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]
- ^ «Why Study French». Athabasca University.
- ^ 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 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.
:»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.
Table of Contents
- What percentage of English words have a French origin?
- What percentage of words in the English language actually have their origins in a different language?
- How many words in the English language are French?
- What is the most elegant word?
- Which is the toughest word in English?
- What is the hardest word to remember?
- What does Colonel mean in English?
- Is Colonel a high rank?
- Do Colonels fight?
- Why is it spelled Colonel?
- Is the D silent in Wednesday?
- Why is the B silent in debt?
- Why is the R silent in February?
- What happened to the R in February?
- Who put the R in February?
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.
What percentage of English words have a French origin?
30 percent
What percentage of words in the English language actually have their origins in a different language?
About 80 percent of the entries in any English dictionary are borrowed, mainly from Latin. Over 60 percent of all English words have Greek or Latin roots.
How many words in the English language are French?
7,000 French words
What is the most elegant word?
The Top 10 Most Beautiful English Words
- 10 Serendipity (n.)
- 9 Petrichor (n.)
- 8 Supine (adj.)
- 7 Solitude (n.)
- 6 Aurora (n.)
- 5 Idyllic (adj.)
- 4 Clinomania (n.)
- 3 Pluviophile (n.)
Which is the toughest word in English?
As a follow up to our article on confusing words, here are ten of the most difficult words in English.
- Literally. If you know a language purist, watch out.
- Ironic.
- Irregardless (instead of regardless)
- Whom.
- Colonel.
- Nonplussed.
- Disinterested.
- Enormity.
What is the hardest word to remember?
10 Words With Difficult-to-Remember Meanings
- Nonplussed. The Definition: “Filled with bewilderment”
- Inchoate. The Definition: “Only partly in existence; imperfectly formed”
- and 4. Cachet and Panache.
- Indefatigable.
- Uncanny.
- Unabashed.
- Dilatory.
- Martinet.
What does Colonel mean in English?
1a : a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps ranking above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general. b : lieutenant colonel. 2 : a minor titular official of a state especially in southern or midland U.S. —used as an honorific title.
Is Colonel a high rank?
Colonel, the highest field-grade officer, ranking just below the general officer grades in most armies or below brigadier in the British services. A colonel was traditionally the commanding officer of a regiment or brigade.
Do Colonels fight?
No, they usually don’t. However, if you’re attacked while moving around the battlefield, everyone fights, even a General. There are several accounts from World War II where high-ranking officers found themselves in a dangerous situation and had to fight it out.
Why is it spelled Colonel?
“Colonel” came to English from the mid-16th-century French word coronelle, meaning commander of a regiment, or column, of soldiers. By the mid-17th century, the spelling and French pronunciation had changed to colonnel. The English spelling also changed, and the pronunciation was shortened to two syllables.
Is the D silent in Wednesday?
There is a silent “d” in the word “Wednesday” .
Why is the B silent in debt?
Debt is derived through the Middle English word dette, from the Old French dette or dete. They knew that the word had its origin in the Latin word debitum, and they thought it should pay homage to that word—and they had the wherewithal to slip a “b” into both the English and French versions of the word.
Why is the R silent in February?
The r in February has been dropped so that it is almost always pronounced Febuary–without the r. Perhaps this is because placing the r sound in the word makes it slightly more difficult to pronounce, and since laziness tends to get the upper hand when we speak, Febuary has become the common pronunciation.
What happened to the R in February?
Who put the R in February?
Have you ever wondered why February has that random, silent first r? Well, February, like the names of most months, has Latin roots. It descended from Februarius, a month in the ancient Roman calendar. The name actually comes from the festival of februum, a purification ritual celebrated during the month.
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
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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 Nimes—serge 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!
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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.
You may have noticed that there are words in English that are very similar to, or even the same as, words in French. To describe something weird, an English-speaker could say it is bizarre. People eat at places such as restaurants and cafés in English-speaking parts of the world. My friend’s mom in New York gets the chauffeur to drive her places since she doesn’t drive herself. Both the spelling and the meaning of these words are the same in French as in English. The above words came to English via French, although some have even earlier origins in other languages, such as the words café and bizarre, which come from the Italian caffe and bizarro. With all these similarities, does it mean that French should be a breeze for those who are already familiar with English? Maybe. Let’s take a closer look.
