who now will sing me lullabies?
Apr. 29th, 2011 01:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
myurbandreamfrom About.com, because I was wondering how to spell au contraire. F***ing French.
"How French Has Influenced English"
French Words and Expressions in English
by Lauren K. Lawless
http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/frenchinenglish_2.htm
The English language has been shaped by a number of other languages over the centuries, and many English speakers know that Latin and German were two of the most important. What many people don't realize is how much the French language has influenced English.
Without going into too much detail, I want to give a little bit of background about the other languages which shaped English. It was born out of the dialects of three German tribes (Angles, Jutes, and Saxons) who settled in Britain in about 450 A.D. This group of dialects forms what linguists refer to as Anglo-Saxon, and at some point this language developed into what we know as Old English. This Germanic base was influenced in varying degrees by Celtic, Latin, and Scandinavian (Old Norse) - the languages spoken by invading armies.
Bill Bryson calls the Norman conquest of 1066 the "final cataclysm [which] awaited the English language." (1) When William the Conqueror became king of England, French took over as the language of the court, administration, and culture - and stayed there for 300 years. Meanwhile, English was "demoted" to everyday, unprestigious uses. These two languages existed side by side in England with no noticeable difficulties; in fact, since English was essentially ignored by grammarians during this time, it took advantage of its lowly status to become a grammatically simpler language and, after only 70 or 80 years existing side-by-side with French, Old English segued into Middle English.
Vocabulary
During the Norman occupation, about 10,000 French words were adopted into English, some three-fourths of which are still in use today. This French vocabulary is found in every domain, from government and law to art and literature - learn some (link - http://french.about.com/library/bl-frenchinenglish-list.htm). More than a third of all English words are derived directly or indirectly from French, and it's estimated that English speakers who have never studied French already know 15,000 French words. (2) You can see 1,700 words that are identical in the two languages right here: True cognates (link - http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/vraisamis.htm).
Pronunciation
English pronunciation owes a lot to French as well. Whereas Old English had the unvoiced fricative sounds [f], [s], [θ] (as in thin), and [∫] (shin), French influence helped to distinguish their voiced counterparts [v], [z], [ð] (the), and [ʒ] (mirage), and also contributed the diphthong [ɔy] (boy). (3) (What is voiced/unvoiced/fricative?) (link - http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/consonants_2.htm)
Grammar
Another rare but interesting remnant of French influence is in the word order of expressions like secretary general and surgeon general, where English has retained the noun + adjective word order typical in French, rather than the usual adjective + noun used in English. [also as in "court(s) martial"!]
French Vocabulary in English
Over the years, the English language has borrowed a great number of French words and expressions. Some of this vocabulary has been so completely absorbed by English that speakers might not realize its origins. Other words and expressions have retained their "Frenchness" - a certain je ne sais quoi which speakers tend to be much more aware of (although this awareness does not usually extend to actually pronouncing the word in French). The following is a list of French words and expressions which are commonly used in English. The literal English translation is provided in quotation marks and followed by an explanation. [quiz omitted]
adieu "until God"
Used like "farewell": when you don't expect to see the person again until God (when you die and go to Heaven)
agent provocateur "provocative agent"
A person who attempts to provoke suspected individuals or groups into committing unlawful acts
aide-de-camp "camp assistant"
A military officer who serves as a personal assistant to a higher-ranking officer
aide-mémoire "memory aid"
1. Position paper
2. Something that acts as an aid to memory, such as crib notes or mnemonic devices
à la carte "on the menu*"
French restaurants usually offer a menu with choices for each of the several courses at a fixed price (how to read a French menu). If you want something else (a side order), you order from the carte. *Note that menu is a false cognate in French and English.
à la mode "in fashion, style"
In English, this means "with ice cream" - apparently someone decided that having ice cream on pie was the fashionable way to eat it.
amour-propre "self love"
Self respect
apéritif "cocktail"
From Latin, "to open"
après-ski "after skiing"
The French term actually refers to snow boots, but the literal translation of the term is what is meant in English, as in "après-ski" social events.
