Languages › French Terms of Enrichment: How French Has Influenced English Their Intertwined History, and Shared Words and Expressions Share Flipboard Email Print Chesnot/Getty Images French Vocabulary Pronunciation & Conversation Grammar Resources For Teachers By ThoughtCo Team Updated on November 04, 2019 The English language has been shaped by a number of other languages over the centuries, and many English speakers know that Latin and Germanic languages were two of the most important. What many people don't realize is how much the French language has influenced English. History Without going into too much detail, here is a little background about other languages that have also shaped English. The language grew out of the dialects of three German tribes (Angles, Jutes, and Saxons) who settled in Britain around 450 A.D. This group of dialects forms what we refer to as Anglo-Saxon, which gradually developed into Old English. The Germanic base was influenced in varying degrees by Celtic, Latin, and Old Norse. Bill Bryson, a noted American linguist of the English language, calls the Norman conquest of 1066 the "final cataclysm [that] awaited the English language." When William the Conqueror became king of England, French took over as the language of the courts, administration, and literature—and stayed there for 300 years. Anglo-Norman Some say this eclipse of the English vernacular was "probably the most regrettable effect of the conquest. Superseded in official documents and other records by Latin and then increasingly in all areas by Anglo-Norman, written English hardly reappeared until the 13th century," according to britannica.com. English was demoted to humble everyday uses, and it became the language of peasants and the uneducated. 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 evolved independently, becoming a simpler language grammatically. After 80 years or so of coexisting with French, Old English segued into Middle English, which was the vernacular spoken and written in England from about 1100 to about 1500. This is when Early Modern English, the language of Shakespeare, emerged. This evolutionary version of English is nearly identical to the English we know today. Vocabulary During the Norman occupation, about 10,000 French words were incorporated into English, about 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. About one-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. There are more than 1,700 true cognates, words that are identical in the two languages. 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). 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 sequence used in English. French Words and Expressions in the English Language These are some of the thousands of French words and expressions the English language has adopted. Some of them have been so completely absorbed into English the etymology is not evident. Other words and expressions have retained their written "Frenchness," a certain je ne sais quoi that does not extend to pronunciation, which has assumed English inflections. The following is a list of words and expressions of French origin that are commonly used in English. Each term is followed by the literal English translation in quotation marks and an explanation. adieu "until God" Used like "farewell": When you don't expect to see the person again until God (meaning 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 paper2. Something that acts as an aid to memory, such as crib notes or mnemonic devices à la française "in the French manner"Describes anything done the French way allée "alley, avenue"A path or walkway lined with trees amour-propre "self love"Self-respect 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 (note that in English, we've done away with the accent and the space): Adjective: appropriate, to the point. "That's true, but it's not apropos." Adverb: at an appropriate time, opportunely. "Fortunately, he arrived apropos." Adverb/Interjection: by the way, incidentally. "Apropos, what happened yesterday?" 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." 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, but it has other meanings in French. 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, naked. au pair "at par"A person who works for a family (cleaning and/or teaching the children) in exchange for room and board avoirdupois "goods of weight"Originally spelled averdepois 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 that 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 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"In English, it would be, "Have a good trip," but Bon voyage is considered more elegant. bric-a-bracThe correct French spelling is bric-à-brac. Note that bric and brac don't actually mean anything in French; they are onomatopoetic. 