Rajarata
University of Sri Lanka
Department of Languages
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
Online Lectures
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Year and
Semester
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Year-3
Semester-1
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Subject
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History of
English Language
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|
Subject
Code
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ENGL 3112
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Course
Unit
|
French Influence on English Language (Middle English)
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Date
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31.05.2020
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Time
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Theory
(9.00 am-10.00 am) Practical (2.30
pm-4.30 pm)
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Lecturer
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D.N.
Aloysius
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Theory
Hours
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02
Total No of Hours: 02
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|
Practical
Hours
|
02
Total No of Hours: 04
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French words in English
You are probably aware that we
regularly use plenty of French words in English. But, did you know that English is
so close to the French language, around 30% of English words come from the French
Language. Some of these French phrases
in English are borrowed directly from the French Language, while others have
evolved from French origins. We’ve put together some responses to some of the
most common questions about the French presence in the English language. Why
are there French words in the English language? Although English is a Germanic
language, it shares a lot of vocabulary with French – a Romance language. The
Norman Conquest of 1066 was a key event that led to French words being used in
England. Following the conquest, England was ruled by the Normans who spoke a
northern form of Old French called Anglo-Norman French. Under Norman rule,
Anglo-Norman French began to influence the language of administration, law and
culture in England, and hence making its mark on the English language. Since
then, French words and phrases continued to make their way into the English Language.
How many French words are there in English? There exist around 7,000
French words in the English language at present.
1.
Allowance – from the Old French
word alouance (payment)
2.
Apostrophe – from the French
word apostrophe
3.
Attaché – from the French word attaché (attached)
4.
Avant-garde – from the French
word avant-garde
5.
Aviation – from the French
word aviation
6.
Bachelor – from the Anglo-Norman
word bacheler (bachelier in modern French)
7.
Ballet – from the French word ballet
8.
Bon voyage – from the French
phrase bon voyage (have a good journey)
9.
Brunette – from the French
word brunette
10. Bureau
– from the French word bureau (desk, office)
11. Cadet
– from the French word cadet
12. Champagne
– from the French word champagne
13. Chauffeur
– from the French word chauffeur
14. Connoisseur
– from the French word connoisseur
15. Debris
– from the French word débris (broken, crumbled)
16. Delegate
– from the Old French word delegat
17. Elite
– from the Old French word elit (chosen)
18. Energy
– from the Middle French word énergie
19. En
route – from the French en route
20. Envisage
– from the French word envisager
21. Expatriate
– from the French word expatrier
22. Facade
– from the French word façade
23. Fiancé
– from the French word fiancé
24. Gallery
– from the Old French word galerie
25. Gateau
– from the French word gâteau
26. Gazette
– from the French word gazette
27. Heritage
– from the Old French word eritage (héritage in
modern French)
28. Homage
– from the Old French word homage
29. Hotel
– from the French word hôtel
30. Identity
– from the Middle French word identité
31. Illusion
– from the Old French word illusion
32. Insult
– from the Middle French words insult (noun) and insulter (verb)
33. Irony
– from the Middle French word ironie
34. Jubilee
– from the Middle French word jubile (modern French jubilé)
35. Kilogram
– from the French word kilogramme
36. Laissez-faire
– from the French word laissez-faire (leave things to take
their course)
37. Liaison
– from the French word liaison
38. Literature
– from the Old French word littérature
39. Machine
– from the Middle French word machine
40. Magnificent
– from the Middle French word magnificent
41. Massage
– from the French word massage
42. Menu
– from the French word menu
43. Metabolism
– from the French word métabolisme
44. Metro
– from the French word métro
45. Navy
– from the Old French word navie
46. Neutral
– from the Middle French word neutral
47. Nocturnal
– from the Middle French word nocturnal
48. Novel
– from the Old French word novel
49. Occasion
– from the Middle French word occasion
50. Omelette
– from the French word omelette
51. Optimism
– from the French word optimisme
52. Parasol
– from the French word parasol
53. Poetic
– from the Middle French word poétique
54. Premiere
– from the French word première
55. Purify
– from the Old French word purifier
56. Recipient
– from the Middle French word récipient
57. Rendez-vous
– from the French word rendez-vous (appointment)
58. Reservoir
– from the French word ‘réservoir’ (collection place)
59. Restaurant
– from the French word restaurant
60. Rich
– from the French word riche
61. Ridicule
– from the French word ridicule
62. Sabotage
– from the French word sabotage
63. Salad
– from the French word salade
64. Sentiment
– from the Old French word sentement
65. Solicitor
– from the Middle French word soliciteur
66. Souvenir
– from the French word souvenir (memory)
67. Soup
– from the French word soupe
68. Technique
– from the French word technique
69. Television
– from the French word télévision
70. Tournament
– from the Old French word tornoiement (tournoiement in
modern French)
71. Uniform
– from the Middle French word uniforme
72. Utensil
– from the Old French word utensile
73. Valid
– from the Middle French word valide
74. Variety
– from the Middle French word varieté
75. Vinaigrette
– from the French word vinaigrette
76. Zest
– from the French word zeste
Practical:
Categorize
the French words under specific fields. (Food/Law/Health/Education/Science/Technology/Sports/
Architecture/Music etc.
References:
1. The
French influence on English education by by W. H. G. Armytage
2. The
French Influence on Middle English Morphology by Christiane Dalton-Puffer
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