Many words in the English vocabulary are of French origin, most coming from the Anglo-Norman spoken by the
upper class
Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status, usually are the wealthiest members of class society, and wield the greatest political power. According to this view, the upper class is ...
es in England for several hundred years after the
Norman Conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conq ...
, before the language settled into what became Modern English. English words of French origin, such as ''art'', ''competition'', ''force'', ''machine'', and ''table'' are pronounced according to English rules of
phonology
Phonology is the branch of linguistics that studies how languages or dialects systematically organize their sounds or, for sign languages, their constituent parts of signs. The term can also refer specifically to the sound or sign system of a ...
, rather than
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, and are commonly used by English speakers without any consciousness of their French origin.
This article, on the other hand, covers French words and phrases that have entered the English lexicon without ever losing their character as Gallicisms: they remain unmistakably "French" to an English speaker. They are most common in written English, where they retain French
diacritic
A diacritic (also diacritical mark, diacritical point, diacritical sign, or accent) is a glyph added to a letter or to a basic glyph. The term derives from the Ancient Greek (, "distinguishing"), from (, "to distinguish"). The word ''diacriti ...
s and are usually printed in italics. In spoken English, at least some attempt is generally made to pronounce them as they would sound in French; an entirely English pronunciation is regarded as a
solecism
A solecism is a phrase that transgresses the rules of grammar. The term is often used in the context of linguistic prescription; it also occurs descriptively in the context of a lack of idiomaticness.
Etymology
The word originally was used by ...
.
Some of them were never "good French", in the sense of being grammatical, idiomatic French usage. Some others were once normal French but have become very old-fashioned, or have acquired different meanings and connotations in the original language, to the extent that they would not be understood (either at all, or in the intended sense) by a native French speaker.
ellipsis
The ellipsis (, also known informally as dot dot dot) is a series of dots that indicates an intentional omission of a word, sentence, or whole section from a text without altering its original meaning. The plural is ellipses. The term origin ...
of) ''Ă la maniĂšre de''; in the manner of/in the style of
;
Ă la carte
In restaurants, ''Ă la carte'' (; )) is the practice of ordering individual dishes from a menu in a restaurant, as opposed to '' table d'hĂŽte'', where a set menu is offered. It is an early 19th century loan from French meaning "according ...
: lit. "on the card, i.e. menu"; In restaurants it refers to ordering individual dishes "Ă la carte" rather than a fixed-price meal "menu". In America "Ă la Carte Menu" can be found, an
oxymoron
An oxymoron (usual plural oxymorons, more rarely oxymora) is a figure of speech that juxtaposes concepts with opposing meanings within a word or phrase that creates an ostensible self-contradiction. An oxymoron can be used as a rhetorical dev ...
and a
pleonasm
Pleonasm (; , ) is redundancy in linguistic expression, such as "black darkness" or "burning fire". It is a manifestation of tautology by traditional rhetorical criteria and might be considered a fault of style. Pleonasm may also be used for em ...
.
; Ă propos: regarding/concerning (the correct French syntax is ''Ă propos de'')
; aide-de-camp: lit. "camp helper"; A military officer who serves as an adjutant to a higher-ranking officer, prince or other high political dignitary.
;
: lit. "memory aid"; an object or memorandum to assist in remembrance, or a diplomatic paper proposing the major points of discussion
;
amour propre
''Amour-propre'' (; ) is a French term that can be variously translated as "self-love", "self-esteem", or "vanity". In philosophy, it is a term used by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who contrasts it with another kind of self-love which he calls '' amou ...
: "Self-love", Self-respect.
;
amuse-bouche
An ''amuse-bouche'' (; ) or ''amuse-gueule'' (, ; ) is a single, bite-sized'' hors d'Ćuvre''. Amuse-bouches are different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons but are served free and according to the chef's select ...
or amuse-gueule: lit. "mouth-amuser"; a single, bite-sized
hors d'Ćuvre
An hors d'oeuvre ( ; french: hors-d'Ćuvre ), appetiser or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the m ...
. In France, the exact expression used is ''amuse-gueule'', ''gueule'' being slang for mouth (''gueule'' is the mouth of a carnivorous animal; when used to describe the mouth of a human, it is vulgarakin to "gob" although the expression in itself is not vulgar). The expression refers to a small mouthful of food, served at the discretion of the chef before a meal as an hors d'oeuvre or between main courses.
;
: a sociopolitical or other system that no longer exists, an allusion to pre-revolutionary France (used with capital letters in French with this meaning:
* Glossary of ballet, which is predominantly French
* Glossary of fencing, which are often in French
* Franglais
* French language
* Law French
* List of English words of French origin, English words of French origin
* List of pseudo-French words adapted to English, Pseudo-Gallicisms
* List of German expressions in English, German expressions in English
* List of Greek phrases, Greek phrases
* List of Latin phrases, Latin phrases
* List of Latin words with English derivatives, Latin words with English derivatives
* List of French loanwords in Persian, French loanwords in Persian
References
Further reading
* Francoise Blanchard, Jeremy Leven. ''Say Chic: A Collection of French Words We Can't Live Without''. Simon and Schuster. 2007. 144 pages
* Winokur, J., ''Je Ne Sais What?: A Guide to'' de rigueur ''Frenglish for Readers, Writers, and Speakers''
External links
''Communications Instructions, Distress and Rescue Procedures'' (pdf) Combined Communications Electronics Board, Combined Communications-Electronics Board
''Online Etymology Dictionary'' , Harper, D.
*
(John Aldrich, University of Southampton) See Section on Contribution of French.
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of French Words And Phrases Used By English Speakers
Lists of phrases, French
French words and phrases,
Lists of English words of French origin,