French)
* (Fr. from «entreprendre» undertake)
*, compare «enveloppe»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «environs»
* or
*, compare «envisager»
*, compare «envoyé»
*, compare «envier»
* or , compare «épaulette»
*
*, from «éphèbe»
*, from «éphémère»
*, from «épique»
*, from «épicurien»
*, from «épidémie»
*
*
*
*, from «épithète»
*
*, from «égal»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «égalité»
*
*, from «équilibrer»
*, compare «équipage»
*
*, from «équipement»
*
*, from «équité»
*, compare «éradiquer»
*, from «araser»
*, from «ériger» (to build)
*
*, compare «éroder»
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «establisse»)
* (Old Fr. «estat»)
*
*, «étiquette»
* (Old Fr. «eucariste»)
*, compare «européen»
*, compare «évangéliste»
*, compare «évaporation»
*, compare «évasion»
*
*
* (Old Fr. «exhibicion»)
*, compare «expirer»
*, compare «exploiter»
* or
* (Fr. «extraction»)
*
*

F

*, compare «fabrique»
*
*
*
*
*, compare «faïence»
*
*
*
*
*
*, compare «fantaisie»
*
* (Old Fr. «ferme»)
*, from Old French «façon»
*
*
* (Old Fr. «faute»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «feste»)
*, compare «feinte»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «félicité»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «félon»
* (Old Fr. «femelle»)
*, compare «féminin»
*, compare «fertilité»
*
*
*
*, compare «filet»
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «fin»)
*
* tarte flambée
*
*
*
*
*, from «fleuretter», «conter fleurette»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «fleurette»
*
*
* (Old Fr. «floriss», compare «flower»)
* (Old Fr. «flour»)
*, compare «fluide»
*
* (Fr. «feuillage»)
* (Old Fr. «folie»)
*
* (Fr. «fonte»)
* (Old Fr. «fol»)
*
*, from «fourche» and diminutive «fourchette»
* (Old Fr. «forain»)
* (Old Fr. «forest»)
*
* (Old Fr. «founder»)
* from O.Fr. «fontaine», still used in modern french.
*
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «fraction»
*
*, a speaker of French (Fr. «francophone»)
*
*, compare «frégate»
*
*, compare «friture»
*
*
* (Old Fr. «function»)
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «futur»)

G

*
*America
*
*, from M.Fr. «gain», (O.Fr. «gaaigne»)
*, compare «galant»
*, from «galop»
*
*
*
*
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «jarretière»
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «gai»)
*
* or , from «gélatine»
*, from «gemme»
*
*
*
*
*, from «genre»
*
*, from «génie»
*
*, from Old Fr. «gentil» (both noble and sweet)
*
*, from «gentiment»
*
*, from «geste» (movement)
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «glette»)
*
* (Fr. «globe»)
*
*, from Old Fr. «gobelet» (a deep cup)
*
*
*
*
*
*, , ,
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «gracieux»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «grammaire»
*
*
*
*
*
*, from «gruau»
*, from «garde»
*
*, from «guilde»
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «golfe»

H

*
*, from «Arlequin», a character from the Italian comedy
*, from OF. (Compare contemporary French «hâte»)
* high sewing
* (Old Fr. «hasard»)
*
* or , Old French, compare modern Fr. «honneur»
*
* (Fr. «hôpital»)
*, compare with «hôte», or, in the meaning of an army, with Old Fr. «ost”
*
*, compare «hôtel»
* (Old Fr. «ahuge»)
* (Old Fr. «humanité»)

I

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*, compare «imbécile»
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «information»)
*
*
*
* (from «injustice»)
* (Old Fr. «enque»)
*, from «assurance»
*, from «insurgé»
*, from «insurmontable»
*
*
*, from «entier, intègre»
*, from «intégrer»
*
*
* or
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*, compare «intrinsèque»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «ivoire»

J

*, Old Fr. «jaque» or «jacque», a garment, from «Jacques», general nickname for peasants who used to wear this garment (see jacket)
*, Old Fr. «jaquette», diminutive form of «jaque»
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*, from Old French «giu»
*, from «joyau»
*
*, from «joindre»
*
* (Old Fr. «journée»)
*, from «juge» , jugement,
*, from «jongler»
*
*, from Old French
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «justice»

K

*, compare «képi»
*, (Fr. «kiosque»)
* (Fr. «kermesse»)
*
* (Fr. «kilogramme»)
* (Fr. «kilomètre»)

L

*
* or , compare «labourer»
*
*, compare «laquais»
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «langage»)
* (Fr. «L’anse aux méduses» : Jellyfish Cove)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (Fr. «laveoir»)
*, literary sense
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «loisir»
*
*
*, from Old Fr. «un libelle» (short memorandum)
*
* (from Old Fr . «liberté»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*, from «liqueur»
*
*
* (Fr. «Louisiane» land of Louis XIV)
*, Louisville (named after Louis XVI)
*
* (as used in tennis)
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «losange»
*, compare «luminaire»
* or

livingroom

M

*
* (Old Fr. «ma dame»)
* (Old Fr. «male»)
* (name of a former French province)
* (Old Fr. «maintenir»)
*
*, compare «maisonnette»
* (Fr. majesté)
* (Fr. majorité)
*
* (Old Fr. «masle»)
* (Fr. malingre)
*
*
*
* or , compare «manœuvre»
*
*
*, compare «marin»
* (Fr. marionnette)
*, compare «marmelade»
*, compare «mariage»
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «maréchal»
*
*, from «merveilleux»
*
*
*, compare «masque»
*
* (Old Fr. «masse»)
*, compare «massacrer»
*
*
*
*
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «matelas»
*, compare «mai»
*, from «m’aider» which means literally «to help me»
*, compare «médaille»
*, compare «médiocre»
*
*,
*
* (Old Fr. «mercit», «merci»)
*
*
*
* (from Old Fr. «esmerillon» via Anglo-Fr. «merilun»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (Fr. «Messie»)
* (Fr. «messianique»)
* (Fr. «métro»)
*
*
* (USA), means thousand lakes
* (Fr. «milliard»)
*
* (Fr. «millionnaire»)
*
* or , as in a coal mine
* (Old Fr. «ministre»)
*
*, compare «mitaine»
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «moiste», now «moîte»)
* (Old Fr. «moment»)
*
*
*
* (from «monarchie»)
*
* (Old Fr «moneie»)
*
* (Fr. «monstre»)
*
*
* (Fr. «monogamie»)
*
*
* (Fr. «monologue»)
*
*
*
* (Fr. «mosaïque»)
*
*
*
*
* or , compare «moustache»
* (Old Fr. «moveir»)
*
* (Old Fr. «moufle»)
*, as a type of footwear
* (Old Fr. «murdre»)
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «moutarde»
*
* (Old Fr. «mistere»)
*
*

N

*
*
* or , feminine past participle of «naître» to be born
* (Fr. «Nez percés» = Pierced noses)
* (Old Fr. «nice»)
*
*, from Jean Nicot
* (Fr. «nièce»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «noise»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «novice»)
*
*
*
* (Fr. «nullité»)
* (Old Fr. «nombre»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «nonne»)
*
*
* (Fr. «nutrition»)
*
* (Old Fr. «nimphe»)

O

*, from «objet»
* (via Italian), from French «haut bois”
*, from O.Fr. occean
*
*
* (Fr. «offense»)
*
* (Old Fr. «officier»)
*
* (Fr. «ogive»)
*
* (Old Fr. «oile»)
* (Old Fr. «oignement»)
*
*, compare «omelette»
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «opinion»)
*
* (Fr.»opportunisme»)
*
* (Old Fr. «opposer»)
*
* (Old Fr. «oposicion»)
* (Old Fr. «oppresser»)
* (Fr. «optatif»)
*
* (Fr. «optimisme»)
*
* (Old Fr. «oracle»)
* (Old Fr. «orenge»)
* (Old Fr. «ordener»)
* (Old Fr. «ordre»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «orthographe»
*

P

*
* (Old Fr. «palais»)
* (Old Fr. «palme»)
* (Fr. «pensée»)
* (Old Fr. «pantaisier»)
* (Fr. «pantalon»)
* (Old Fr. pantère)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «part»)
* (Old Fr. «parcial», compare modern Fr. «partial»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «passer»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «pacience»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «pause»)
* (Old Fr. «pan», «pant»)
* (Old Fr. «pais»)
*
*
* (Fr. pêle-mêle)
* (Old Fr. «pelete»)
* (Old Fr. «penne»)
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «apentis»)
* (Old Fr. «peupel»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «perche»)
*
*
*
*, from Middle French, «parfum»
* (Old Fr. «persone»)
* (Old Fr. «petit»)
*, compare «pétulant»
*
* (Fr. «philanthropique»)
* (Fr. «philatélie»)
*
* (Old Fr. filosofie)
* (Fr. «philtre»)
* (Fr. «physique»)
* (Fr. «fantôme»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «piece»)
*
* (Old Fr. «piete»)
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «pisser», still used today in slang)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «plain»)
*
*
*
* (Fr. «plastique»)
*
*
*
* (Fr. «plateforme»)
* (Fr. «peloton»)
*
* (Fr. «plébiscite»)
* (Old Fr. «plait»)
* (Fr. «plaire»)
* (Old Fr. «plaisant»)
* (Old Fr. «plaisanterie»)
* (Old Fr. «plesir», modern French «plaisir»)
*
* (Old Fr. «plege»)
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «plommier»)
*,
* (Old Fr. «pluriel»)
*
*
*
*
*, as in cookery, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «pocher»
* (Fr. «poème»)
* (Old Fr. «poesie»)
* (Fr. «poétique»)
*
*, from «police» (as a contract)
* (Old Fr. «poure», compare «poverty»)
* (Fr. «populace»)
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «port»)
*
*
*
*
*, compare «poser»
* (Old Fr. «position»)
* (Old Fr. «positif»)
*
* (Old Fr. «possesser», modern Fr. posséder)
*
* (Fr. «possible»)
*, compare «poste»
*
*
* (O.Fr. «poverte», compare «poor»)
* (Old Fr. «poeir»)
* (Old Fr. «practique»)
*
*
*
*
* (Fr. = first)
* (Fr. «première»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «pris»)
* (Old Fr. «prince»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «principalité»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «prisoun»)
* compare «price»
* (Old Fr. «proeve»)
* (Fr. «pronom»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «propre»)
*
* (Old Fr. «profecie»)
*
* (Old Fr. «proportion»)
*, from «proposer»
* (Old Fr. «proposition»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «prose»)
*
* (Old Fr. «protection»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «prothocole»)
* (Old Fr. «prud»)
* (Old Fr. «province»)
*
* (Old Fr. «puniss-«)
* (Old Fr. «pur»)
* (Old Fr. «purifier»)
* (Old Fr. «porpos»)
* (Modern Fr. «potée»)

Q

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

R

* (Fr. râble)
*
* (Old Fr. «raige»)
*
* (Old Fr. «rere»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (O.Fr. «reel»)
*
* (Old Fr. «raison»)
*
*
*, from «un reçu», «un récépissé»
* (Old Fr. «receivre», modern Fr. «recevoir»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*, compare «reconnaître»
*
* (Old Fr. «recordeur»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*, from Old French, compare modern Fr. «regretter»
*, from «régnier»
* (Old. Fr. «remaindre»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*, compare «restaurateur»
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «ro(c) que»)
* (Fr. «rôle», compare «roll»)
* (Old Fr. «rolle»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «route»)
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «roial»)
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «ruser»)
*
*
*