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. 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 cherchez la femme "look for the woman"Same problem as always 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 comme il faut "as it must"The proper way, as it should be cordon sanitaire "sanitary line"Quarantine, buffer zone for political or medical reasons. coup de foudre "bolt of lightning"Love at first sight coup de grâce "mercy blow"Deathblow, final blow, decisive stroke coup de main "stroke of hand"Somehow the English meaning (surprise attack) got completely separated from the French meaning, which is assistance, helping hand. coup de maître "master stroke"A stroke of genius coup de théâtre "stroke of the theater"Sudden, unexpected turn of events in a play coup d'etat "state blow"Overthrow of the government. Note that the last word is capitalized and accented in French: coup d'État. coup d'œil "stroke of the eye"A glance cri de cœur "cry of heart"The correct way to say "heartfelt cry" in French is cri du cœur (literally, "cry of the heart") crime passionnel "passionate crime"Crime of passion critique "critical, judgment"Critique is an adjective and noun in French, but a noun and verb in English; it refers to a critical review of something or the act of performing such a review. cul-de-sac "bottom (butt) of the bag"Dead-end street debutante "beginner"In French, débutante is the feminine form of débutant, beginner (noun) or beginning (adj). In both languages, it also refers to a young girl making her formal début into society. Interestingly, this usage is not original in French; it was adopted back from English. déjà vu "already seen"This is a grammatical structure in French, as in Je l'ai déjà vu > I've already seen it. In English, déjà vu refers to the phenomenon of feeling like you've already seen or done something when you're sure that you haven't. demimonde "half world"In French, it's hyphenated: demi-monde. In English, there are two meanings:1. A marginal or disrespectful group2. Prostitutes and/or kept women de rigueur "of rigueur"Socially or culturally obligatory de trop "of too much"Excessive, superfluous Dieu et mon droit "God and my right"Motto of the British monarch divorcé, divorcée "divorced man, divorced woman"In English, the feminine, divorcée, is far more common, and is often written without the accent: divorcee double entendre "double hearing"A word play or pun. For example, you're looking at a field of sheep and you say "How are you (ewe)?" droit du seigneur "right of the lord of the manor"The feudal lord's right to deflower his vassal's bride du jour "of the day""Soup du jour" is nothing more than an elegant-sounding version of "soup of the day." embarras de richesse, richesses "embarrassement of wealth/richness"Such an overwhelming amount of good fortune that it's embarrassing or confusing emigré "expatriate, migrant"In English, this tends to indicate exile for political reasons en banc "on the bench"Legal term: indicates that the entire membership of a court is in session. en bloc "in a block"In a group, all together encore "again"A simple adverb in French, "encore" in English refers to an additional performance, usually requested with audience applause. enfant terrible "terrible child"Refers to a troublesome or embarrassing person within a group (of artists, thinkers, and the like). en garde "on guard"Warning that one should be on his/her guard, ready for an attack (originally in fencing). en masse "in mass"In a group, all together en passant "in passing"in passing, by the way; (chess) the capturing of a pawn after a specific move en prise "in grasp"(chess) exposed to capture en rapport "in agreement"agreeable, harmonious en route "on route"On the way en suite "in sequence"Part of a set, together entente cordiale "cordial agreement"Friendly agreements between countries, especially those signed in 1904 between France and the UK entrez vous "come in"English speakers often say this, but it's wrong. The correct way to say "come in" in French is simply entrez. esprit de corps "group spirit"Similar to team spirit or morale esprit d'escalier "stairway wit"Thinking of an answer or comeback too late fait accompli "done deed""Fait accompli" is probably a bit more fatalistic than merely "done deed." faux pas "false step, trip"Something that should not be done, a foolish mistake. femme fatale "deadly woman"An alluring, mysterious woman who seduces men into compromising situations fiancé, fiancée "engaged person, betrothed"Note that fiancé refers to a man and fiancée to a woman. fin de siècle "end of the century"Refers to the end of the 19th century folie à deux "craziness for two"Mental disorder that occurs simultaneously in two people with a close relationship or association. force majeure "great force"An unexpected or uncontrollable