The percentage of words shared by the English and French languages is significant. Different sources give different numbers, with Wikipedia placing this at over a third, a statistic corroborated by an article written by Françoise Armand and Érica Maraillet titled “Éducation interculturelle et diversité linguistique” for the University of Montréal’s ÉLODiL website.
Both French and English have significant Latin roots, thus accounting for the high number of cognates, words that have a common etymology. Although English draws directly from Latin in some cases, as with the word stultify, which is related to stultus, many words of Latin origin have passed into English via French. The influence of French on the English language is due in large part to the Norman invasion of England in 1066, a conquest that resulted in dialects of Old English being displaced by Norman French, particularly among the elite classes.
The use of French in English-speaking regions continued throughout the Middle Ages and was reinforced by a surge in popularity during the renaissance of French literature in the 13th and 14th centuries. Words found in many works that describe chivalry, fealty, and courtly love have French origins and are still present in the English lexicon; likewise there are many words whose Renaissance French spelling looks like that of its English counterparts. A hospital in Renaissance French is a hôpital in modern French. Likewise, a forest is a forêt and a beste is a bête.
| English | Renaissance French |
|---|---|
| forest | forêt |
| beste | bête |
The replacement of an ‘s’ appearing before a consonant by the accent circonflexe, a graphic transition that took place during the Renaissance, likely reflects a change in pronunciation from very early spoken forms of French, as well as from the Latin forms of corresponding words, as Bernard Cerquiligni notes in his 1995 work, L’Accent du souvenir. An interesting aspect of this spelling change is that it reflects phonetic changes that likely occurred around 1066, also noted by Cerquiligni. And it was only in 1740 that the Académie française formally introduced the circumflex accent into the French lexicon, with the third publication of its dictionary. A seven hundred year period of deliberating over a spelling change that would reflect a phonetic change in everyday speech illustrates the peculiar relationship French speakers have with their language. If this is the amount of thought, reflection, and argument French speakers have among themselves concerning their own language, it should not be surprising for those learning French to encounter a certain amount of skepticism and questioning as well, as they embark on this linguistic journey.
English Words with French Origins in Food
French terminology continues to be used in fields that have seen great developments within French-speaking contexts, such as cuisine, fashion, and visual art. People in English-speaking parts of the world regularly eat foods they refer to as omelettes and mousse. They may order escargots from a menu, perhaps a more appetizing term than snails. Menu is another word that has come to English via French, referring to a detailed list of components of a meal, with origins in the Latin word minutus, for smaller. In addition to food items, English speakers regularly refer to couture when talking about fashion, and describe stylish items as chic.
English Words with French Origins in Visual Arts
Visual art uses many French terms, such as trompe l’œil and aquarelle. Even the term fin de siècle is used to denote the late 19th / early 20th century time period during which France had a great influence on artistic and cultural movements. Performing arts terminology has also been influenced by French, with French terms being used for classical ballet. The origins of this dance form can be found in the French court, with the first ballet performed at the Louvre for the wedding of the duc de Joyeuse to Mlle de Vaudémont on 15 October 1581 in the grande salle du Petit-Bourbon, according to the Encyclopædia Universalis. Later, in 1661, Louis XIV founded the Académie royale de danse, which established ballet terminology as a codified vocabulary of set movements to be studied as the basis for many works that have been developed in this domain. French is indeed the lingua franca of ballet and continues to be present in ballet schools worldwide and used by choreographers as they set their works on companies around the globe.
While the similarities between words in the French and English languages seem encouraging, there are several caveats to keep in mind, not least of which are the subtle spelling changes that occur between the French and English versions of certain cognates. These include: connexion and connection, adresse and address, correspondance and correspondence, agressive and aggressive, bagage and baggage, danse and dance, mariage and marriage, futur and future, to name a few. To make things even more confusing, there are different spellings for certain cognates in different parts of the English-speaking world that correspond to the same French counterpart, e.g., license, which is used in the US for the French licence, but is spelled licence in the UK and Canada, at least when denoting the noun referring to a legal document granting permission to own, use, or do something. As a verb, the spelling license is used across the board in the English-speaking world. Such details reflect regional changes that have contributed to the development of vocabulary used by linguistic populations and illustrate the various paths these words have taken through time and geographic space.
