Englench : English and French have more in common than you can think !

From : http://canadianspanish.com/post/16006886987/french-vs-spanish 

Hello folks,

I think languages are a gift. As you read in my post about the languages influencing English, English has been influenced and shaped by a great deal of languages, including Spanish. Thankfully, I speak several languages, some better than others. One of the languages I speak is French and, though I do not love French as much as I love English, I happen to find French an interesting language. There is a cliché stating that the English and the French don't get along too much, so I thought it would be a great idea to analyze this cliché in purely linguistic terms. Let's begin : 

From : http://www.witslanguageschool.com/Services/TranslationandInterpreting/English-FrenchTranslations.aspx

Historically, French became a dominant language in the twelfth centuries. That was due to the fact that a Norman king, William the Conqueror, became the ruler of England and brought the French language with him (although the French language had already 'invaded' the English language before). French was spoken for three centuries until the English regained its status. The French influence was so vast that it has spread to current English. French is now linked to sophistication, its use being considered formal, exquisite and even pedantic. To illustrate this example, have a look at the word in bold I used at the beginning of the post: 'cliché'. Isn't it more sophisticated than stereotype ? I really think so.

Firstly, I will show you a very appealing video stating French influence in English: 

Here you have a list of French words and expressions currently existing in the English language. 

The influence of French in the English language : 

English words	French words
Decoration	Décor
Stereotype	Cliché
Naivety	Naiveté
Place	Venue
Liquor	Liqueur
Majestic	Grand
Small (short)	Petite
Dark-haired	Brunet / brunette
Majesty	Grandeur
Underwear	Lingerie
Castle	Château
Disciple	Protégé
Candle / candelabrum (the latter from Latin)	Chandelier
Mask	Masque
Check	Cheque
Sheep	Mutton
Pig	Pork
Deer	Venison
Friendly /  nice	Pleasant / agreeable / amiable
Perfume	Cologne
Smell /aroma	Bouquet
Single	Bachelor / bachelorette

French expressions	English equivalence
Bon appétit	Have a nice meal
Enchanté	Nice to meet you
Femme fatale	Seductive woman
Enfant terrible	Incorrigible child
Savoir faire	Elegance / cultivation
Coup d’état	Revolution
Comme-ci comme ça	So-so
Chef d’oeuvre	Master piece (opera prima in Latin)
Café-au-lait	Coffee with milk / White coffee
Déjà vu	Something that you think has happened before
En garde	To be on your guard, attentive.
En route	On the way
À la	In the way of
À la mode	In fashion / fashionable
Entrée	Starter
Ménage à trois	Threesome
Lait-motif	Symbol
Vis-à-vis	Face-to-face / visit in prison
Voilà	Here it is

The influence of English in the French language
English is everywhere and it has become a lingua franca. It has clearly invaded French and many other languages. Here you have some examples:

- Football /footballeur / basket / basketball
- stopper = s'arreter 
- week-end
- OK = d'accord
- Cool = chouette 
- kidnapper / kidnappeur / kidnapage = kidnap / kidnapper / kidnapping
- Last but not least = pour en finir
 - Coach = entraîneur 
- Job = travail / boulot
- Un mail = courrier electronique / courriel
- Footing /jogging / marketing / meeting / brainstorming / parking / le living(-room)

Did you like the post ? Can you add more words to my list ? Anyway, despite their differences both English and French are really interesting cultures with very curious -and quirk- languages. I hope this post has helped you to realize their similarities rather than their differences 

Image taken from : http://www.witslanguageschool.com/Services/TranslationandInterpreting/English-FrenchTranslations.aspx

P.S. My former French teacher has also contributed with his examples of French words into the  English language: 'ballet' vs. dancing; expert vs. connoisseur; touché vs. nice point; ragoût vs. stew; He also added some English words invading French, such as 'gadget', 'racket', 'folklore' or 'chips'. Thanks a lot, Jose Manuel