event, like a tornado or war, that prevents a contract from being fulfilled. gamine "playful, little girl"Refers to an impish or playful girl/woman. garçon "boy"Once upon a time, it was acceptable to call a French waiter garçon, but those days are long gone. gauche "left, awkward"Tactless, lacking social grace genre "type"Used mostly in art and film. as in, "I really like this genre." giclée "squirt, spray"In French, giclée is a general term for a small amount of liquid; in English, it refers to a particular type of inkjet print using a fine spray, and the accent is usually dropped: giclee grand mal "great illness"Severe epilepsy. Also see petit mal haute cuisine "high cuisine"High-class, fancy and expensive cooking or food honi soit qui mal y penseShame on anyone who thinks evil of it hors de combat "out of combat"Out of action idée fixe "set idea"Fixation, obsession je ne sais quoi "I don't know what"Used to indicate a "certain something," as in "I really like Ann. She has a certain je ne sais quoi that I find very appealing." joie de vivre "joy of living"The quality in people who live life to the fullest laissez-faire "let it be"A policy of non-interference. Note the expression in French is laisser-faire. ma foi "my faith"Indeed maître d', maître d'hôtel "master of, master of hotel"The former is more common in English, which is strange since it is incomplete. Literally, it is: "The 'master of' will show you to your table." mal de mer "sickness of sea"Seasickness mardi gras "fat Tuesday"Celebration before Lent ménage à trois "household of three"Three people in a relationship together; a threesome mise en abyme "putting into (an) abyss"An image repeated within its own image, as with two facing mirrors. mot juste "right word"Exactly the right word or expression. née "born"Used in genealogy to refer to a woman's maiden name: Anne Miller née (or nee) Smith. noblesse oblige "obligated nobility"The idea that those who are noble are obliged to act noble. nom de guerre "war name"Pseudonym nom de plume "pen name"This French phrase was coined by English speakers in imitation of nom de guerre. nouveau riche "new rich"Disparaging term for someone who has recently come into money. oh là là "oh dear"Usually misspelled and mispronounced "ooh la la" in English. oh ma foi "oh my faith"Indeed, certainly, I agree par excellence "by excellence"Quintessential, preeminent, the best of the best pas de deux "step of two"Dance with two people passe-partout "pass everywhere"1. Master key2. (Art) mat, paper, or tape used to frame a picture petit "small"(law) lesser, minor petit mal "small illness"Relatively mild epilepsy. Also see grand mal petit point "little stitch"Small stitch used in needlepoint. pièce de résistance "piece of stamina"In French, this originally referred to the main course, or the test of your stomach's stamina. In both languages, it now refers to an outstanding accomplishment or the final part of something, as a project, a meal, or the like. pied-à-terre "foot on ground"A temporary or secondary place of residence. Plus ça change "More it changes"The more things change (the more they stay the same) porte cochère "coach gate"Covered gate through which cars drive and then stop temporarily to allow passengers to enter a building without getting rained upon. potpourri "rotten pot"A scented mixture of dried flowers and spices; a miscellaneous group or collection prix fixe "fixed price"Two or more courses at a set price, with or without options for each course. Though the term is French, in France, a "prix fixe menu" is simply called le menu. protégé "protected"Someone whose training is sponsored by an influential person. raison d'être "reason for being"Purpose, justification for existing rendez-vous "go to"In French, this refers to a date or an appointment (literally, it is the verb se rendre [to go] in the imperative); in English we can use it as a noun or a verb (let's rendez-vous at 8 p.m.). repartee "quick, accurate response"The French repartie gives us the English "repartee," with the same meaning of a swift, witty, and "right on" retort. risqué "risked"Suggestive, overly provocative roche moutonnée "rolled rock"Mound of bedrock smoothed and rounded by erosion. Mouton by itself means "sheep." rouge "red"The English refers to a reddish cosmetic or metal/glass-polishing powder and can be a noun or a verb. RSVP "respond please"This abbreviation stands for Répondez, s'il vous plaît, which means that "Please RSVP" is redundant. sang-froid "cold blood"The ability to maintain one's composure. sans "without"Used mainly in academia, although it's also seen in the font style "sans serif," which means "without decorative flourishes." savoir-faire "knowing how to do"Synonymous with tact or social grace. soi-disant "self saying"What one claims about oneself; so-called, alleged