The two languages share a long and complicated history. This is especially true of the words that have originated in one language and then been adopted by the other. In this post, we will be exploring the many French words borrowed from different languages and how you can use them in your everyday life. From words that describe everyday objects to words that are used in professional settings.
We will cover everything you need to know in order to use these French words in your English vocabulary. By doing this, you will not only be able to speak more fluently, but you will also be able to connect with people from other cultures more easily. So if you want to make the most of your multilingual skills, be sure to check out this post
What is a loanword?
What is a loanword?A loanword is a word that originated from a language other than English. Many French words that originated in English are just that – loanwords. For example, “boulevard” is a loanword from French and means “avenue.” Loanwords can be useful in helping to make a foreign language more understandable to English speakers, but sometimes they can also be a small piece of a nuisance.
For example, “mercantile” is a loanword from French that means “commercial.” However, many people mistakenly think it means “merchantile” which is a different word altogether. “Mercantile” actually means “of or pertaining to trade.”
Loanwords can also be tricky to remember because they often don’t follow the same rules as English words. For example, “chateau” is a loanword from French that means “palace,” but it doesn’t end in a -s like “cat.” Loanwords can also be spelled a bit differently, as in “scholar” which is a loanword from Spanish.
French words borrowed from Latin
Many of the French words that we use today originated from Latin. For example, “abandon” comes from the Latin word “abandonare,” meaning “to leave behind.” “Applaud” comes from the Latin word “applaudere,” meaning “to clap one’s hands.” “Bouquet” comes from the Latin word “bouquetare,” meaning “to throw flowers.” “Coupon” comes from the Latin word “couponare,” meaning “to cut a coupon.” “Decadence” comes from the Latin word “decadere,” meaning “to decline.”
“Degradation” comes from the Latin word “degradare,” meaning “to degrade.” “Entrepreneur” comes from the Latin word “entrepreneur,” meaning “a person who undertakes an enterprise.”
“Expectation” comes from the Latin word “expectare,” meaning “to expect.” “Facade” comes from the Latin word “facadare,” meaning “to build or cover a wall with a facade.” “Golf” comes from the Latin word “golfare,” meaning “to play golf.” “Impossible” comes from the Latin word “impossible,” meaning “not possible.” “Innovation” comes from the Latin word “innovare,” meaning “to introduce something new.”
“Luxury” comes from the Latin word “luxuriae,” meaning “the quality of being luxurious.” “Obscene” comes from the Latin word “obscene,” meaning “indecent.” “Perfume” comes from the Latin word “perfumare,” meaning “to perfume.” “Photography” comes from the Latin word “photographare,” meaning “to take pictures.” “Priceless” comes from the Latin word “priceless,” meaning “unparalleled in worth.” “Promise” comes from the Latin word “promittere,” meaning “to promise.”
“Reflection” comes from the Latin word “reflexionis,” meaning “a turning back or looking back.” “Sale” comes from the Latin word “salarii,” meaning “the price of something sold.” “Secret” comes from the Latin word “secretum,” meaning “a matter kept secret.” “Sight” comes from the Latin word “suscire,” meaning “to call to one’s sight.” “Small” comes from the Latin
French words borrowed from Greek
There are a few French words that originated from the ancient Greek language. These words have had a big impact on the English language, and they still do to this day.
For example, the word ‘admire’ comes from the ancient Greek word ‘admirō,’ which means ‘to look at with admiration.’
Another example is ‘antidisestablishmentarianism.’ This word comes from the ancient Greek word ‘antidisestablishmentarianismos,’ which means ‘opposition to the establishment.’
Some other French words that originated from the ancient Greek language include ‘apology’ (from the ancient Greek word ‘apologō,’ which means ‘to make an excuse’), ‘anecdote’ (from the ancient Greek word ‘anekdotos,’ which means ‘an account of something’), and ‘coup d’état’ (from the ancient Greek word ‘kupros,’ which means ‘blow’).
French words borrowed from Arabic
Many French words originated in English, thanks to the many centuries of trade between the two countries. Here are four of the most popular:
1. Café – from Arabic qahwa, meaning “coffee.”
2. Baguette – from Arabic bajila, meaning “bread.”
3. Camembert – from Arabic qameem, meaning “cottage cheese.”
4. Croissant – from Arabic karwah, meaning “croissant.”
French words borrowed from German
When English and French first started to merge, many words were borrowed from the German language. This is because the two languages share a lot of common roots. Some of these words include:
-Bread
-Chocolate
-Coffee
-Kiss
These words have become so integrated into the English language that many English speakers don’t even realize they originated from the German language. However, knowing a few French words that originated from English can help you sound more educated and cultured when speaking the language.
French words borrowed from Italian
Many words that originated in English have a French origin. Here are six of the most popular:
-Chocolate (from the Spanish cacao)
-Jeans (from the French jean)
-Laptop (from the Italian laptop)
-Pizza (from the Italian pizza)
-Cafeteria (from the Spanish cafeteria)
-Cupcake (from the French cupcake)
French words borrowed from Spanish
When the French and Spanish empires were at their height, there was a lot of trade and contact between the two countries. As a result, many French words were borrowed from the Spanish language. Here are a few of the most familiar ones.
Auberge: A hotel or restaurant
Billet: Ticket
Bon: Good
Chasseur: Hunter
Chemin: Road
Château: Castle
Comte: Duke
Continental: Continental
French words borrowed from Celtic languages
Many French words that originated in English can be traced back to Celtic languages. For example, café (from the Celtic word caff meaning “a place where one can drink”) and chocolat (from the Celtic word cholegat meaning “a drink made of chocolate”).
Other examples include baguette (from the Celtic word baguette meaning “a slice of bread”), cheval (from the Celtic word ceval meaning “a horse”), and abbé (from the Celtic word abbat meaning “abbot”).
French words borrowed from Slavic languages
Many French words have Slavic roots and, in turn, English words have been borrowed into French. For example, in English, we have Slavic words such as slovenliness, sloth, and sluggish. French also borrowed these words, along with others, and they have become part of the French language.
The following is a list of some French words that originated from Slavic languages. If you want to learn more about the origins of these words, be sure to check out a French dictionary.
Sluggish: from the Slavic word slovo, meaning ‘word’ or ‘language’
Slavenliness: from the Slavic word slava, meaning ‘glory’ or ‘honor’
Slovenliness: from the Slavic word slovo, meaning ‘word’ or ‘language’
Slovenian: from the Slavic word Sloven, meaning ‘a Slovene’
Slovak: from the Slavic word Slovak, meaning ‘a Slovak’
Sloboda: from the Slavic word sloboda, meaning ‘freedom’
Conclusion
In this post, we’ve covered a few words that borrowed from different languages but were originally from French. These words include cuisine, boulangerie, and couture. Depending on the context, these words can be used in both English and French. For example, you can say “I’m going to the boulangerie to get a loaf of bread” or “I’m going to the couture boutique to buy a dress.” Both sentences would be correct and not confusing to a listener.
In addition to words that originated in English, there are also words that originated in French that are used in English but are not always translated correctly. For example, café is a French word that is used in English to refer to both coffee shops and bars. However, in French, café means “coffee pot” and is not used to refer to bars. When you say “I’m going to the café for coffee,” you’re using the correct translation of the French word.
Hopefully, this post has provided you with a few more French words that you can use in your everyday conversations. If you’re ever unsure of how to say a word in French, Google it and you should be able to find a translation. Just be sure to use the correct translation for the context in which you’re using the word.
We hope you enjoyed the blog post of Languages Unlimited about the French words borrowed from different languages. These words are a great way to deepen your understanding of the French language and to build better relationships with the people you know.