à propos (de) "on the subject of"
In French, à propos must be followed by the preposition de. In English, there are four ways to use apropos (we leave out the accent and the space):
1. Adjective - appropriate, to the point: "That's true, but it's not apropos."
2. Adverb - at an appropriate time, opportunely: "Fortunately, he arrived apropos."
3. Adverb/Interjection - by the way, incidentally: "Apropos, what happened yesterday?"
4. Preposition (may or may not be followed by of) - with regard to, speaking of: "Apropos our meeting, I'll be late"; "He told a funny story apropos of the new president."
art déco "decorative art"
Short for art décoratif
art nouveau "new art"
Characterized by flowers, leaves, and flowing lines
attaché "attached"
A person assigned to a diplomatic post
au contraire "on the contrary"
Usually used playfully in English.
au fait "conversant, informed"
Au fait is used in British English to mean "familiar" or "conversant": She's not really au fait with my ideas.
au gratin "with gratings"
In French, au gratin refers to anything that is grated and put on top of a dish, like breadcrumbs or cheese. In English, au gratin means "with cheese."
au jus "in the juice"
Served with the meat's natural juices.
au naturel "in reality, unseasoned"
In this case naturel is a semi-false cognate. In French, au naturel can mean either "in reality" or the literal meaning of "unseasoned" (in cooking). In English, we picked up the latter, less common usage and use it figuratively, to mean natural, untouched, pure, real.
au pair "at par"
A person who works for a family (cleaning and/or teaching the children) in exchange for room and board
aux trois crayons "with three crayons"
Drawing technique using three colors of chalk
avant-garde "before guard"
Innovative, especially in the arts
avoirdupois "goods of weight"
Originally spelled averdepois
bas-relief "low relief/design"
Sculpture that is only slightly more prominent than its background.
belle époque "beautiful era"
The golden age of art and culture in France in the early 20th century
bête noire "black beast"
Similar to a pet peeve: something that is particularly distasteful or difficult and to be avoided.
billet-doux "sweet note"
Love letter
blond, blonde "fair-haired"
This is the only adjective in English which agrees in gender with the person it modifies: blond is for a man and blonde for a woman. Note that these can also be nouns.
bon appétit "good appetite"
The closest English equivalent is "Enjoy your meal."
bon mot, bons mots "good word(s)"
Clever remark, witticism
bon ton "good tone"
Sophistication, etiquette, high society
bon vivant "good 'liver'"
Someone who lives well, who knows how to enjoy life.
bon voyage "good trip"
English has "Have a good trip," but Bon voyage is more elegant.
bric-a-brac
The correct French spelling is bric-à-brac. Note that bric and brac don't actually mean anything in French; they are onomatopoeic.
brunette "small, dark-haired female"
The French word brun, dark-haired, is what English really means by "brunette." The suffix -ette indicates that the subject is small and female.
café au lait "coffee with milk"
Same thing as the Spanish term café con leche
carte blanche "blank card"
Free hand, ability to do whatever you want/need
cause célèbre "famous cause"
A famous, controversial issue, trial, or case
cerise "cherry"
The French word for the fruit gives us the English word for the color.
c'est la vie "that's life"
Same meaning and usage in both languages
chacun à son goût "each one to his own taste"
This is the slightly twisted English version of the French expression à chacun son goût.
chaise longue "long chair"
In English, this is often mistakenly written as "chaise lounge" - which actually makes perfect sense.
chargé d'affaires "charged with business"
A substitute or replacement diplomat
chef d'œuvre "chief work"
Masterpiece
cheval-de-frise "Frisian horse"
Barbed wire, spikes, or broken glass attached to wood or masonry and used to block access
cheval glace "horse mirror"
A long mirror set into a moveable frame
[....and three more pages like that.]
~
Sources and Further Reading
(1) The Mother Tongue: English & How It Got That Way, by Bill Bryson
(2) French is Not a "Foreign" Language!, American Association of Teachers of French.