*
*
*
*
*, compare «sacrement»
* (named for Louis IX)
*
*, compare «salon»
* (Old Fr. «essample»)
*
* (Old Fr. «sauce»)
*
* (Old Fr. «sauvage»)
*
*
* (Anglo-fr. sa(u) ver, Old Fr. salver)
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «escroue»)
* (Old Fr. «seel»)
*
* (Old Fr. «cerchier»)
* (Old Fr. «saison»)
* (Old Fr. «second»)
*
* (Old Fr. «sentence»)
* (Old Fr. «sentement»)
*
*
*
*
* (from «sept» seven)
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «serf»)
* or , from Old French, compare modern Fr. «sergent»
*
* (from Old Fr. «seperalis» via Anglo-Fr. «several»)
*
* (Old Fr. «eschoppe»)
* (Fr. «similaire»)
* (Old Fr. «simple»)
* (from Old Fr. «eschace» via Dutch «schaats»)
* (Old Fr. «esclis»)
* (Old Fr. «esclot»)
*
* (Old Fr. «sobre»)
*
*
* (Fr. «sociable»)
* (Fr. «social»)
* (Fr. «socialisme»)
* (Fr. «société»)
*
* (Old Fr. «soil»)
* (Fr. «soirée»)
* (Old Fr. «sojorn»)
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «solliciter»)
* (Old Fr. «solliciteur»)
*
* (Fr. «solidarité»)
*
* (Fr. «sombre»)
* (Old Fr. «sorte»)
*
* (Old Fr. «son»)
*
*
* (Fr. «souverainiste»)
*
* (Old Fr. «esprit»)
* (Old Fr. «desport»)
* (Old Fr. «estage»)
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «estorie»)
*
* (Old Fr. «estresse»)
* (Old Fr. «structure»)
*
* (Old Fr. «estoffe», modern Fr. «étoffe»)
*
*, from «esturgeon»
*, from «sujet»
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*, from Old Fr. «seoir»
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «supporter»)
* (Old Fr. «supposer»)
* (Old Fr. «sur», «seur»)
* (Old Fr. «seurté»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «surnom»)
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «surrendre»)
* (Fr. «surréalisme»)
*
* (Fr. «suspens»)
*
*
*

T

*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «tailleor»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (Fr. «tarif»)
*
* (Fr. «ternir»)
* (Old Fr. «Tartare»)
*, as in cookery, compare «tarte»
* (from Old Fr. «tasche» via «Norman» Fr. tasque)
* (Old Fr. «tast»)
*
* (Old Fr. «taxer»)
* (Fr. «taximètre»)
* (Old Fr. «tete»)
* (Fr. «télégraphe»)
* (Old Fr. «temporel»)
*
* (Old Fr. «tempter»)
*
* (Old Fr. «tenche»)
* (Old Fr. «tend»)
*
* (Fr. «tendon»)
* (Old Fr. «Tenez», to start the game)
*
*, from «terrasse»
*
* (Old Fr. «terreur»)
* (first used during French Revolution)
*
* (Old Fr. «theologie»)
* (Fr. «théorème»)
* (Fr. «thérapeutique»)
*
*, compare «toilette»
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «touchier»)
*
* or , compare «tout de suite»
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «tribu»)
*
*
*, from «troupe»
*
* (Old Fr. «trier»)
*
*
* (from Fr. «tyran», through Latin «tyrannus» and Greek «turannos»)

U

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

V

*
* (Fr. «vaste», compare «waste»)
* (Old Fr. «veel»)
*, from «velours», velvet, and «crochet», hook
*
*, from «vert de gris», the colour of the copper oxide
*
* (from «les verts monts» the green mountains)
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «verai»)
*
*
* (Old Fr. «veue»)
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «villain»)
* (Old Fr. «village»)
*
* (Old Fr. «viel(l) e»)
* (Old Fr. «violence»)
*
*, , , , etc
*
* (Old Fr. «virgine»)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (Old Fr. «volume»)
*
*
*
*
* (from a West African language)
* (Old Fr. «veiage»)
*

W

Many English words imported from French that start with a «w» have a «g» in French. This is because in old French the «g» was pronounced as a modern «w».

* (Old Fr. « _fr. gage«)
*, from «gager».
*, from «guerre».
*, from «Garde-Robe», meaning the keep a dress, or clothes.
*, from «garantie».
* (Old Fr. «wast», compare «vast»)
*, from «Ouisconsin», a French variant of a Native American word

See also

* French phrases used by English speakers

Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.

english-words-borrowed-from-french

By and nicole
Last updated:

December 14, 2022

Not sure what a particular word is in French?

Just say it with a French accent and see if the locals understand.

Sure, it may not be the most comprehensive way of learning, but it works more often than you might think.

Although English retains much in the way of Germanic influence, a surprising amount of its vocabulary has been taken from words of French origin.

While there are some that we are all well aware of, there are more that don’t even sound French!

The further you go down the French rabbit hole, the more instances of ties between the two languages you’ll notice cropping up.

Today, we’re going to look at some of these less likely-looking English words of French origin.

Not only will this give you valuable insight into how closely the two languages are related, but it will help grow and reinforce your existing French vocabulary.

But first, let’s look at why there’s so much shared history between the two languages, and what this means for learners.


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Why Are There So Many Similarities Between English and French?

We might not always feel like there are major links between the French and English languages, but in fact, a huge number of the words we use today are of French origin!

That means that whenever we make a comment or express ourselves in some way, we’re tapping into years of French linguistics.

Most of the words of French origin we use today were brought over during the Norman conquest of England in 1066. After England was taken over by the French, the country fell under significant influence from the leader at the time, William the Conqueror. While the French later left the country for warmer climes, much of their language stuck around.

How Learning Which English Words Were Borrowed from French Can Aid Learning

You’ll find you already know many French words

Similarities between French and English can really play to your advantage, and once you realize how many words cross over, you may notice that you know a great deal of French already! Often, spellings between English and French words are the main difference, and as long as you apply a French accent, you can successfully communicate a word in French to a native.

Translation becomes easier

The similarities work in the opposite way, too. It can be very easy to guess what a word means in French when it holds so many similarities to its English counterpart. This is especially handy when reading and writing, as seeing a word before you hear it spoken is often the easiest way to recognize what its English equivalent might be. Of course, you need to remember to be careful of faux amis—not all words that look the same mean the same thing!

Cognates are simple to remember

Often, learners have a specific set of French words that we use time and again. It can be tricky to get ourselves out of the habit. Many adjectives in French and English are very close in spelling and simply doing your research on cognates is enough to help you learn new words, remember them and express yourself more eloquently.

We all have our favorite French origin words in English, and there are many English words that just “look” French, but there are also many French origin words that are likely to slip by unnoticed.

So to give you a leg up on learning and to show you exactly how well-hidden the links between French and English can be, we’re going to explore some similar-origin words you may be prone to miss.

These words might appear to be completely English, but dig a little deeper, and you’ll discover that they’re not at all what they seem.

11 English Words That Are Surprisingly Borrowed from French

1. Money

While it might look English and sound English, “money” is actually a word that was used in France in various other versions before it made its way over to England and beyond. It first made its way into the English-speaking world by replacing the Middle English word schat (money/treasure).

The word monnaie is still used in French today, normally to describe cash or loose change.

2. Denim

Unlike many other words from France, “denim” has a more modern history, and once you know about this one, you’ll probably not forget it in a hurry! Before Levi Strauss made jeans the item to own, the material was constructed in the French town of Nîmes. The word actually comes from de Nîmes (from Nîmes)!

Looking into the history of a word like this shines a light on cultural and geographical developments of which many of us might not be aware. It shows how, by paying closer attention to the words we use, we can learn a huge amount about the way languages change over time.

3. Advice

Modern day French has the word avis (opinion), which you may already be aware of. In Old French, the phrase ce m’est a vis was originally used to mean “in my view.”

While the French still say à mon avis in order to communicate a similar idea, the English took the last word only, transforming it to “advice.”

4. Origin

Ironically, “origin” is not originally English! Taken from the old Latin word origo, the word was altered in French to be pronounced as origine. Since the Old French word origine made its way to Britain, the word has remained largely unchanged in meaning and form.

5. Honesty

The French word for honesty, honnêteté, might be a mouthful, but at least the spelling is similar to the English word. The Old French word, honesté, is even closer.

6. Habit

The modern French word for having a “habit” is habitude. Although that looks similar, our word here is related to the French word “habit” (clothing). In fact, in English, you can still use the word “habit” to refer to a nun’s clothing. In Latin, the word habitus used to refer to clothing, or a person’s state of appearance in general.

The Latin habeō could be used to mean either “to have” or “to hold,” which, while seemingly disconnected, may point to the word’s modern day meaning. It could have been believed that having ownership over something resulted in regular use, and thus the word may have begun to take on its current definition.

7. Liberal

While we might associate being socially liberal, or a liberal political party, with the English-speaking world, in Old French, the same word was most probably used to describe something that was befitting a free-thinking person. It’s originally from the Latin liberalis, which also had the connotation of “generous.”

8. Modern

While you could easily be forgiven for thinking that the French word moderne was taken from the English, the opposite is actually true. This one was lifted from the Middle French word moderne, which appeared by way of Latin.

9. Sport

Again, you might assume the French word sport was lifted from the English. But its journey was a bit more complex than that! It started off with the Old French word desporter, which was used to describe something you took pleasure in doing. It came into English as “disport,” which eventually became just “sport.” In the early 19th century, French borrowed the word back from English. From French, to English, back to French!

10. Utensil

Although “utensil” sounds as if it might have Germanic origins, that’s not the case. The Old French word utensile came from the Latin ūtensilis, meaning “useful.” The modern French word is ustensile. The s cropped in probably because of a comparison with the word usersince utensils are objects you use to do things!

The basic meaning of the word might not have changed a great deal from its Latin origins, but obviously the way in which it’s used has altered quite a bit. Changes like this show how a word can be changed according to the purpose it needs to serve in society, and how people want to use it at any given time.

11. War

Although the French word guerre (war) might look completely different from the English “war,” they may be more closely related than you thought. Like the Cornish in the United Kingdom, the ancient cultures of the northern Breton region had their own language, which differed hugely from Old French.

The Old North French word for war, werre, looks much more similar to English than the current French guerre. It’s therefore possible that in this case it was Breton French that influenced English.

Many very English-sounding words are merely altered versions of their French origins.

Considering the proximity of the two countries, an overlap of the two languages was probably an inevitability.

Thanks to this, there’s more shared vocabulary than you may have realized, and it’s not all so obvious.

The next time you talk to someone in English, pay attention.

You’re probably using a large number of French words without even realizing it!


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Список английских слов французского происхождения — List of English words of French origin

Статья со списком Википедии Процент современных английских слов, полученных из каждой языковой группы, следующий:. англо-нормандский французский, затем французский : ~ 29%. латынь (включая слова, используемые только в научном, медицинском или юридическом контексте): ~ 29 %. Германские : ~ 26%. Другие: ~ 16%

Большое количество слов французского происхождения вошло в английский язык в той мере, в какой многие латинские слова пришли в английский язык. Согласно различным источникам, 45% всех английских слов имеют французское происхождение. Это предполагает, что в этом списке должно появиться 80 000 слов; этот список, однако, включает только слова, импортированные непосредственно из французского, такие как joy и joyous, и не включает производные, образованные на английском языке от слов, заимствованных из французского, включая радостный, радостный, партийность и отцовство. Также исключаются обе комбинации слов французского происхождения со словами, происхождение которых не французское, например, мороженое, sunray, jellyfish, <821.>killjoy, спасатель и проход — и английские комбинации слов французского происхождения, например, грейпфрут (виноград + фрукты ), непрофессионал (мирянин + человек ), почтовый заказ, сорока, торговая площадка, капитуляция, нижняя юбка и смирительная рубашка. В этот список также не включены слова, пришедшие из французского языка, но введенные в английский язык не французским языком, в том числе коммодор, властитель, флибустьер, кетон, лоджия, лото, мариачи, монсеньор, гобой, паэлья, панцер, пикаюн, ранчо, vendue и шпон.

