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Monday, February 15, 2016

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 

2 comments:

  1. As a musician the word 'repertoire' comes to my mind. Very interesting post Miguel ��

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your lovely comment, Arthur. I forgot the word 'repertoire' in my list and I think is a a really good example.

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