(3) The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, ed. Houghton Mifflin Company
French Inside Out: The French Language Past and Present, by Henriette Walter
Honni soit qui mal y pense : L'incroyable histoire d'amour entre le français et l'anglais, by Henriette Walter
The Languages of the World, by Kenneth Katzner
Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States, by Bill Bryson
"How French Has Influenced English"
French Words and Expressions in English
by Lauren K. Lawless
http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/frenchinenglish_2.htm
The English language has been shaped by a number of other languages over the centuries, and many English speakers know that Latin and German were two of the most important. What many people don't realize is how much the French language has influenced English.
Without going into too much detail, I want to give a little bit of background about the other languages which shaped English. It was born out of the dialects of three German tribes (Angles, Jutes, and Saxons) who settled in Britain in about 450 A.D. This group of dialects forms what linguists refer to as Anglo-Saxon, and at some point this language developed into what we know as Old English. This Germanic base was influenced in varying degrees by Celtic, Latin, and Scandinavian (Old Norse) - the languages spoken by invading armies.
Bill Bryson calls the Norman conquest of 1066 the "final cataclysm [which] awaited the English language." (1) When William the Conqueror became king of England, French took over as the language of the court, administration, and culture - and stayed there for 300 years. Meanwhile, English was "demoted" to everyday, unprestigious uses. These two languages existed side by side in England with no noticeable difficulties; in fact, since English was essentially ignored by grammarians during this time, it took advantage of its lowly status to become a grammatically simpler language and, after only 70 or 80 years existing side-by-side with French, Old English segued into Middle English.
Vocabulary
During the Norman occupation, about 10,000 French words were adopted into English, some three-fourths of which are still in use today. This French vocabulary is found in every domain, from government and law to art and literature - learn some (link - http://french.about.com/library/bl-frenchinenglish-list.htm). More than a third of all English words are derived directly or indirectly from French, and it's estimated that English speakers who have never studied French already know 15,000 French words. (2) You can see 1,700 words that are identical in the two languages right here: True cognates (link - http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/vraisamis.htm).
Pronunciation
English pronunciation owes a lot to French as well. Whereas Old English had the unvoiced fricative sounds [f], [s], [θ] (as in thin), and [∫] (shin), French influence helped to distinguish their voiced counterparts [v], [z], [ð] (the), and [ʒ] (mirage), and also contributed the diphthong [ɔy] (boy). (3) (What is voiced/unvoiced/fricative?) (link - http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/consonants_2.htm)
Grammar
Another rare but interesting remnant of French influence is in the word order of expressions like secretary general and surgeon general, where English has retained the noun + adjective word order typical in French, rather than the usual adjective + noun used in English. [also as in "court(s) martial"!]
French Vocabulary in English
Over the years, the English language has borrowed a great number of French words and expressions. Some of this vocabulary has been so completely absorbed by English that speakers might not realize its origins. Other words and expressions have retained their "Frenchness" - a certain je ne sais quoi which speakers tend to be much more aware of (although this awareness does not usually extend to actually pronouncing the word in French). The following is a list of French words and expressions which are commonly used in English. The literal English translation is provided in quotation marks and followed by an explanation. [quiz omitted]
adieu "until God"
Used like "farewell": when you don't expect to see the person again until God (when you die and go to Heaven)
agent provocateur "provocative agent"
A person who attempts to provoke suspected individuals or groups into committing unlawful acts
aide-de-camp "camp assistant"
A military officer who serves as a personal assistant to a higher-ranking officer
aide-mémoire "memory aid"
1. Position paper
2. Something that acts as an aid to memory, such as crib notes or mnemonic devices
à la carte "on the menu*"
French restaurants usually offer a menu with choices for each of the several courses at a fixed price (how to read a French menu). If you want something else (a side order), you order from the carte. *Note that menu is a false cognate in French and English.
à la mode "in fashion, style"
In English, this means "with ice cream" - apparently someone decided that having ice cream on pie was the fashionable way to eat it.
amour-propre "self love"
Self respect
apéritif "cocktail"
From Latin, "to open"
après-ski "after skiing"
The French term actually refers to snow boots, but the literal translation of the term is what is meant in English, as in "après-ski" social events.