soirée "evening"In English, refers to an elegant party. soupçon "suspicion"Used figuratively like hint: There's just a soupçon of garlic in the soup. souvenir "memory, keepsake"A memento succès d'estime "success of estime"Important but unpopular success or achievement succès fou "crazy success"Wild success tableau vivant "living picture"A scene composed of silent, motionless actors table d'hôte "host table"1. A table for all guests to sit together2. A fixed-price meal with multiple courses tête-à-tête "head to head"A private talk or visit with another person touché "touched"Originally used in fencing, now equivalent to "you got me." tour de force "turn of strength"Something that takes a great deal of strength or skill to accomplish. tout de suite "right away"Due to the silent e in de, this is often misspelled "toot sweet" in English. vieux jeu "old game"Old-fashioned vis-à-vis (de) "face to face"In English vis-à-vis or vis-a-vis means "compared to" or "in relation with": vis-a-vis this decision means vis-à-vis de cette décision. Note than in French, it must be followed by the preposition de. Vive la France ! "(Long) live France" Essentially the French equivalent of saying "God bless America." Voilà ! "There it is!"Take care to spell this correctly. It is not "voilá" or "violà." Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir ? "Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"An unusual phrase in that English speakers use it far more than French speakers. French Words and Phrases Related to the Arts French English (literal) Explanation art déco decorative art Short for art décoratif. A movement in art of the 1920s and 1930s characterized by bold outlines and geometric and zigzag forms. art nouveau new art A movement in art, characterized by flowers, leaves, and flowing lines. aux trois crayons with three crayons Drawing technique using three colors of chalk. avant-garde before guard Innovative, especially in the arts, in the sense of before everyone else. 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 the early 20th century. chef d'œuvre chief work Masterpiece. cinéma vérité cinema truth Unbiased, realistic documentary filmmaking. film noir black movie Black is a literal reference to the stark black-and-white cinematography style, though films noirs tend to be dark figuratively as well. fleur-de-lis, fleur-de-lys flower of lily A type of iris or an emblem in the shape of an iris with three petals. matinée morning In English, indicates the day's first showing of a movie or play. Can also refer to a midday romp with one's lover. objet d'art art object Note that the French word objet does not have a c. It is never "object d'art." papier mâché mashed paper Novel with real people appearing as fictional characters. roman à clés novel with keys A long, multivolume novel that presents the history of several generations of a family or community. In both French and English, saga tends to be used more. roman-fleuve novel river A long, multivolume novel that presents the history of several generations of a family or community. In both French and English, saga tends to be used more. trompe l'œil trick the eye A painting style that uses perspective to trick the eye into thinking it is real. In French, trompe l'œil can also refer in general to artifice and trickery. French Ballet Terms Used in English French has also given English scores of words in the domain of ballet. The literal meanings of the adopted French words are below. French English barre bar chaîné chained chassé chased développé developed effacé shaded pas de deux two step pirouette chained plié bent relevé lifted Food and Cooking Terms In addition to the below, French has given us the following food-related terms: blanch (to lighten in color, parboil; from blanchir), sauté (fried over high heat), fondue (melted), purée (crushed), flambée (burned). French English (literal) Explanation à la carte on the menu French restaurants usually offer a menu with choices for each of the several courses at a fixed price. If you want something else (a side order), you order from the carte. Note that menu is a false cognate in French and English. 