Kathleen M. Ryerson
French Language and Its Influence on English
French is a Romance language. It derived from Latin over 2,000 years ago. Other Romance languages are Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Rumanian.
French has had a lot of influence on our own language—English. This is due in part to the constant wars between the French and the English. For a time French was the official language in the royal and law courts and for the educated people in England.
Cognates are words in different languages but they are derived from the original word. Some are:
French
|
English
|
état
|
state
|
chien
|
canine
|
blanc
|
blank
|
maison
|
mansion
|
Many words that we use in English are “borrowed” from the French:
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bourgeoisie: middle class
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boulevard: broad avenue
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cuisine: style and preparation of cooking
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demi-tasse: small cup of black coffee
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faux pas: social blunder, bad mistake
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gourmet: person who understands and appreciates fine food
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née: term applied to the maiden name of a married woman
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nom de plume: pen or assumed name
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rendez-vous: appointment or meeting place
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R.S.V.P.: (Repondez s’il vous plait) please answer