Хотя французский язык происходит в основном из латыни (на долю которого приходится около 60% словарного запаса английского языка напрямую или через романский язык ), сюда также входят слова из галльского и германского языки (особенно старофранкский ). Поскольку английский имеет германское происхождение, слова, вошедшие в английский язык из германских элементов французского языка, могут не бросаться в глаза в отличие от французского. И наоборот, поскольку латинский язык дал много производных как от английского, так и от французского языков, в некоторых случаях может быть сложно установить, что данное производное от латинского языка не пришло в английский язык через французский.

Содержание

  • 1 Исторический контекст
  • 2 Известные области французского влияния
    • 2.1 Феодализм
    • 2.2 Геральдика
    • 2.3 Военное дело
    • 2.4 Политика и экономика
    • 2.5 Право
    • 2.6 Дипломатия
    • 2.7 Искусство
    • 2.8 Архитектура
    • 2.9 Авиация и автомобилестроение
    • 2.10 Кухня
    • 2.11 Цвета и другие влияния
    • 2.12 Термины, придуманные французами
    • 2.13 Названы в честь французов
    • 2.14 Имена собственные
  • 3 Основные модели влияния
  • 4 A – C
  • 5 D – I
  • 6 J – R
  • 7 S – Z
  • 8 См. Также
  • 9 Ссылки
  • 10 Внешние ссылки

Исторический контекст

Большая часть французской лексики, которая сейчас появляется в английском языке, была импортирована в течение столетий после норманнского завоевания 1066 года, когда Англия попала под управление норманноязычных народов. Вильгельм Завоеватель вторгся на Британские острова, раздав земли и собственность Норману, Бретону, Фламандцу и французские солдаты. В результате старофранцузский стал языком культуры и управления, превратившись в англо-нормандский французский. Большинство населения Англии продолжало использовать свой англосаксонский язык, но на него повлиял язык правящей элиты, что привело к дублетам. Рассмотрим, например, слова, обозначающие мясо, которое ели англо-норманская знать и соответствующие животные, выращенные англо-саксонскими крестьянами : говядина / ox, баранина / овца, телятина / теленок, свинина / свинья, или пары слов, относящиеся к разным регистрам языка : начать / начать, продолжить / продолжить, отмена / отмена, встреча / встреча, продажа / продажа, покупка / покупка, коммерция / торговля. Слова французского происхождения часто относятся к более абстрактным или сложным понятиям, чем их англосаксонские эквиваленты (например, свобода / свобода, справедливость / справедливость ), и поэтому реже используются в повседневном языке. Однако это может быть не для всех английских слов французского происхождения. Рассмотрим, например, некоторые из наиболее распространенных слов в английском языке : able, car, chair, city, страна, другой, штраф, фрукты, путешествие, сок, просто, часть, человек, человек, место, реальный, остаться, стол, путешествия, использовать, очень и ждать.

После повышения Генрих Плантагенет на престол Англии, другие формы диалектного французского, возможно, приобрели влияние в ущерб англо-нормандскому французскому (особенно варианты Анжу, откуда произошел Дом Плантагенетов, и, возможно, Пуатевин, язык Элеоноры Аквитанской ). С притязаниями англичан на трон Франции, влияние языка, используемого при королевском дворе Франции в Париже, усилилось. Культурное влияние Франции оставалось сильным в последующие века, и с Возрождения и далее заимствования в основном делались из парижского французского, который стал де-факто литературным языком Франция.

Известные области французского влияния

Феодализм

Нормандское правление Англии оказало длительное влияние на британское общество. Слова из англо-нормандского или старофранцузского включают термины, относящиеся к рыцарству (поклонение, сеньор, крестьянин, сеньораж, сюзерен, вассал, злодей ) и другие учреждения (судебный пристав, канцлер, совет, правительство, мэр, министр, парламент ), организация религии (аббатство, духовенство, монастырь, епархия, монах, месса, приход, молитва, проповедь, священник, ризница, облачение, ризница, викарий ), дворянство (барон, граф, дама, герцог, маркиз, принц, сэр ) и военное искусство (доспех, балдрик, темница, хауберк, кольчуга, решетка, вал, сюрко ). Многие из этих слов, относящихся к феодальной системе или средневековой войне, имеют германское происхождение (в основном через древнефранкский ) (см. Также французские слова германского происхождение ).

Нормандское происхождение британской монархии до сих пор видно в таких выражениях, как принц-регент, наследник, принцесса-королевская, где прилагательное ставится после существительного, как во французском языке.

Геральдика

Словарь геральдики находится под сильным влиянием французского (герб, or, серебристый, соболь, gules, passant ), подробнее см. настойки, отношения и обвинения в геральдике.

Иногда используются в геральдике некоторые мифологические звери (василис, дракон, грифон, гиппогриф, феникс ) или экзотических животных (лев, леопард, антилопа, газель, жираф, верблюд, зебу, слон, павиан, макака, муфлон, дельфин, оцелот, страус, хамелеон ) получили свое название от французского. То же самое и с некоторыми животными из Европы (англо-нормандским языком: орел, канюк, сокол, белка, кони, кролик, зайчонок, ящерица, куница, хорек, лосось, гадюка ).

Военный

Словарь военных и военных включает множество слов и выражений французского происхождения (снаряжение, адъютант, армия, артиллерия, батальон, бивак, бригада, камуфляж, карабинер, кавалерия, санитарный кордон, корпус, корвет, драгун, шпионаж, мундир, этат майор, стрелок, гренадер, охранник, вне боя, пехота, уборная, легионер, тыловое обеспечение, материальная часть, морской пехотинец, боевой дух, мушкетер, офицер, пистолет, взвод, разведка / разведчик, полк, рандеву, осада, солдат, вылазка, отряд, эскадрилья, капитуляция, наблюдение, местность, отряд, залп ). Сюда входят воинские звания: адмирал, капитан, полковник, капрал, генерал, лейтенант, сержант. Многие термины фехтования также взяты из французского.

Политика и экономика

Политический / экономический лексикон включает множество слов французского происхождения, таких как деньги, казначейство, казначейство, коммерция, финансы, налоги, либерализм, капитализм, материализм, национализм, плебисцит, государственный переворот, режим, суверенитет, государство, администрация, федеральный, бюрократия, конституция, юрисдикция, округ.

Закон

На судебную лексику также сильно повлиял французский язык (судья, судья, присяжные, поверенный, суд, дело ).

Дипломатия

атташе, поверенный в делах, посланник, посольство, канцелярия, дипломатия, демарш, коммюнике, памятная записка, разрядка, согласие, сближение, соглашение, договор, союз, паспорт, протокол.

Arts

искусство, музыка, танец, театр, автор, сцена, краска, холст, перформанс, гармония, мелодия, ритм, труба, примечание, директор, галерея, портрет, кисть, поддон, монтаж, сюрреализм, импрессионизм, фовизм, кубизм, символизм, ар-нуво, гуашь, акварель, коллаж, рендер, фриз, гризайль.

Архитектура

проход, аркада, арка, убежище, вуссуар, колокольня, арка-бутант, контрфорс, пролет, перемычка, эстрада, фасад, балюстрада, терраса, люнет, ниша, павильон, пилястр, porte cochère.

Авиация и автомобилестроение

Франция сыграла новаторскую роль в области авиации (гондола, оперения, фюзеляжа, элерон, высотомер, утка, декаляж, монокок, турбина ) и автомобиль проектирование или проектирование (шасси, поршень, оправка, решетка, тонна, berline, седан, лимузин, кабриолет, купе, кабриолет ).

Кухня

baba au rhum, говядина, говядина бургиньон, буден, карамель, запеканка, кассуле, клафути, конфи, консоме, сливки, круассан, заварной крем, филе миньон, филе, фуа-гра, флогнард, помадка, фондю, гато, гратен, мадлен, мармелад, майонез, безе, mille-feuille, горчица, баранина, наварин, паштет, выпечка, петит четыре, свинина, каша, потейдж, пудинг, пюре, рагу, рататуй, ру, салат, соус, колбаса, суфле, суп, рагу, террин, мелочь, телятина, волован.

Цвета и прочее luences

Другие влияния включают названия цветов (экрю, лиловый, бежевый, карминный, бордовый, синий, оранжевый, фиолетовый, киноварь, бирюзовый, сиреневый, перс, алый, вишневый ), овощи или фрукты (кабачок, баклажан, капуста, морковь, вишня, каштан, огурец, мускат, айва, шпинат, лимон, апельсин, абрикос ) и месяцы года (январь, март, май, июль, ноябрь, декабрь ).

Термины, придуманные французами

Некоторые французские слова, которые вошли в английский язык, были придуманы франкоязычными изобретателями, первооткрывателями, первооткрывателями или учеными: кино, телевидение, вертолет, парашют, фисгармония, батискаф, лактоза, лецитин, бактериофаг, хлорофилл, мастодонт, птеродактил, оксид, кислород, водород, углерод, фотография, стетоскоп, термометр, стратосфера, тропосфера.

Назван в честь французов

Некоторые французские слова были названы в честь французов (от их фамилии), особенно в областях науки (ампер, апертизация, бод, беккерель, шрифт Брайля, кулон, кюри, дагерротип, паскаль, пастериз, нониус ), ботаника и минералогия (бегония, бугенвиллея, клементин, магнолия, доломит, никотин ), мода и стиль или любой другой культурный аспект (петличный, купальник, рекамьер, мансарда, шовинизм, кир, пралине, саксофон, силуэт, гильотина).

Имена собственные

Названия некоторых городов в нефранкоязычных регионах / странах введены на английском языке с французским написанием (Constance, Ypres, Брюгге, Лувен, Турин, Милан, Плезанс, Флоренция, Рим, Неаполь, Сиракузы, Вена, Прага, Мюнхен, Кельн, Экс-ла-Шапель, Севилья, Константинополь ).

В Северной Америке имена некоторых из коренных американцев народов или первых наций, с которыми французы впервые вступили в контакт, взяты из французского (Сиу, Солто, Ирокез, Нез Перс, Гурон, Шайенн, Алгонкин ). Это также относится к некоторым географическим названиям, таким как Канада, Арканзас, Мичиган, Иллинойс, Мэн, Вермонт, Де-Мойн, Детройт, Чикаго и Батон-Руж.

Основные модели влияния

Некоторые слова из старофранцузского были снова заимствованы из среднефранцузского или современного французского, но, как правило, во второй раз приняли более ограничительное или специализированное значение. Рассмотрим, например, эти дублеты : шеф / повар, светильник / светильник, ликер / ликер, замок / замок, хостел / отель, маска / masque, необходимый / nécessaire, petty / petit, билет / этикет, отряд / труппа, авангард / авангард. Обратите внимание, что слово во французском языке сохранило общее значение: например, château по-французски означает «замок», а шеф-повар означает «шеф». Даже если они не импортировались несколько раз в разных формах, заимствования из французского обычно имеют более ограничительное или специализированное значение, чем во французском: например, бобовые (на фр. Légume означает «овощ»), gateau (на фр. Gâteau означает «пирог»).

В некоторых случаях английский язык был более консервативным, чем французский, со старофранцузскими словами, по крайней мере, в написании, если не в произношении: например, апостол (O.Fr. апостол / M.Fr. apôtre), замок (O.Fr. castel или chastel / M.Fr. château), лес (О.Фр. Лес / М.Фр. Форет), судно (О.Фр. Вайссель / М.Фр. Вайссо). Другие старофранцузские слова даже исчезли из современного французского: одуванчик.

С другой стороны, попытка восстановить классические корни (латинское или древнегреческое ) произошли в 16-17 веках. Таким образом, слова из древнефранцузского языка подверглись повторной латинизации написания. Хотя в большинстве случаев это не повлияло на их произношение (например, долг, сомнение, обвинительный акт, мэр ), в некоторых случаях это повлияло (например, ненормальное, приключенческое, преимущество ). Восстановлена ​​транскрипция слов греческой этимологии ph вместо f. Таким образом фантом стал фантомом, фесан стал фазаном. Этот шаг произошел также во французском языке, хотя и менее систематично: старофранцузское farmacie превратилось в Pharmacy («аптека»), fenix превратилось в phénix («феникс»), но fantosme превратилось в fantôme («призрак, призрак»), а fesan превратилось в faisan («фазан»).).

Помимо повторной латинизации, которая размыла французское происхождение некоторых слов (например, peradventure ), другие модификации в написании включали изменения народной этимологии (например, колокольня, раки, gillyflower, имбирный пряник, пентхаус, кирка ).

Кроме того, было изменено написание некоторых слов, чтобы сохранить произношение как можно ближе к оригиналу (например, закваска ), тогда как в других случаях французское написание было сохранено и привело к произношение, отличное от французского (например, leopard, levee ). Термины, которые недавно вошли в английский язык, сохранили французское произношение и правописание (ambiance, aplomb, armoire, armoire, барраж, дружелюбие, буржуазия, брошюра, бюро, кафе, дух товарищества, каталог, люстра, шофер, прическа, коллаж, кортеж, ясли, критика, мусор, декор, декорации, депо, досье, элита, окружение, тоска, предприниматель, шпионаж, экспертиза, разоблачение, финансист, гараж, жанр, ледник, интрига, связной, нижнее белье, машина, массаж, миллионер, мираж, монтаж, щегольство, склонность, персонал, п laque, променад, раппорт, репертуар, резервуар, рутина, саботаж, саше, сувенир, таблица, местность, транш ), хотя это может измениться со временем (например начальная буква h в hotel больше не молчит, учтите также развивающееся произношение herb или garage ). Выражения вроде femme fatale, bête noire и enfantrible по-прежнему являются узнаваемыми французскими.

Заимствования не являются односторонним процессом (см. Повторное заимствование ), некоторые слова французского происхождения в конечном итоге происходят из древнеанглийского (англосаксонские слова): например, бато, шифон, гурман. И наоборот, английские слова французского происхождения «вернулись» в современный французский: budget, challenge, design, Discount, заведение, топливо, гей, джин, юмор, интервью, жюри, менеджмент, беспорядок, родословная, запись, репортер, селезенка, спорт, присед, стандарт, саспенс, теннис, билет, тосты, тобогган, туннель, винтаж.

A – C

D – I

J – R

S – Z

См. Также

Список слов, относящихся к французскому языку происхождения, см. English термины, производные от французской категории слов в Wiktionary, бесплатном словаре.
Список слов, относящихся к среднефранцузскому происхождению, см. в английские термины, производные от среднефранцузских категории слов в Викисловарь, бесплатный словарь.
Для получения списка слов, относящихся к старофранцузскому происхождению, см. английские термины, полученные из Французский категория слов в Викисловарь, бесплатный словарь.
Список слов, относящихся к старосеверно-французскому происхождению, см. В Английские термины, производные от древне-северофранцузского категории слов в Wiktionary, бесплатном словаре.
Для списка слов, относящихся к англо-нормандскому языку происхождение, см. английские термины, полученные из англо-норманнской категории слов в Викисловарь, бесплатный словарь.
Список слов, относящихся к канадскому французскому происхождению, см. В английских терминах, полученных от канадского Fre nch категория слов в Викисловарь, бесплатный словарь.
Список слов, относящихся к французскому Луизианскому происхождению, см. в Английские термины, производные от Cajun French категории слов в Wiktionary, бесплатном словаре.
Для списка слов, относящихся к французскому Луизианскому происхождению см. английские термины, производные от луизианского креольского французского категории слов в Wiktionary, бесплатном словаре.
  • Влияние французского языка на английский
  • французский фразы, используемые носителями английского языка
  • Правовой французский
  • Глоссарий фехтования (преимущественно с французского)
  • Глоссарий балета (преимущественно с французского)
  • Списки английских заимствованных слов по странам или языкам происхождение
  • Список английских слов галльского происхождения
  • Список английских слов латинского происхождения
  • Список английских латинян германского происхождения
  • Латинское влияние в английском языке
  • Список французских слов германского происхождения
  • Список французских слов галльского происхождения
  • Список французских слов арабского происхождения
  • Список французских слов английского происхождения
  • Список немецких слов французского происхождения

Ссылки

Внешние ссылки

  • Более чем 5000 французских слов с произношением
  • Одно французское слово в день
  • Интернет-словарь этимологии
  • Список английских слов французского происхождения
  • Национальный центр ресурсов Textuelles et Lexicales (на французском языке)
  • 101 Французские слова, обычно используемые в английском языке
  • Английские слова французского происхождения, относящиеся к еде и кулинарии

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Uncover the Story Behind These 32 Cognates English Words Borrowed From French

Ever notice the French influence on the English language and wonder…

“Why are there so many French words used in English?”

The amount of English words borrowed from French is astounding. And the answer to WHY that came to be is, well, complicated.

But to make a long story short… English is weird.

The Evolution of the English Language: The Great Language Loot

English is a Germanic language with a mix of Celtic, Old Norse, French, Latin, and other languages it picked up along the way to becoming the modern English that we know and love today.

Today, our language is notorious among language-learning circles for being extremely irregular, and unique among many Indo-European languages as having evolved through the absorption of other languages by visiting or invading cultures.

Even though English doesn’t have any close relatives (in the way that Portuguese and Spanish are linguistic cousins), it shares cognates with languages of the countries that surround the British Isles. This includes, of course, England’s neighbor across the English Channel: France.

History of French Influence on the English Language

French Influence on the English Language

Did you know that nearly 45% of all English words are of French origin? That’s nearly 80,000 words fused together through war, peace, diplomacy, royal marriages, and popular culture.

Ever wonder what Je ne sais quoic’est la vie, or rendez-vous mean? Do you know why they came to be used in English?

Here’s how the story goes…

The Norman Language Reaches England

Unlike isolate languages like Basque and Korean, both English and French are two languages that have continuously come into contact with each other and stolen words from each other through marriage alliances and historical conquest (similar to Arabic influence on the Spanish language by way of conquest).

The Norman Conquest of 1066, led by William the Conqueror, was a famous historical event that drastically changed the path of the English language. William declared his claim to the English throne after the death of King Edward, his cousin, who had taken a vow of celibacy and remained childless.

After William killed the Norwegian and Danish invaders in the north, seized the lands of the English elite, and built castles that would serve as military strongpoints, he instituted the Norman language (a.k.a. basically French) to be the language of the elite. 

The Norman dynasty ruled in England until 1154. By then, English had already cherry-picked nearly 10,000 new words from both French and Latin.

What Kind of English Words Were Borrowed from the French?

The most famous examples of French word theft – I mean, borrowing – are of course, what the French are most famous for: food.

And human rights, and art, but first… le grand amour:  food.

English Words Borrowed from French

Thanks to King William, in English we say –

  • beef (French: bœuf) from cows
  • pork (French: porc) from pigs
  • venison (French: venaison) from deer

…all of which played a big role in the Norman-English cuisine.

Here’s the most interesting part.

The reason WHY we have a distinction between animals and their meat in English is this: English-speaking butchers, who were of a lower socioeconomic class, slaughtered the livestock for the French-speaking upper class. We adopted the word beef but not the word cow, which sounds a lot more like its German counterpart Kuh and Dutch counterpart koe.

French Words in English Pop Culture

Presently, popular culture has taken over William’s role of seasoning French into the English lexicon.

Take brands and companies for example – l’Oréal, Lancôme, Louis Vuitton, Sephora, Louboutin –all have entered the English vernacular.

When going out for breakfast, you might order a croissant, frappé (literally from the verb frapper, meaning to hit), or some crêpes from the new café downtown while you discuss the latest coup d’etat in Venezuela or laissez-faire economics.

Feeling fancy yet?

The cultural hype around all things French today expands way beyond the Norman Conquest. French words have been adopted by countless other nations because of the impressive advancements the French have made as a nation in many areas, including:

  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Law
  • Art
  • Fashion
  • Architecture
  • …and Food!

Here is a list of English words borrowed from French in those influential areas of life.

32 Everyday English Words Surprisingly Borrowed From French – English French Cognates

Borrowed French Words from Politics, Economics, and Law

English Word French Word
Money Monnaie
Commerce Commerce
Coup d’état Coup d’état (literally, a blow to the state)
Sovereignty Souveraneté
Passport Passeport
Laissez-faire Laissez-faire (literally, to let do)
Government Gouvernement
Advocacy Avocat(e) (literally, lawyer)
Judiciary Judiciaire

Borrowed French Words from Art and Architecture

English Word French Word
Canvas Canevas (in reference to a tapestry)
Portrait Portrait
Theatre Théâtre
Vault Voûte
Lunette Lunette or demi-lune 
(Watch out! When used in the plural, 
Lunettes means eyeglasses)
Facade Façade
Armoire Armoire
Castle Château (From Anglo-Norman French 
castel)

Borrowed French Words from Food

English Word French Word
Caramel Caramel
Cream Crème
Mayonnaise Mayonnaise
Pastry Patisserie
Salad Salade
Sauté Sauté (literally, to jump)
Soufflé Soufflé (from the verb souffler 
meaning to blow)
Crème brûlée Crème brûlée (literally, burnt cream)
Sauce Sauce
Cuisine Cuisine (literally, kitchen)

French Words in Military Affairs

English Word French Word
Soldier Soldat
Espionage Espionnage
Surveillance Surveillance
Army Armée (de terre, de l’air)
Pistol Pistolet

BONUS! Kansas vs. Arkansas: French Names in American Geography

Fun Fact: Do you know why Kansas and Arkansas are pronounced differently?

It’s because Kansas was settled by the English, and Arkansas was settled by the French.

French colonists settled Maine, many parts of Canada and the Louisiana landmass, in what was known as New France (French: Nouvelle-France), between 1534 to 1763.

Geographically, the French expanded their territory from present-day Canada and northern New England to the Midwest, down through the Appalachian mountains, and finally to the Gulf of Mexico.

When Napoleon sold the Louisiana region to President Thomas Jefferson in 1803, the United States quickly expanded to nearly twice its size.

No big deal.

The Louisiana Purchase encompassed 15 modern US states, including —

  • Louisiana
  • Arkansas
  • Oklahoma
  • Northern Texas
  • Eastern New Mexico
  • Half of Colorado
  • Kansas
  • Missouri
  • Nebraska
  • Iowa
  • Almost all of Wyoming
  • South Dakota
  • Southern Minnesota
  • Southern North Dakota
  • Nearly all of Montana

French Names of Native American Indian Tribes

Which means the French had the first opportunity to name the territories and the Native American tribes they encountered during the fur trade in North America. Today, many First Nations tribes still use their French-given name, such as:

  • The Iroquois Nation
  • The Sioux Nation
  • The Cheyenne Nation
  • The Saulteaux Nation

French Names of U.S. Cities

Many cities from the aforementioned states still use their French-given names as well, like:

  • Baton Rouge
  • Des Moines
  • Montpellier
  • Pierre
  • Saint Paul

Learn French: You’re Closer Than You Think

As you can see, the French language, though seemingly mystérieux and cache on the surface is really an ever-present force in common English.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about these French English cognates. If you’re interested in advancing your French skills, you’ve already won more of the battle than you think!