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." à la minute to the minute This term is used in restaurant kitchens for dishes that are cooked to order, rather than made ahead of time. apéritif cocktail From Latin, "to open". au jus in the juice Served with the meat's natural juices. bon appétit good appetite The closest English equivalent is "Enjoy your meal." café au lait coffee with milk Same thing as the Spanish term café con leche cordon bleu blue ribbon Master chef crème brûlée burnt cream Baked custard with carmelized crust crème caramel caramel cream Custard lined with caramel like a flan crème de cacao cream of cacao Chocolate-flavored liqueur crème de la crème cream of the cream Synonymous with the English expression "cream of the crop" - refers to the best of the best. crème de menthe cream of mint Mint-flavored liqueur crème fraîche fresh cream This is a funny term. Despite its meaning, crème fraîche is in fact slightly fermented, thickened cream. cuisine kitchen, food style In English, cuisine refers only to a particular type of food/cooking, such as French cuisine, Southern cuisine, etc. demitasse half cup In French, it's hyphenated: demi-tasse. Refers to a small cup of espresso or other strong coffee. dégustation tasting The French word simply refers to the act of tasting, while in English "degustation" is used for a tasting event or party, as in wine or cheese tasting. en brochette on (a) skewer Also known by the Turkish name: shish kebab fleur de sel flower of salt Very fine and expensive salt. foie gras fat liver The liver of a force-fed goose, considered a delicacy. hors d'œuvre outside of work An appetizer. Œuvre here refers to the main work (course), so hors d'œuvre simply means something besides the main course. nouvelle cuisine new cuisine Cooking style developed in the 1960's and 70's that emphasized lightness and freshness. petit four little oven Small dessert, especially cake. vol-au-vent flight of the wind In both French and English, a vol-au-vent is a very light pastry shell filled with meat or fish with sauce. Fashion and Style French English (literal) Explanation à la mode in fashion, style In English, this means "with ice cream," an apparent reference to a time when ice cream on pie was the fashionable way to eat it. BCBG good style, good sort Preppy or posh, short for bon chic, bon genre. chic stylish Chic sounds more chic than "stylish." crêpe de Chine Chinese crepe Type of silk. décolletage, décolleté low neckline, lowered neckline The first is a noun, the second an adjective, but both refer to low necklines on women's clothing. démodé out of fashion Same meaning in both languages: outmoded, out of fashion. dernier cri last cry The newest fashion or trend. eau de cologne water from Cologne This is often cut down to simply "cologne" in English. Cologne is the French and English name for the German city Köln. eau de toilette toilet water Toilet here does not refer to a commode. See "toilette" in this list. Eau de toilette is a very weak perfume. faux false, fake As in faux jewels. haute couture high sewing High-class, fancy and expensive clothing. passé past Old-fashioned, out-of-date, past its prime. peau de soie skin of silk Soft, silky fabric with a dull finish. petite small, short It may sound chic, but petite is simply the feminine French adjective meaning "short" or "small." pince-nez pinch-nose Eyeglasses clipped to the nose prêt-à-porter ready to wear Originally referred to clothing, now sometimes used for food. savoir-vivre to know how to live Living with sophistication and an awareness of good etiquette and style soigné taken care of 1. Sophisticated, elegant, fashionable2. Well-groomed, polished, refined toilette toilet In French, this refers both to the toilet itself and anything related to toiletries; thus the expression "to do one's toilette," meaning to brush hair, do makeup, etc. Test your understanding of the above with this quiz. Sources Bryson, Bill. "The Mother Tongue: English & How It Got That Way." Paperback, Reissue edition, William Morrow Paperbacks, 1990. , French is Not a "Foreign" LanguageAmerican Association of Teachers of French. Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. "The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition: Fiftieth Anniversary Printing." Indexed edition, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October 16, 2018. French Inside Out: The French Language Past and Present, by Henriette Walter Walter, H. "Honni Soit Qui Mal Y Pense." Ldp Litterature, French Edition, Distribooks Inc, May 1, 2003. Katzner, Kenneth. "The Languages of the World." Kirk Miller, 3rd Edition, Routledge, May 10, 2002. Bryson, Bill. "Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States." Paperback, Reprint edition, William Morrow Paperbacks, October 23, 2001. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Team, ThoughtCo. "Terms of Enrichment: How French Has Influenced English." ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/how-french-has-influenced-english-1371255. Team, ThoughtCo. (2021, December 6). Terms of Enrichment: How French Has Influenced English. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/how-french-has-influenced-english-1371255 Team, ThoughtCo. "Terms of Enrichment: How French Has Influenced English." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-french-has-influenced-english-1371255 (accessed March 27, 2023). copy citation By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies