French language in English

FRENCH IS EVERYWHERE!

​Why some words sounds similar in english and french?

There 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.

​why?

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.

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.

​why?

These were mainly in areas like law, administration, and, unsurprisingly, food.

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. 

Open Ended

How long did the Normas rules over England?

Open Ended

What English word do you know that is originally taken from French?

Multiple Choice

Do you think the following word is French:

"menu"

• French

• not French

Multiple Choice

Do you think the following word is French:

"door"

• French

• not French

Multiple Choice

Do you think the following word is French:

"restaurant"

• French

• not French

FRENCH FOOD AND DINING WORDS THAT ARE THE SAME IN 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

Open Ended

Make a sentence with one of the word we just saw.

French food and dining words that are the same in English

• alcool (This word was originally borrowed into French from Arabic, by way of Latin)

• chef (This means boss in French and not only “cook”.)

• cornichon

• gateau

• courgette

• aubergine

French fashion and appearance words that are the same or similar in English

• prêt-à-porter

• chic

• couture

• silhouette

• petite

• faux (usually used to describe synthetic fur (faux fur), as opposed to fur from an animal)

French art and culture words that are the same or similar 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

Other common French words used in English

• bourgeois

• brunette

• blond(e)

• adieu

• au contraire

• chauffeur

• chic

• critique

• depot

• déjà vu

• (eau de) cologne

• eau de toilette

• en route

• entrepreneur

• fiancé

• genre

• laissez-faire

• joie de vivre

• toilette

• nouveau riche

• faux pas

• je ne sais quoi

• carte blanche

• voyeur

Draw

Draw the meaning of "entrepreneur"

Open Ended

Make a sentence with one of the word we just saw.

Other common French words used in English

• souvenir

• par excellence

• potpourri

• Bon voyage

• cliché

• 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

Other common French words used in English

• Assignment:

  Write 10 sentences using french words we just learned today.