Get started today with the Pimsleur language learning platform that can get you conversational in just 30 days.

Try a full French lesson for free, on us!

French English cognates. pimsleur learn french

English words of French origin

By
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the free encyclopedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_French_origin


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Great number of words of French origin have entered the English language to the extent that around 30% of its vocabulary is of French origin. It is via French that many Latin words have come to the English language. Most of the French vocabulary now appearing in English was imported over the centuries following the Norman Conquest of 1066, when England came under the administration of Norman-speaking peoples. According to different sources, between one third and two thirds of all English words have a French origin. This fact suggests that at least 30,000 words should appear in this list (however the following list only contains about 1,600 words).

Many non-Latin Germanic words have also entered English from the Germanic element in French. Since English is of Germanic origin, via the influences apparent in modern Dutch, ascertaining whether a given Germanic word is definitely from French can be difficult in a few cases.

There is a language game that consists in converting French-origin words into Germanic-origin words to make the English language seem purer. Hence, rock becomes stone and pure becomes white. See List of Germanic and Latinate equivalents.

A
| B
| C
| D
| E
| F
| G
| H
| I
| J
| K
| L
| M
| N
| O
| P
| Q
| R
| S
| T
| U
| V
| W
| X
| Y
| Z

A

  • abbatial (Fr. abbatial)
  • abbreviation, from abréviation
  • abet
  • abhor (Fr. abhorrer)
  • ability
  • abjection
  • ablation (Fr. ablation)
  • ablative
  • able, from Old French, compare modern Fr. habile or capable
  • ablution
  • abnormal compare anormal
  • aboard (Fr. à bord)
  • abolish, compare abolir
  • abomination
  • abortive
  • abound
  • abridge, Fr. abréger
  • absence
  • absolute, from Middle French, compare modern Fr. absolu
  • absorb (Fr. absorber)
  • abstain (Old Fr. abstenir)
  • abstinence
  • abstract
  • abstruse
  • absurd (Fr. absurde)
  • abundance (Old Fr. abundance)
  • abuse
  • academic (Fr. académique)
  • academy, compare académie
  • Acadia (Fr. Acadie)
  • acceleration (Fr. accélération)
  • accent (Fr. accent)
  • accept (Fr accepter)
  • access (Fr. accès)
  • accession
  • accident
  • acclimate (Fr. acclimater)
  • accolade (Fr. accolade)
  • accommodation
  • accompany (Fr. accompagner)
  • accomplice (Fr. complice)
  • accomplish (Fr. accomplir)
  • accord
  • accost
  • account (Fr. compte)
  • accourtre
  • accoutrement (Fr. accoutrement)
  • accredit
  • accrue
  • accusation
  • accusative (Old Fr. accusatif)
  • accuse
  • accustom (Old Fr. acostumer, now accoutumer)
  • ace, compare as
  • acid, compare acide
  • acoustic, compare acoustique
  • aquisitive
  • acquit
  • acrobat (Fr. acrobate)
  • acrostic, compare acrostiche
  • action
  • activity, compare activité
  • adaptation
  • adhesive, compare adhésif or feminine form adhésive
  • adieu, which literally means «to God» (à Dieu), farewell
  • adjective, compare adjectif
  • administer (Fr. administrer)
  • admire, compare admirer
  • adolescence
  • adopt, compare adopter
  • adore, from Old French, compare modern Fr. adorer
  • adroit
  • advantage, compare avantage
  • adventure, from Old French, compare modern Fr. aventure
  • adverb, compare adverbe
  • adversary, from Old French, compare modern Fr. adversaire
  • advertisement, compare avertissement (warning)
  • advise, compare aviser (to assess [a situation])
  • advocate (noun), from Old French avocat — in modern French this means an attorney or lawyer
  • affair, from Old French, compare modern Fr. affaire (business)
  • affection
  • affiliation
  • affinity, compare affinité
  • affliction
  • affluence
  • age
  • agent provocateur
  • aggression, compare agression
  • à gogo, or a-go-go, in abundance
  • agree (Old Fr. agreer)
  • agreeable, compare agréable
  • aid (Old Fr. aide)
  • aim (Old Fr. esmar)
  • à la, in the style of…
  • alabaster, from Old French alabastre (>Latin> Greek> Ancient Egyptian a-labaste)
  • à la carte
  • alas, from Old French, compare modern Fr. hélas
  • alert, compare alerte
  • align, compare aligner
  • allocation
  • allure, look or air
  • almond, from Old French, compare modern Fr. amande; compare also Spanish almendra. //NOTE: I believe almond (and almendra) come from arabic
  • altar, (*this word is NOT from French. from autel
  • amateur
  • ambience
  • ambiguous, from ambigu
  • ambition
  • ambergris, from ambre gris, grey amber
  • ambulance
  • ameliorate
  • amnesty, compare amnistie
  • amorous, from Old French, compare modern Fr. amoureux
  • ample
  • amplitude
  • amusement
  • analyse, compare analyser
  • animal
  • anarchism
  • anarchist (Fr. anarchiste)
  • anatomy, compare anatomie
  • ancestor, from Old French, compare modern Fr. ancêtre
  • ancient, compare ancien
  • angle
  • Anglophobe, someone who fears or dislikes England or the English
  • anglophone, a speaker of English (Fr. anglophone)
  • anguish (from Old French anguisse, now angoisse)
  • anise
  • annals
  • annex, compare annexer
  • annihilation
  • announce
  • annoy, from Old French anoier, now ennuyer
  • annual
  • annuity (Fr. annuité)
  • annular (Fr. annulaire)
  • anoint, compare oindre
  • anomie
  • antecedent, compare antécédent
  • anther, compare anthère
  • antique
  • apartment, compare appartement
  • apathy, compare apathie
  • aplomb
  • apostrophe
  • apparel, from Old French, compare modern Fr. appareil
  • application
  • appliqué
  • apprehend, compare appréhender
  • après-ski
  • apropos, compare à propos
  • arbitrage
  • arcade
  • archetype
  • area, from aire
  • arête, a mountainous ridge
  • argent (Fr. argent)
  • argue, from Old French, compare modern Fr. arguer
  • army, compare armée> desarmée, armement Le français langue de la guerre et de l’amour (French as language of war and love)
  • arrest, from O.Fr. arester
  • article
  • artificial, from artificiel
  • artist (Fr. artiste)
  • assembly (Fr. assembler)
  • assume, from assumer (in its old meaning : to suppose)
  • assurance
  • attack (Fr. attaque)
  • attaché
  • attorney
  • attitude
  • aubergine, British name for eggplant
  • au naturel
  • aunt (Old Fr. ante)
  • authority (Fr. autorité)
  • avalanche
  • avenue (Fr. avenue)
  • average
  • averment
  • aversion (Fr. aversion)
  • avert
  • aviation (Fr. aviation)
  • avid (Fr. avide)
  • avocet
  • avoid (Old Fr. evuider)
  • avoirdupois
  • avouch
  • avow (Fr. aveu)
  • axiom (Fr. axiome)
  • aye-aye
  • azimuth (from Old French, from Arabic as-sumut)
  • azure (Old Fr. azur, from Old Spanish azur, from Arabic, in turn from Persian)

B

  • bacon
  • baggage, from French bagage
  • ballet
  • band, from bande
  • bandeau, a type of headdress
  • banquet
  • barge
  • baroque
  • barrel
  • barren, from Old French
  • barricade
  • barrier
  • base
  • Baton Rouge, Bâton Rouge
  • battle (Old Fr. bataille)
  • bay, compare baie
  • bayonet, compare baïonnette
  • beagle
  • beak, compare bec
  • Béarnaise, a type of sauce, named after a region in France (Béarn)
  • beau, a lover or a dandy
  • beauty (Old Fr. bealte)
  • beast (Old Fr. beste)
  • beaux arts, fine arts
  • beef
  • beret, compare béret
  • bête noire
  • bicycle, compare bicyclette > vélo
  • bidet
  • bikini
  • billet
  • billet-doux, a love letter
  • binge, after a beer-festival in Binche, Belgium
  • biscuit
  • bistro
  • bivouac
  • bizarre
  • blank (Old Fr. blanc)
  • blanket, from Old French blanquette Blanquette de veau
  • blasé
  • bloc > blocage
  • blonde
  • boast
  • boil (Old Fr. boilir)
  • Boise
  • bomb
  • bombard (Fr. «bombarde»)
  • bombe
  • bon appétit
  • bon mot
  • bonnet, from Old French, compare modern Fr. bonnet
  • bon-vivant
  • bon voyage
  • bon-bon (Fr. «bonbon»)
  • bouillabaisse
  • boule
  • boulevard
  • bound (leap), from bond
  • bouquet
  • bourgeoisie
  • bracelet
  • bran, from Old French bran or bren
  • brandish, compare brandir
  • brasserie
  • brassiere, compare brassière, although the modern French for this is soutien-gorge
  • brave
  • bravery
  • bric-a-brac
  • brigade
  • brilliant, compare brillant
  • brioche
  • briquette
  • brochure, from brocher — to stitch
  • broderie anglaise, a type of embroidery
  • brunette
  • buckle, compare boucle
  • budget, from Old Fr. bougette (a little purse)
  • buffet
  • bullet, from boulette, although the modern French for this is balle
  • bureau
  • button, from bouton

C

  • cabal, compare cabale
  • cabaret
  • cache, compare cacher
  • cadet
  • café
  • cafetière
  • cagoule
  • cajole, compare cajoler
  • calque
  • camaraderie
  • camouflage
  • camp
  • campaign, compare campagne
  • canapé
  • canard, aeronautical term
  • cancel, from canceller, evolution of chanceler (1293) (to cross out)
  • capacity
  • cape, compare cap, land jutting into the sea, as in Cape Horn
  • captain
  • car (Norman-Fr. carre)
  • card (Fr. carte)
  • career (Fr. carrière)
  • casserole
  • cassette
  • castle (Old North Fr. castel)
  • castor
  • casual (Old Fr. casuel)
  • casuist, compare casuiste
  • cataclysm
  • catalogue
  • catch
  • category
  • caterpillar
  • catholic
  • cattle
  • cause
  • cavalry, compare cavalerie
  • celebrate, from célébrer
  • cement (Old Fr. ciment)
  • cense, compare encenser
  • censer (Old Fr. censier)
  • centime (Fr. centime)
  • centre (Old Fr. centre)
  • chaise longue or sometimes chaise lounge
  • chalet
  • chalice, from calice
  • chance
  • change
  • character, from caractère
  • chase, compare chasse
  • château, compare castle
  • chatelaine
  • chattel
  • chauffeur
  • chauvinism
  • cheat (Old Fr. escheat)
  • check (Old Fr. eschec)
  • checkmate, compare échec et mat
  • cheer (Old Fr. chiere)
  • chef compare chief
  • chemise
  • chemist, from chimiste
  • cheque
  • cherish (Old Fr. chériss-)
  • cherry (Old North Fr. cherise)
  • cheval de frise, a military term
  • cheval-glass, from cheval — horse
  • chief (Old Fr. chief, compare chef)
  • chieftain (Old Fr. chevetain, compare chief)
  • chiffon
  • chivalry
  • cinema, compare cinéma
  • city (Old Fr. cite)
  • claim (Old Fr. clamer)
  • clairvoyance
  • clarinet, compare clarinette
  • classic
  • cliché
  • cloche, a kind of hat
  • closet, from Old French closet
  • Coeur d’Alene
  • coiffeuse
  • coin (Old Fr. coigne)
  • collage
  • collar, from collier, from cou (neck)
  • colonel, compare modern Fr. colonel
  • combustible
  • comedian and comedienne, compare comédien and comédienne
  • comic, from comique (funny)
  • commandant, commanding officer
  • commendation
  • commode
  • common
  • communion
  • communiqué
  • communism (Fr. communisme)
  • community, from Old Fr. comunalté, modern Fr. communauté
  • company (milit.), from compagnie
  • competent
  • competitor
  • complete
  • comrade, from camarade
  • concede, from concéder
  • congratulations
  • connoisseur
  • conscience
  • convenient, from covenant, convenable
  • cordon
  • cormorant, compare cormoran
  • cornet
  • corniche
  • corporal Old.Fr. corporal
  • corps
  • corset
  • costume
  • cotton (Old Fr. ‘coton’)
  • council
  • count
  • county (Old Fr. cunte)
  • countenance (Old Fr. : continere, Modern French : contenance)
  • counter
  • counterfeit, from Old French, compare modern Fr. contrefaire
  • country (Old Fr. cuntree)
  • coup
  • coup d’état
  • couple
  • coupon
  • courage (Old Fr. corage)
  • courageous
  • courgette, in the UK, but called zucchini in the US
  • courier
  • course
  • court
  • courtesy
  • couscous
  • cousin (Old Fr. cosin)
  • couture
  • couturier
  • cover (Old Fr. covrir)
  • crème brûlée
  • crème caramel
  • crème de menthe
  • crêpe crêperie
  • Croissant — Croissanterie
  • croupier
  • crouton, from the diminutive form of the old French word, Croust, (later to come into modern French as the word croûte), meaning Crust.
  • crown, from couronne
  • crust, from Croûte, or Crust, in French.
  • cry (Old Fr. crier)
  • cuisine
  • cul-de-sac
  • culotte
  • cult (Fr. culte)
  • culture (Fr. culture)
  • curfew (Fr. couvre-feu)
  • custom, from Old French, compare modern Fr. coutume

