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Although French is derived mainly from Latin, which accounts for about 60% of English vocabulary either directly or via a Romance language, it includes words from Gaulish and Germanic languages, especially Old Frankish.
Nov 10, 2023 · There exists around 7,000 French words in the English language at present. Believe it or not, though, there were plenty more English words that came from French (and typically Latin) roots originally – around 10,000, to be exact.
Jul 13, 2021 · William the Conqueror’s military victories instituted a French-speaking aristocracy in England (and French remained the official language for the next 400 years). Now many native speakers recognize French words in English when they see them, but few know their true original meanings.
We’ve compiled a list of the most common 100 French-origin words used in everyday English. So whether you’re a language enthusiast or just curious about the roots of the words you use every day, this list will provide a fascinating insight into the impact of French on the English language!
The reason for this is over 10,000 English words come from French. Many others come from Latin, the language from which French originated. This means that a significant number of English words have either exact French counterparts or very similar equivalents in French.
Many words in the English vocabulary are of French origin, most coming from the Anglo-Norman spoken by the upper classes in England for several hundred years after the Norman Conquest, before the language settled into what became Modern English.
But, how did so many French words come to be so entrenched in our daily vernacular? In the article below, we will explore the history behind the influx of French-derived words into English and take a look at how they continue to shape our language today.