In addition to being affected by French, the English language isn’t shy to borrow words from other languages. Words such as manga, zero, waltz, glitch, and moccasin are from Japanese, Arabic, German, Yiddish, and Algonquian, respectively. Something interesting to note is that, whereas English has borrowed words from other languages for centuries, it may now be lending more than borrowing, according to Philip Durkin, deputy chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, in a 3 February 2014 BBC article. This turn of events is likely linked to developments in domains such as business and technology, which have largely taken place in English-speaking contexts.
Read More:
- French Film Awards and 20+ Movie Terms that You Should Know
- Tips for Translating from French
- Structural Difficulties and Solutions when Learning French
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Even if you’re just starting to study French, believe it or not, you’ve already got a pretty extensive vocabulary!
The reason for this is over 10,000 English words come from French. Many others come from Latin, the language from which French originated.
This means that a significant number of English words have either exact French counterparts or very similar equivalents in French.
That’s something to celebrate! But, you might be wondering, just how did all of these French words get into English? How many French words are there in English? Let’s take a look at the French influence on the English language, and how it can help you with French vocabulary today!
When were French words borrowed into English?
In order to understand the way French influenced the English language, you have to know a little bit of history.
In antiquity, Celtic languages were spoken in the British Isles. Then, around 50 CE, most of the territory was invaded by the Romans. “Britannia” became a part of the Roman Empire, and Latin became the language of political and administrative life.
In the 5th and 6th centuries CE, Germanic tribes, including the Angles and the Saxons, invaded Britain, bringing their language with them.
But Latin remained a strong presence, since it was the language of the powerful and far-reaching Catholic Church (the Germanic tribes had quickly converted to Catholicism).
All religious services and texts were in Latin. This led to words commonly heard during masses and in religious parables becoming a part of everyday vocabulary.
Some of the Latin words that began to infiltrate the language of British people at this time include “devil” (Latin: diabolus) and “angel” (Latin: angelus).
Like its fellow Romance languages, French is a form of Vulgarized (that is, spoken by the people and influenced by previously existing local dialects) Latin. This is one of the reasons why there are so many similar words in French and Latin-influenced English. But it’s not the only reason why – not by far.
The main reason for the large number of French words in English can be chalked up to another invasion: the Norman Invasion of 1066, when William the Conqueror (Guillaume le Conquerant in French) staked his claim to the British throne and won it in the Battle of Hastings.
If you’re an art person, rather than a linguistics or history person, this battle may sound familiar – it’s immortalized on the Bayeux Tapestry.
After William’s accession to the throne, the royal court was made up of Norman (from Normandy) nobility, who spoke French.
Old English and French coexisted, often quite separately, since most people in Britain never had contact with nobility.
But over time, French words began to creep into English.
These were mainly in areas like law, administration, and, unsurprisingly, food. For example, this excellent (and very funny) video about the history of English points out that while words like “pig” and “sheep” have Germanic roots, their food forms– “pork” (porc) and “mutton” (mouton) – come from French.
A few other French words that entered the English language in this era include sovereign (souverain), justice (justice), and counsel (conseil).
As the centuries went by, English continued to evolve, and and became recognized in its own right. It was used in the daily life of the upper classes and clergy, as well as the commoners. Latin did make a comeback, though. During the Renaissance, cultured people spoke it, and later, in the Age of Enlightenment, Latin was used again when classifying scientific discoveries and phenomena.
Over the course of its tumultuous history, and English has borrowed from and been influenced by many different languages. But French and Latin have had the most influence. French and Latin words make up 58 % of modern English vocabulary today. On their own, purely French words make up 29% of English.
It’s generally thought that around 10,000 words have been borrowed into English from French. Of those, according to this source, there are over 1,700 “true cognates” – that is, words that not only look the same or similar, but have exactly the same meaning in both languages.
Why is the French (and Latin) influence on English important to French learners?
Sure, etymology is fascinating, and sure, what you’ve just read might make for some fun party conversation (well, depending on what kind of parties you go to…). But is all of this really important? After all, even if you can speak English, that doesn’t mean you can speak French.
But in fact, knowing this tie to French can help you. For one thing, you may have already experienced reading something in French and realizing that you understood more than you’d expected, because some of the words are the same in both languages. And on an even more helpful scale, since certain lexical features like suffixes can be the same in French and English, you may be able to guess how to say certain French words.
Six suffixes that are the same in French and English
With that in mind, let’s look at six fairly common suffixes that are the same in both languages.
Before we do that, though, remember that a suffix is an ending that gives a particular meaning when it’s tacked onto a word. For example, -ly is a suffix in English that indicates a word is an adjective or adverb (examples: lovely, quietly).
Like English, French has many suffixes. A number of these come from Latin. These include:
- -ation. Examples: nation/la nation ; information/l’information
- -tion. Examples: acceleration/l’accélération ; attention/attention
- -ssion. Examples: mission/une mission ; passion/la passion
- -able. Examples : capable/capable ; table/la table ; adorable/adorable
- -isme. Examples: Impressionism/l’impressionnisme ; racism/le racisme
- -if/ive. Examples: furtive/furtif/furtive; creative/créatif/créative
As you can see, not all of these words are identical down to the letter. But knowing that root words in both languages can have these suffixes added to them can be helpful, especially in French conversation. Personally, this rule was one of the things that made speaking French a lot easier for me. If I knew a word in English that had one of these suffixes, there was a good chance that it was the same or similar in French.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you’ll no longer have to memorize vocabulary for words with these endings. After all, there are some that don’t follow the rule. Take “vacation” – in French, it’s les vacances. Still, these common suffixes are good to keep in mind.
French circumflex words and English
Unlike English, the French language involves a lot of diacritical marks. While most accents in French words are used to indicate things like pronunciation, verb tense, or gender, one of them, the circumflex, is basically just a historical marker.
Most French words that have a circumflex once had an “s” after the accented letter. So, for example, the word château was once chasteau. The word forêt was once forest.
That “once” is a time when French words were being borrowed into English, and so, interestingly enough, many French circumflex words have English counterparts that are very similar, with an “s”. You may already know or have guessed the English equivalents of château and forêt, for example – castle and forest.
(Before we continue, yes, I know château is also “chateau” in English, but that word has a very specific connotation and isn’t used as a general term the way château is in French.)
As you can see with château/castle, not all French circumflex words have remained exactly the same in the two languages. And in some cases, like être , there’s no similar English word at all. So, while the tie between French circumflex words and English could be helpful to keep in mind in some cases (forêt/forest; hôtel/hotel; hôpital/hospital; théâtre/theatre, etc.), it isn’t a constant.
But for etymology fans like myself, it is a pretty neat tie to history, at the very least.
[optin-monster-shortcode id=”ifvvametyji10sky3qrx”]
False cognates – and why they exist in the first place
Some English and French words are written the same way or very similarly but have evolved to have very different meanings.
One of the most notorious of these faux amis is préservatif, which does not mean “preservative” in French, but…condom. Misusing this word is one of the most awkward French mistakes you can make!
So, the moral here is to still learn your vocabulary. But if you’re in a bind, you have a good chance of being able to find an equivalent French word if it contains one of those six suffixes I mentioned, or is related to a French circumflex word.
You may be wondering why faux amis exist at all, since English borrowed words directly from French and Latin. The answer is, it’s simply because of how language evolves. Even in English itself, certain words have changed meaning over time or have additional connotations than they previously did. A very interesting example of this – in both languages – is the word “gay”.
“Gay” was borrowed into English from the French gai (joyful, flashy). Over the 20th century, it came to have an additional meaning in English: homosexual. Today, this is the dominant connotation that comes to mind for most English-speakers. The English “gay” has been borrowed back into French, where it also means “homosexual.” The French word gai(e) still means “happy” in French, although some francophones, including those in Quebec, also use this spelling instead of “gay”.
One of the most important things that etymology can teach us is that words are always evolving. While they’re being spoken and used by human beings, languages are living things. Faux amis aside, that’s pretty cool.
French words that are the same in English
Still, there are many words in English and French that are the same or very similar, both in spelling and meaning. Here’s a list of some of the most common. If you want to go further, at the end of this article, you’ll find a link to an extremely long and thorough alphabetical list.
French food and dining words that are the same in English
Many English food-related words originally came from French, but a majority of these have changed a bit over the centuries, to be pronounced and written in a more Anglophone way.
A good example of this are the words derived from the French word and verb dîner, which include dinner, diner, and dinette, as well as the verb “to dine”.
You’ll notice, first of all, that all of these words are pronounced differently than their French ancestors. You’ll also notice that their meanings have expanded from these two original borrowed words: “dinner” and “to dine” are the counterparts of le dîner and dîner, respectively, but a diner and dinette are types of restaurant.
Interestingly, “dinette” is also a French word, but it’ s a classic example of a faux ami. In French, une dinette in French is a child’s tea party set or set of plastic food toys. (It can also mean a light, late evening meal, although I’ve personally never heard it used that way, for what it’s worth.)
This being said, there are other French words related to food and dining whose meaning and spelling have remained more or less the same in French and English. A number of these were borrowed into English in recent centuries, when French cooking became a hallmark of class for Anglophones.
Here are some of the most common food- and dining -related words that are the same (or extremely similar) in French and English:
- à la carte : when you want to order individual dishes which are not part of a pre-established sequence of courses.
- menu
- apéritif
- café (a type of restaurant)
- picnic
- salade
- soupe
- omelette
- bon appétit
- hors d’œuvre
- vinaigrette
- restaurant
- alcool (This word was originally borrowed into French from Arabic, by way of Latin)
- chef (This means boss in French and not only “cook”.)
British English speakers also often use some common French food words, including:
- cornichon
- gateau
- courgette
- aubergine
French fashion and appearance words that are the same or similar in English
Every culture has its trends, fashions, and notions of beauty, but France has an international reputation for expertise in this area. It’s no wonder, then, that so many French words related to fashion and appearance have been borrowed into English. Here’s a list of some of the most common -including one that’s a very recent addition to the English language:
- prêt-à-porter
- chic
- couture
- silhouette
- petite
- faux (usually used to describe synthetic fur (faux fur), as opposed to fur from an animal)
- sans fard – If you’re a fan of pop culture and celebrity gossip, you’ve probably come across this term in recent years. “Sans fard” (sometimes written “sans fards”) means “without makeup” and describes a photo where a person is wearing no makeup, and may not even be groomed in a glamorous way (for example, unbrushed hair, etc.). Of course, sans fard photos aren’t always truthful – many celebrities have been called out for abusing the term, since they are wearing at least very basic makeup and have their hair done in the shot.
French art and culture words that are the same or similar in English
Here are some French words that you’ll often hear or come across (or use) in English.
- Art Nouveau
- avant-garde
- bas-relief
- film noir
- matinee (Note that in French, this word is most commonly used as a way to say “morning”.)
- papier mâché (For many English speakers, this is written slightly differently: papier mache)
- trompe l’oeil
In addition to artistic movements like Art Nouveau and Art Deco, which keep their French names in English, many artistic movements are written in a similar way in French and English. One of the main reasons for this is the suffix -ism/-isme. Here are a few examples:
- Impressionism/impressionnisme
- Realism/réalisme
- Surrealism/surréalisme
- Cubism/cubisme
You can find many other French words related to culture and the arts, including classical dance-related vocabulary on this excellent and extensive list.
Other common French words used in English
Some French words we use in English, like repertoire and protégé, don’t have exactly the same meaning in both languages – or at least, not the same primary meaning. For example, répertoire in French is most commonly used to describe a list of phone numbers; protégé means “protected” in French). But many other French words in English are used the same way in French, more or less. Here are some of them:
- bourgeois
- brunette
- blond(e)
- adieu
- au contraire
- chauffeur
- chic
- critique
- depot
- déjà vu
- (eau de) cologne
- eau de toilette
- en route
- entrepreneur
- fiancé (Note that while in English, this can refer to a man or a woman, in French, a female person someone is engaged to is fiancée, the word’s feminine form.)
- genre
- laissez-faire
- maître d’ (this is used in its complete form, maître d’hôtel, in French)
- joie de vivre
- toilette
- nouveau riche
- faux pas
- je ne sais quoi
- carte blanche
- voyeur
- R.S.V.P (Many English-speakers don’t realize this is an abbreviation of Répondez s’il vous plait)
- souvenir
- par excellence
- potpourri
- Bon voyage (learn more here)
- cliché (Note that in French, in addition to its most well-known meaning, cliché is another way to say “photo”)
- au pair
- femme fatale
- bouquet
- boutique
- coup
- milieu
- ménage à trois
- bon vivant
- bon mot
- coup d’état
- de rigueur
- savoir-faire
- tête à tête
- Voila (I usually see the word written without an accent in English, but remember that it’s actually written like this in French: Voilà).
- du jour
These are just the most common French words used in English, but there are many more, especially if you’re watching or reading something featuring educated, possibly pretentious characters – or spending time with them in real life. You can find a more extensive list of French words and expressions in English here.