D

  • dais, from Old French deis
  • dalmatic (Old Fr. dalmatique)
  • dame
  • damage (Old Fr. damage)
  • damn (Fr. damner)
  • debt (Old Fr. dete)
  • déclassé
  • décolletage
  • décor or decor
  • découpage
  • defamation, from diffamation
  • default, from Old French, compare modern Fr. défaut
  • defeat (Fr. «défaite»)
  • déjà vu
  • de luxe or deluxe
  • demand
  • demi-monde
  • démodé
  • denouement
  • dépanneur
  • department
  • deploy, from Old French, compare modern Fr. déployer
  • depot
  • derail, compare dérailler
  • derive (Fr. «dérive»)
  • derogation (Fr. dérogation)
  • derrière
  • descend (Old Fr. descendre)
  • desert (Old Fr. desert)
  • Des Moines (Fr. des moines of the monks)
  • dessert
  • detachment (Fr. détachement)
  • detail (Fr. détail)
  • detain (Old Fr. detenir)
  • détente
  • determine
  • detonation
  • detriment
  • Detroit (Fr. détroit = strait)
  • deuce, from deux (two)
  • development or develop
  • deviation
  • device (Old Fr. devis)
  • devise
  • devoid
  • devotion
  • devour (Old Fr. devorer)
  • devout (Old Fr. devot)
  • diabolical
  • diadem
  • diamanté
  • diet
  • different
  • digestion
  • dignity (Old Fr. dignete)
  • dilate
  • diligence
  • dime (Old Fr. disme, modern French «dîme», from «dix», ten)
  • diplomacy, compare diplomatie
  • direction (Fr. direction)
  • disadvantage
  • disappoint (Fr. desappointer)
  • disarm (Old Fr. desarmer)
  • discothèque or discotheque, thus disco
  • discover (Old Fr. descovrir)
  • disguise (Old Fr. desguisier)
  • disport (Old Fr. desporter, modern Fr. «déporter»)
  • diverse
  • divinity
  • division
  • Dixie (possibly from Fr. dix ten)
  • double (Old Fr. duble)
  • doubt (Old Fr. douter)
  • douche, from French, meaning shower
  • dozen, from Old French, compare modern Fr. douzaine
  • dress (Old Fr. dresser)
  • due (Old Fr. deu)
  • during (Old Fr. durer, compare endure)
  • duty (Anglo-Fr. duete from Old Fr. deu)
  • duvet

E

  • eager, from Old French aigre
  • eagle, from Old French, compare modern Fr. aigle
  • easy, from Old French, compare modern Fr. aisé
  • echelon, compare échelon
  • éclair
  • ecstasy, from Old French, compare modern Fr. extase
  • eloquence, compare éloquence
  • emigré
  • emir from Fr. emir, colloquial pronunciation of Ar. amir «commander»
  • emperor (Old Fr. emperere)
  • empire
  • emplacement
  • employ (Old Fr. employer)
  • empress
  • enclave
  • encore
  • encourage, from Old French, compare modern Fr. encourager
  • endive
  • endue
  • endure (Old Fr. endurer)
  • endurance
  • enfranchise
  • engage
  • enemy (Old Fr. enemi)
  • energy (Fr. énergie)
  • engage, compare engager
  • enjoy (Old Fr. enjoir)
  • enmity, from Old French, compare modern Fr. inimitié
  • ennui
  • enrage, compare enrager
  • enrich, compare enrichir
  • ensemble
  • en suite
  • ensure, from ‘assurer
  • entente
  • enter, compare entrer
  • entomb, from Old French, compare modern Fr. entomber
  • entrant
  • entrée (but is first part of the meal in French)
  • entrepreneur (Fr. from entreprendre undertake)
  • envelope, compare enveloppe
  • environ, from Old French, compare modern Fr. environs
  • environment or environmental
  • envisage, compare envisager
  • envoy, compare envoyé
  • envy, compare envier
  • epaulet or epaulette, compare épaulette
  • épée
  • ephebe, from éphèbe
  • ephemeral, from «éphémère
  • epic, from épique
  • epicurean, from épicurien
  • epidemic, from épidémie
  • epilogue
  • episcopal
  • episode
  • epithet, from épithète
  • épris
  • equal, from égal
  • equality, from Old French, compare modern Fr. égalité
  • equation
  • equilibrate, from équilibrer
  • equipage, compare équipage
  • équipe
  • equipment, from équipement
  • equitable
  • equity, from équité
  • eradicate, compare éradiquer
  • erase, from araser
  • erect, from ériger (to build)
  • ermine
  • erode, compare éroder
  • escapade
  • escargots
  • escarpment
  • essence
  • establish (Old Fr. establisse)
  • estate (Old Fr. estat)
  • ether
  • etiquette, étiquette
  • Eucharist (Old Fr. eucariste)
  • European, compare européen
  • evangelist, compare évangéliste
  • evaporation, compare évaporation
  • evasion, compare évasion
  • example
  • exclamation
  • exhibition (Old Fr. exhibicion)
  • expire, compare expirer
  • exploit, compare exploiter
  • exposé or expose
  • extraction (Fr. extraction)
  • extraordinaire
  • extravagance

F

  • fabric, compare fabrique
  • fabulous
  • face
  • facile
  • factor
  • faience, compare faïence
  • failure
  • false
  • family
  • fanfare
  • fantastic
  • fantasy, compare fantaisie
  • farce
  • farm (Old Fr. ferme)
  • fashion, from Old French façon
  • fatal
  • fatigue
  • fault (Old Fr. faute)
  • faux pas
  • feasible
  • feast (Old Fr. feste)
  • feint, compare feinte
  • felicity, from Old French, compare modern Fr. félicité
  • felon, from Old French, compare modern Fr. félon
  • female (Old Fr. femelle)
  • feminine, compare féminin
  • fertility, compare fertilité
  • figure
  • fiancé
  • fierce
  • fillet, compare filet
  • film
  • film noir
  • final
  • finance
  • fine (Old Fr. fin)
  • flageolet
  • flambé tarte flambée
  • flan
  • flèche
  • fleur-de-lis
  • flexible
  • flirt, from fleuretter, conter fleurette
  • floret, from Old French, compare modern Fr. fleurette
  • florin
  • floss
  • flourish (Old Fr. floriss, compare flower)
  • flower (Old Fr. fleur)
  • fluid, compare fluide
  • flux
  • foliage (Fr. feuillage)
  • folly (Old Fr. folie)
  • fondant
  • font (Fr. fonte)
  • fool (Old Fr. fol)
  • force majeure
  • fork, from fourche and diminutive fourchette
  • foreign (Old Fr. forain)
  • forest (Old Fr. forest)
  • fortune
  • found (Old Fr. founder)
  • fountain from O.Fr. fontaine, still used in modern french.
  • foyer
  • fracas
  • fraction, from Old French, compare modern Fr. fraction
  • franchise
  • francophone, a speaker of French (Fr. francophone)
  • frappé
  • frigate, compare frégate
  • frisson
  • fritter, compare friture
  • frontier
  • fruit
  • function (Old Fr. function)
  • fund
  • fuselage
  • fusible
  • fusion
  • futile
  • future (Old Fr. futur)

G

  • gabardine
  • gaffe
  • gain, from M.Fr. gain, (O.Fr. gaaigne)
  • gallant, compare galant
  • gallop, from galop
  • galvanize
  • ganache
  • gangrene
  • gangue
  • garage
  • garter, from Old French, compare modern Fr. jarretière
  • gasket
  • gateau
  • gauche
  • gay (Old Fr. gai)
  • gel
  • gelatin or gelatine, from gélatine
  • gem, from gemme
  • general
  • generic
  • generosity
  • generous
  • gender, from genre
  • genial
  • genius, from génie
  • gent
  • gentle, from Old Fr. gentil (both noble and sweet)
  • genteel
  • gently, from gentiment
  • gesticulation
  • gesture, from geste (movement)
  • giant
  • gigantism
  • gigolo
  • gleet (Old Fr. glette)
  • glissade
  • globe (Fr. globe)
  • global
  • goblet, from Old Fr. gobelet (a deep cup)
  • gondolier
  • gorge
  • gorgeous
  • gouache
  • gourmet
  • govern, governance, government, governor
  • grace
  • gracious, from Old French, compare modern Fr. gracieux
  • grammar, from Old French, compare modern Fr. grammaire
  • grand
  • grant
  • gratin
  • grief
  • group
  • gruel, from gruau
  • guard, from garde
  • guide
  • guild, from guilde
  • guillotine
  • gulf, from Old French, compare modern Fr. golfe

H

  • hangar
  • harlequin, from Arlequin, a character from the Italian comedy
  • haste, from OF. (Compare contemporary French hâte)
  • haute couture high sewing
  • hazard (Old Fr. hasard)
  • Hollandaise
  • honour or honor, Old French, compare modern Fr. honneur
  • hors d’Œuvre
  • hospital (Fr. hôpital)
  • host, compare with «hôte», or, in the meaning of an army, with Old Fr. «ost”
  • hostage
  • hotel, compare hôtel
  • huge (Old Fr. ahuge)
  • humanity (Old Fr. humanité)

I

  • illustration
  • ignore
  • ignorance
  • ignorant
  • imagine
  • imaginative
  • immediate
  • imbecile, compare imbécile
  • indictment
  • infant
  • influence
  • influx
  • inform
  • information (Old Fr. information)
  • infrastructure
  • infusion
  • ingénue
  • injustice (from injustice)
  • ink (Old Fr. enque)
  • insurance, from assurance
  • insurgent, from insurgé
  • insurmountable, from insurmontable
  • insurrection
  • intact
  • integer, from entier, intègre
  • integrate, from intégrer
  • integrity
  • integrant
  • intellect or intellectual
  • intelligence
  • intention
  • intercession
  • interchange
  • intercourse
  • interdict
  • interest
  • interfere
  • interlace
  • intense
  • intrinsic, compare intrinsèque
  • ivory, from Old French, compare modern Fr. ivoire