à propos (de) "on the subject of"
In French, à propos must be followed by the preposition de. In English, there are four ways to use apropos (we leave out the accent and the space):
1. Adjective - appropriate, to the point: "That's true, but it's not apropos."
2. Adverb - at an appropriate time, opportunely: "Fortunately, he arrived apropos."
3. Adverb/Interjection - by the way, incidentally: "Apropos, what happened yesterday?"
4. Preposition (may or may not be followed by of) - with regard to, speaking of: "Apropos our meeting, I'll be late"; "He told a funny story apropos of the new president."
art déco "decorative art"
Short for art décoratif
art nouveau "new art"
Characterized by flowers, leaves, and flowing lines
attaché "attached"
A person assigned to a diplomatic post
au contraire "on the contrary"
Usually used playfully in English.
au fait "conversant, informed"
Au fait is used in British English to mean "familiar" or "conversant": She's not really au fait with my ideas.
au gratin "with gratings"
In French, au gratin refers to anything that is grated and put on top of a dish, like breadcrumbs or cheese. In English, au gratin means "with cheese."
au jus "in the juice"
Served with the meat's natural juices.
au naturel "in reality, unseasoned"
In this case naturel is a semi-false cognate. In French, au naturel can mean either "in reality" or the literal meaning of "unseasoned" (in cooking). In English, we picked up the latter, less common usage and use it figuratively, to mean natural, untouched, pure, real.
au pair "at par"
A person who works for a family (cleaning and/or teaching the children) in exchange for room and board
aux trois crayons "with three crayons"
Drawing technique using three colors of chalk
avant-garde "before guard"
Innovative, especially in the arts
avoirdupois "goods of weight"
Originally spelled averdepois
bas-relief "low relief/design"
Sculpture that is only slightly more prominent than its background.
belle époque "beautiful era"
The golden age of art and culture in France in the early 20th century
bête noire "black beast"
Similar to a pet peeve: something that is particularly distasteful or difficult and to be avoided.
billet-doux "sweet note"
Love letter
blond, blonde "fair-haired"
This is the only adjective in English which agrees in gender with the person it modifies: blond is for a man and blonde for a woman. Note that these can also be nouns.
bon appétit "good appetite"
The closest English equivalent is "Enjoy your meal."
bon mot, bons mots "good word(s)"
Clever remark, witticism
bon ton "good tone"
Sophistication, etiquette, high society
bon vivant "good 'liver'"
Someone who lives well, who knows how to enjoy life.
bon voyage "good trip"
English has "Have a good trip," but Bon voyage is more elegant.
bric-a-brac
The correct French spelling is bric-à-brac. Note that bric and brac don't actually mean anything in French; they are onomatopoeic.
brunette "small, dark-haired female"
The French word brun, dark-haired, is what English really means by "brunette." The suffix -ette indicates that the subject is small and female.
café au lait "coffee with milk"
Same thing as the Spanish term café con leche
carte blanche "blank card"
Free hand, ability to do whatever you want/need
cause célèbre "famous cause"
A famous, controversial issue, trial, or case
cerise "cherry"
The French word for the fruit gives us the English word for the color.
c'est la vie "that's life"
Same meaning and usage in both languages
chacun à son goût "each one to his own taste"
This is the slightly twisted English version of the French expression à chacun son goût.
chaise longue "long chair"
In English, this is often mistakenly written as "chaise lounge" - which actually makes perfect sense.
chargé d'affaires "charged with business"
A substitute or replacement diplomat
chef d'œuvre "chief work"
Masterpiece
cheval-de-frise "Frisian horse"
Barbed wire, spikes, or broken glass attached to wood or masonry and used to block access
cheval glace "horse mirror"
A long mirror set into a moveable frame
[....and three more pages like that.]
~
Sources and Further Reading
(1) The Mother Tongue: English & How It Got That Way, by Bill Bryson
(2) French is Not a "Foreign" Language!, American Association of Teachers of French.
(3) The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, ed. Houghton Mifflin Company
French Inside Out: The French Language Past and Present, by Henriette Walter
Honni soit qui mal y pense : L'incroyable histoire d'amour entre le français et l'anglais, by Henriette Walter
The Languages of the World, by Kenneth Katzner
Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States, by Bill Bryson