The three kinds of French words in English – and where to find them all
The words on our lists are among the most noticeable French words in English, because they haven’t changed (or haven’t changed much) from their original spellings and meanings. But what about the thousands of other French words that are supposed to make up the English language?
Since most of these words have evolved over the centuries, they may still be very similar to their French ancestors, or quite a bit different. Take, for example, one of my favorite English words, “jaunty”, which evolved in both spelling and meaning from the French word gentil.
You can find an alphabetical list of French words in English, including these original borrowings that have evolved away from their French forms, here.
And of course, don’t forget the English words that have a counterpart in French thanks to Latin. You can see some of those on this list.
Do you have a favorite French word or expression that’s used in English? Are there any words these lists that surprised you? If so, why not try to use them today?
Apéritif
— before-meal drink
après
moi, le déluge — the remark attributed to Louis XY of France;
used in reference to the impending end of a functioning French
monarchy and predicting the French Revolution. (After
me, the deluge.
artiste
— a skilled performer, a person with artistic pretensions
art
nouveau — a style of decoration and architecture of the late 19th and
early 20th centuries (usually bears capitals in French : Art
Nouveau)
attaché
— a person attached to an embassy; in French is also the past
participle of the verb attacher
(=to fasten)
au
pair — a young foreigner who does domestic chores in exchange for
room and board
au
revoir! -«See you soon!»; lit. Until
the next sight.
In French contraction of Au
plaisir de vous revoir
(=to the pleasure of seeing you again).
avant-garde
— applied to cutting-edge or radically innovative movements in art,
music and literature; figuratively «on the edge»,
literally, a military term, meaning «vanguard» (which is
the deformation of avant-garde) or «advance guard», in
other words, «first to attack» (plural avant-gardes;
antonym of arrière-garde).
B
Ballet
-a type of dance
beaucoup
— a lot of (slang, such as, «beaucoup
money» Especially used in New Orleans, LA {Bookoo})
belle
— beautiful woman or girl. Common uses of this word are in the
phrases the
belle of the ball
(the most beautiful woman or girl present at a function) and southern
belle
(a beautiful woman from the southern states of the US)
bête
noire -a scary or unpopular person, idea, or thing, or the
archetypical scary monster in a story; literally «black beast.»
There is no native equivalent English phrase.
bon
appettite -have
a good appetite
bonjour -hello,
used to express a greeting; literally «good day».
bon
voyage! -have
a good trip!
brunette —
a brown-haired girl. For brown-haired boy or man, French uses brun
and for a woman brune
bureau
-office (British English plural bureaux;
American English plural bureaus)
C
cachet —
a distinctive quality
café
— a coffee shop;
café
au lait — coffee with milk; or a light-brown color
carte
blanche — unlimited authority; literally «white card»
c’est
la guerre! -«That’s War!»; or «Such is war!»
It is sometimes used as an expression to say that war is harsh but
that one must accept it.
c’est
la mode. — «Such is fashion»
c’est
la vie! -«That’s life!»; or «Such is life!»
It is sometimes used as an expression to say that life is harsh but
that one must accept it.
c’est
magnifique! -«That’s great!»; literally it’s
magnificent
chaise
longue — a long chair for reclining;
chanson
— song
châteaux
en Espagne -literally «castles in Spain»; something
that exists only in the imagination (as, «castles in the air»
or «pie in the sky”
chef
d’œuvre- a masterpiece
cherchez
la femme -literally
«Look for the woman.» (expressing the notion that behind a
man’s unusual behavior may be his trying to impress a woman or to
cover up an affair)
chic
— stylish
chignon
-a hairstyle worn in a roll at the nape of the neck
cliché
— trite through overuse; a stereotype
clique
— a small exclusive group of friends; often used in a pejorative way
in French
coquette
— a flirtatious girl; a tease
commandant —
a commanding officer
comme
il faut — as
is proper; literally as
it should be
There
are many words of French origin in English, such as competition, art,
table, publicity, police, role, routine, machine, force, and many
others that have been and are being anglicized; they are now
pronounced according to English rules of phonology, rather than
French. A large portion of English vocabulary is of French origin,
most derived from, or transmitted via, the Anglo-Norman spoken by the
upper classes in England for several hundred years after the Norman
Conquest.
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