J

  • jack, Old Fr. jaque or jacque, a garment, from Jacques, general nickname for peasants who used to wear this garment (see jacket)
  • jacket, Old Fr. jaquette, diminutive form of jaque
  • jade
  • j’adoube
  • jargon
  • jelly
  • je ne sais quoi
  • jet
  • jetty
  • jew, from Old French giu
  • jewel, from joyau
  • joie de vivre
  • join, from joindre
  • joint
  • journey (Old Fr. journée)
  • judge, from juge , jugement,
  • juggle, from jongler
  • juggler
  • just, from Old French
  • justice, from Old French, compare modern Fr. justice

K

  • kepi, compare képi
  • kiosk, (Fr. kiosque)
  • kermess or kirmess (Fr. kermesse)
  • kilo
  • kilogram (Fr. kilogramme)
  • kilometre (Fr. kilomètre)

L

  • label
  • labour or labor, compare labourer
  • lace
  • lackey, compare laquais
  • laissez-faire
  • laissez-passer
  • lamé
  • lancer
  • lancet
  • language (Old Fr. langage)
  • L’Anse aux Meadows (Fr. L’anse aux méduses : Jellyfish Cove)
  • large
  • largess
  • latrine
  • launder
  • laundry
  • laurel
  • lave
  • laver (Fr. laveoir)
  • lay, literary sense
  • leisure, from Old French, compare modern Fr. loisir
  • liaison
  • lias
  • libel, from Old Fr. un libelle (short memorandum)
  • liberal
  • liberty (from Old Fr . liberté)
  • library
  • libre
  • license
  • licorice
  • lieu
  • lieutenant
  • limousine
  • lingerie
  • liquor, from liqueur
  • litre
  • lorgnette
  • Louisiana (Fr. Louisiane land of Louis XIV)
  • Louisville, Louisville (named after Louis XVI)
  • loupe
  • love (as used in tennis)
  • lozenge, from Old French, compare modern Fr. losange
  • luminary, compare luminaire
  • lustre or luster

M

  • machine
  • madam (Old Fr. ma dame)
  • mail (Old Fr. male)
  • Maine (name of a former French province)
  • maintain (Old Fr. maintenir)
  • maintenance
  • maisonette, compare maisonnette
  • majesty (Fr. majesté)
  • majority (Fr. majorité)
  • maladroit
  • male (Old Fr. masle)
  • malinger (Fr. malingre)
  • mangetout
  • manger
  • mannequin
  • manŒuvre or manŒuver, compare manŒuvre
  • maquis
  • mardi gras
  • marine, compare marin
  • marionette (Fr. marionnette)
  • marmalade, compare marmelade
  • marriage, compare mariage
  • marshal, from Old French, compare modern Fr. maréchal
  • marvel
  • marvelous, from merveilleux
  • mascot
  • masculine
  • mask, compare masque
  • masque
  • mass (Old Fr. masse)
  • massacre, compare massacrer
  • massage
  • masseur
  • masseuse
  • mathematics
  • matron
  • mattress, from Old French, compare modern Fr. matelas
  • May, compare mai
  • Mayday, from m’aider which means literally to help me
  • medal, compare médaille
  • mediocre, compare médiocre
  • mêlée
  • memory,
  • ménage à trois
  • mercy (Old Fr. mercit, merci)
  • meridian
  • merit
  • merle
  • merlin (from Old Fr. esmerillon via Anglo-Fr. merilun)
  • merlon
  • meringue
  • mésalliance
  • mesclun
  • mess
  • message
  • messenger
  • Messiah (Fr. Messie)
  • messianic (Fr. messianique)
  • metro (Fr. métro)
  • military
  • mille-feuille
  • Mille Lacs (USA), means thousand lakes
  • milliard (Fr. milliard)
  • million
  • millionaire (Fr. millionnaire)
  • miniature
  • mine or mining, as in a coal mine
  • minister (Old Fr. ministre)
  • minstrel
  • mitten, compare mitaine
  • modern
  • modify
  • module
  • moil
  • moist (Old Fr. moiste, now «moîte»)
  • moment (Old Fr. moment)
  • monad
  • monarch
  • monarchism
  • monarchy (from monarchie)
  • monetary
  • money (Old Fr moneie)
  • monition
  • monster (Fr. monstre)
  • monobloc
  • monocle
  • monogamy (Fr. monogamie)
  • monogram
  • monolith
  • monologue (Fr. monologue)
  • montage
  • morgue
  • mortality
  • mosaic (Fr. mosaïque)
  • motif
  • mot juste
  • mount
  • mousse
  • moustache or mustache, compare moustache
  • move (Old Fr. moveir)
  • movement
  • muffle (Old Fr. moufle)
  • mule, as a type of footwear
  • murder (Old Fr. murdre)
  • muscle
  • mustard, from Old French, compare modern Fr. moutarde
  • mutton
  • mystery (Old Fr. mistere)
  • mystic
  • mystique

N

  • nacelle
  • naïve
  • née or nee, feminine past participle of naître to be born
  • Nez perce (Fr. Nez percés = Pierced noses)
  • nice (Old Fr. nice)
  • niche
  • nicotine, from Jean Nicot
  • niece (Fr. nièce)
  • noble
  • noblesse oblige
  • noise (Old Fr. noise)
  • nonpareil
  • note
  • notice
  • nouveau
  • nouveau riche
  • nouveau roman
  • nouvelle cuisine
  • nouvelle vague
  • novel
  • novelty
  • november
  • novice (Old Fr. novice)
  • nuance
  • nuisance
  • null
  • nullity (Fr. nullité)
  • number (Old Fr. nombre)
  • numerator
  • numismatic
  • nun (Old Fr. nonne)
  • nurse
  • nurture
  • nutrition (Fr. nutrition)
  • nutritive
  • nymph (Old Fr. nimphe)

O

  • object, from objet
  • oboe (via Italian), from French «haut bois”
  • ocean, from O.Fr. occean
  • Œuvre
  • offend
  • offense (Fr. offense)
  • office
  • officer (Old Fr. officier)
  • official
  • ogive (Fr. ogive)
  • ogre
  • oil (Old Fr. oile)
  • ointment (Old Fr. oignement)
  • olive
  • omelette, compare omelette
  • omission
  • omnibus
  • opacity
  • opal
  • operation
  • opinion (Old Fr. opinion)
  • opportune
  • opportunism (Fr.opportunisme)
  • opportunity
  • oppose (Old Fr. opposer)
  • opposite
  • opposition (Old Fr. oposicion)
  • oppress (Old Fr. oppresser)
  • optative (Fr. optatif)
  • optician
  • optimism (Fr. optimisme)
  • option
  • oracle (Old Fr. oracle)
  • orange (Old Fr. orenge)
  • ordain (Old Fr. ordener)
  • order (Old Fr. ordre)
  • organic
  • organism
  • organise
  • orgy
  • origin
  • original
  • ormolu
  • ornament
  • ornithopter
  • orpine
  • orthography, from Old French, compare modern Fr. orthographe
  • oubliette

P

  • pair
  • palace (Old Fr. palais)
  • palm (Old Fr. palme)
  • pansy (Fr. pensée)
  • pant (Old Fr. pantaisier)
  • pantaloon (Fr. pantalon)
  • panther (Old Fr. pantère)
  • papier mâché
  • parade
  • paragon
  • parent
  • parentage
  • parfait
  • parley
  • parliament
  • part (Old Fr. part)
  • partial (Old Fr. parcial, compare modern Fr. partial)
  • partisan
  • partition
  • pass (Old Fr. passer)
  • passion
  • passé
  • passive
  • passport
  • paste
  • pastel
  • pastiche
  • pastille
  • pastor
  • pasture
  • pasturage
  • pasty
  • pastry
  • patch
  • pâté
  • patent
  • paternity
  • pathetic
  • pathology
  • patience (Old Fr. pacience)
  • patient
  • patisserie
  • pause (Old Fr. pause)
  • pawn (Old Fr. pan, pant)
  • peace (Old Fr. pais)
  • peach
  • pear
  • pell-mell (Fr. pêle-mêle)
  • pelt (Old Fr. pelete)
  • pen (Old Fr. penne)
  • penal
  • pencil
  • pension
  • pensive
  • penthouse (Old Fr. apentis)
  • people (Old Fr. peupel)
  • perchance
  • perceiver
  • perch (Old Fr. perche)
  • perdition
  • perfect
  • perfection
  • perfume, from Middle French, «parfum»
  • person (Old Fr. persone)
  • petty (Old Fr. petit)
  • petulant, compare pétulant
  • phial
  • philanthropic (Fr. philanthropique)
  • philately (Fr. philatélie)
  • philharmonic
  • philosophy (Old Fr. filosofie)
  • philtre (Fr. philtre)
  • physics (Fr. physique)
  • phantom (Fr. fantôme)
  • phlebotomy
  • phlegm
  • piece (Old Fr. piece)
  • pied à terre
  • piety (Old Fr. piete)
  • pipe
  • pipette
  • piquant
  • piqué
  • pirouette
  • piss (Old Fr. pisser, still used today in slang)
  • pistol
  • pistole
  • plain (Old Fr. plain)
  • plant
  • plaque
  • plash
  • plastic (Fr. plastique)
  • plat du jour
  • plate
  • plateau
  • platform (Fr. plateforme)
  • platoon (Fr. peloton)
  • platter
  • plebiscite (Fr. plébiscite)
  • plea (Old Fr. plait)
  • please (Fr. plaire)
  • pleasant (Old Fr. plaisant)
  • pleasantry (Old Fr. plaisanterie)
  • pleasure (Old Fr. plesir, modern French «plaisir»)
  • plead
  • pledge (Old Fr. plege)
  • plié
  • plumage
  • plumb
  • plumber (Old Fr. plommier)
  • plume, Wiktionary:nom de plume
  • plural (Old Fr. pluriel)
  • plurality
  • plus ça change
  • plush
  • pneumatic
  • poach, as in cookery, from Old French, compare modern Fr. pocher
  • poem (Fr. poème)
  • poesy (Old Fr. poesie)
  • poetic (Fr. poétique)
  • pole
  • policy, from police (as a contract)
  • poor (Old Fr. poure, compare poverty)
  • populace (Fr. populace)
  • popular
  • pork
  • porous
  • porpoise
  • port (Old Fr. port)
  • portage
  • porter
  • portion
  • portmanteau
  • pose, compare poser
  • position (Old Fr. position)
  • positive (Old Fr. positif)
  • posology
  • possess (Old Fr. possesser, modern Fr. posséder)
  • possibility
  • possible (Fr. possible)
  • post, compare poste
  • poultry
  • poutine
  • poverty (O.Fr. poverte, compare poor)
  • power (Old Fr. poeir)
  • practical (Old Fr. practique)
  • practise
  • precious
  • pregnant
  • prejudice
  • premier (Fr. = first)
  • premiere (Fr. première)
  • prepare
  • prerogative
  • presence
  • present
  • president
  • prêt-à-porter
  • pretend
  • pretense
  • price (Old Fr. pris)
  • prince (Old Fr. prince)
  • princess
  • princical
  • principality (Old Fr. principalité)
  • principle
  • print
  • prison (Old Fr. prisoun)
  • prize compare price
  • proof (Old Fr. proeve)
  • pronoun (Fr. pronom)
  • pronounce
  • pronunciation
  • proper (Old Fr. propre)
  • property
  • prophecy (Old Fr. profecie)
  • prophesy
  • proportion (Old Fr. proportion)
  • propose, from proposer
  • proposition (Old Fr. proposition)
  • prorogue
  • prosaic
  • prose (Old Fr. prose)
  • prosecution
  • protection (Old Fr. protection)
  • protein
  • protestation
  • protocol (Old Fr. prothocole)
  • proud (Old Fr. prud)
  • province (Old Fr. province)
  • pulley
  • punish (Old Fr. puniss-)
  • pure (Old Fr. pur)
  • purify (Old Fr. purifier)
  • purpose (Old Fr. porpos)
  • putty (Modern Fr. potée)

Q

  • qualify
  • quality
  • quantity
  • quarter
  • quartet
  • quartier
  • quatrain
  • quatrefoil
  • quay
  • queasy
  • Québécois
  • quest
  • question
  • questionnaire
  • queue
  • quiche
  • quiet
  • quilt
  • quintessence
  • quintuple
  • quit
  • quittance
  • quotidian

R

  • rabble (Fr. râble)
  • raconteur
  • rage (Old Fr. raige)
  • raison d’être
  • rare (Old Fr. rere)
  • rarefy
  • rarity
  • ratatouille
  • rat
  • rate
  • ration
  • rave
  • real (O.Fr. reel)
  • realm
  • reason (Old Fr. raison)
  • reasonable
  • rebound
  • receipt, from un reçu, un récépissé
  • receive (Old Fr. receivre, modern Fr. recevoir)
  • reception
  • receptor
  • recitation
  • recite
  • record
  • reclaim
  • recognize
  • recognizance
  • recoil
  • recollection
  • Récollet
  • reconnoitre, compare reconnaître
  • record
  • recorder (Old Fr. recordeur)
  • recover
  • recovery
  • recreation
  • recruit
  • rector
  • rectory
  • regret, from Old French, compare modern Fr. regretter
  • reign, from régnier
  • remain (Old. Fr. remaindre)
  • remark
  • remarkable
  • rendezvous
  • reservoir
  • responsible
  • rest
  • restaurant
  • restauranteur, compare restaurateur
  • resume
  • résumé
  • rime
  • riposte
  • risqué
  • rock (Old Fr. ro(c) que)
  • role (Fr. rôle, compare roll)
  • roll (Old Fr. rolle)
  • Roman
  • romantic
  • rotisserie
  • rouge
  • roué
  • roulette
  • round
  • roundel
  • rouse
  • rout (Old Fr. route)
  • route
  • routine
  • roux
  • royal (Old Fr. roial)
  • royalty
  • rubble
  • rubric
  • rush (Old Fr. ruser)
  • ruse
  • russet
  • rut

S

  • sabot
  • sabotage
  • saboteur
  • sachet
  • sacrament, compare sacrement
  • Saint Louis (named for Louis IX)
  • salon
  • saloon, compare salon
  • sample (Old Fr. essample)
  • satin
  • sauce (Old Fr. sauce)
  • sauté
  • savage (Old Fr. sauvage)
  • savant
  • savate
  • save (Anglo-fr. sa(u) ver, Old Fr. salver)
  • savoir faire
  • scepter
  • scholar
  • science
  • screw (Old Fr. escroue)
  • seal (Old Fr. seel)
  • séance
  • search (Old Fr. cerchier)
  • season (Old Fr. saison)
  • second (Old Fr. second)
  • sensitive
  • sentence (Old Fr. sentence)
  • sentiment (Old Fr. sentement)
  • sentinel
  • sepal
  • separable
  • separation
  • septillion (from sept seven)
  • sepulchre
  • sepulchral
  • sequester
  • serf (Old Fr. serf)
  • sergeant or serjeant, from Old French, compare modern Fr. sergent
  • servant
  • several (from Old Fr. seperalis via Anglo-Fr. several)
  • sex
  • shop (Old Fr. eschoppe)
  • similar (Fr. similaire)
  • simple (Old Fr. simple)
  • skate (from Old Fr. eschace via Dutch schaats)
  • slice (Old Fr. esclis)
  • slot (Old Fr. esclot)
  • snye
  • sober (Old Fr. sobre)
  • sobriety
  • sobriquet
  • sociable (Fr. sociable)
  • social (Fr. social)
  • socialism (Fr. socialisme)
  • society (Fr. société)
  • socket
  • soil (Old Fr. soil)
  • soiree (Fr. soirée)
  • sojourn (Old Fr. sojorn)
  • solder
  • sole
  • solemnize
  • solicit (Old Fr. solliciter)
  • solicitor (Old Fr. solliciteur)
  • solid
  • solidarity (Fr. solidarité)
  • soldier
  • sombre (Fr. sombre)
  • sort (Old Fr. sorte)
  • soufflé
  • sound (Old Fr. son)
  • soupçon
  • sovereign
  • sovereignist (Fr. souverainiste)
  • special
  • spirit (Old Fr. esprit)
  • sport (Old Fr. desport)
  • stage (Old Fr. estage)
  • state
  • stay
  • stereotype
  • story (Old Fr. estorie)
  • stray
  • stress (Old Fr. estresse)
  • structure (Old Fr. structure)
  • study
  • stuff (Old Fr. estoffe, modern Fr. étoffe)
  • stupid
  • sturgeon, from esturgeon
  • subject, from sujet
  • subtle
  • subtlety
  • succession
  • successor
  • succumb
  • succour
  • suffer
  • sufficient
  • suit, from Old Fr. seoir
  • suitor
  • superior
  • superlative
  • support (Old Fr. supporter)
  • suppose (Old Fr. supposer)
  • sure (Old Fr. sur, seur)
  • surety (Old Fr. seurté)
  • surface
  • surgeon
  • surgery
  • surgical
  • surmise
  • surmount
  • surname (Old Fr. surnom)
  • surpass
  • surplus
  • surprise
  • surrender (Old Fr. surrendre)
  • surrealism (Fr. surréalisme)
  • suspend
  • suspense (Fr. suspens)
  • suspension
  • sustain
  • system

T

  • tablature
  • table
  • tableau
  • tablet
  • tailor (Old Fr. tailleor)
  • talc
  • tally
  • talon
  • tambour
  • tamp
  • tampon
  • tapestry
  • tapis
  • target
  • tariff (Fr. tarif)
  • tarot
  • tarnish (Fr. ternir)
  • Tartar (Old Fr. Tartare)
  • tart, as in cookery, compare tarte
  • task (from Old Fr. tasche via Norman Fr. tasque)
  • taste (Old Fr. tast)
  • taupe
  • tax (Old Fr. taxer)
  • taximeter (Fr. taximètre)
  • teat (Old Fr. tete)
  • telegraph (Fr. télégraphe)
  • temporal (Old Fr. temporel)
  • temporize
  • tempt (Old Fr. tempter)
  • tenant
  • tench (Old Fr. tenche)
  • tend (Old Fr. tend)
  • tender
  • tendon (Fr. tendon)
  • tennis (Old Fr. Tenez, to start the game)
  • tent
  • terrace, from terrasse
  • terrible
  • terror (Old Fr. terreur)
  • terrorism (first used during French Revolution)
  • theatre
  • theology (Old Fr. theologie)
  • theorem (Fr. théorème)
  • therapeutics (Fr. thérapeutique)
  • thermal
  • toilet, compare toilette
  • tonne
  • torrid
  • tortuous
  • torture
  • touch (Old Fr. touchier)
  • toupée
  • tout de suite or toot sweet, compare tout de suite
  • transfer
  • transparent
  • trial
  • triangle
  • tribe (Old Fr. tribu)
  • tribunal
  • trompe l’Œil
  • troop, from troupe
  • troupe
  • try (Old Fr. trier)
  • tuff
  • tube
  • tyrant (from Fr. tyran, through Latin tyrannus and Greek turannos)

U

  • unique
  • unity
  • universal
  • university
  • universe
  • urgent
  • use
  • usurp
  • usurper

V

  • vague
  • vast (Fr. vaste, compare waste)
  • veal (Old Fr. veel)
  • velcro, from velours, velvet, and crochet, hook
  • ventre à terre
  • verdigris, from vert de gris, the colour of the copper oxide
  • verdict
  • Vermont (from les verts monts the green mountains)
  • versatile
  • verse
  • version
  • vert
  • vertical
  • very (Old Fr. verai)
  • vesper
  • vest
  • view (Old Fr. veue)
  • victory
  • vigour
  • vile
  • villain (Old Fr. villain)
  • village (Old Fr. village)
  • vintage
  • viol (Old Fr. viel(l) e)
  • violence (Old Fr. violence)
  • violent
  • vin, vin blanc, vin rouge, vin rosé, etc
  • vintage
  • virgin (Old Fr. virgine)
  • virginal
  • virtue
  • vis-a-vis
  • visible
  • viscount
  • vogue
  • voice
  • voilà
  • void
  • volant
  • volatile
  • volley
  • volte-face
  • voluble
  • volume (Old Fr. volume)
  • voluntary
  • volunteer
  • voluptuous
  • volute
  • voodoo (from a West African language)
  • voyage (Old Fr. veiage)
  • voyeur

W

Many English words imported from French that start with a «w» have a «g» in French. This is because in old French the «g» was pronounced as a modern «w».

  • wage (Old Fr. gage)
  • wager, from gager.
  • war, from guerre.
  • wardrobe, from Garde-Robe, meaning the keep a dress, or clothes.
  • warrant, from garantie.
  • waste (Old Fr. wast, compare vast)
  • Wisconsin, from Ouisconsin, a French variant of a Native American word

See also

  • French phrases used by English speakers

A
| B
| C
| D
| E
| F
| G
| H
| I
| J
| K
| L
| M
| N
| O
| P
| Q
| R
| S
| T
| U
| V
| W
| X
| Y
| Z


See all linguistics glossaries:

  • Sinhala
    words of Tamil origin
  • Sinhalese
    words of English origin
  • Sinhala
    words of Portuguese origin
  • Sinhala
    words of Dutch origin
  • Malay
    words of Tamil origin
  • Christian
    terms in Arabic
  • Spanish
    words of uncertain origin
  • Spanish
    words of various origins
  • Spanish
    words of Semitic origin
  • Spanish
    words of Nahuatl origin
  • Spanish
    words of Italic origin
  • Spanish
    words of Iranian origin
  • Spanish
    words of Indo-Aryan origin
  • Spanish
    words of Native American origin
  • Spanish
    words of French origin
  • Spanish
    words of Chinese origin
  • Spanish
    words of Celtic origin
  • Spanish
    words of Basque/Iberian origin
  • Spanish
    words of Austronesian origin
  • Spanish
    words of African origin
  • English
    words of Yiddish origin
  • English
    words of Welsh origin
  • English
    words of Ukrainian origin
  • English
    words of Turkic origin
  • English
    words of Swedish origin
  • English
    words of Spanish origin
  • English
    words of Scottish Gaelic origin
  • English
    words of Scots origin
  • English
    words of Russian origin
  • English
    words of Portuguese origin
  • English
    words of Polish origin
  • English
    words of Persian origin
  • English
    words of Old Norse origin
  • English
    words of Norwegian origin
  • English
    words of Native American origin
  • English
    words of Māori origin
  • English
    words of Malay origin
  • Latin
    words with English derivatives
  • English
    words of Korean origin
  • English
    words of Japanese origin
  • English
    words of Italian origin
  • English
    words of Irish origin
  • English
    words of Hungarian origin
  • English
    words of Hebrew origin
  • German
    expressions in English
  • English
    words of French origin
  • English
    words of Dutch origin
  • English
    words of Chinese origin
  • English
    words of Afrikaans origin
  • English
    words of African origin
  • Germanic and Latinate equivalents in English

Published — January 2009

This
glossary is available under the terms
of the GNU Free Documentation


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