The English Language

Words Borrowed from French

"The problem with the French is that they don't have a word for entrepreneur."
George W Bush, USA President (2000 - ?)

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French is an Indo-European language spoken in France, Belgium, Swizerland, Canada, Louisiana (USA), West Africa, the Caribbean and Indo-China.

There are hundreds of words borrowed from French into English - only a selection is given here. They can be grouped into several classes:

Food and eating ("biscuit", "menu"), military terms ("camouflage", "coup d'etat"), diplomatic words ("diplomat", "regime"), entertainment ("ballet", "sport") and many others.

Word	Meaning	Notes
a la carte	from the card	One of many food, restaurant and cookery terms from French.
abattoir		Place where animals are slaughtered.
ambulance	walking hospital	Used to treat wounded soldiers - one of many military terms from French.
attaché	attached (to Embassy)	One of many diplomatic, legal and political terms from French.
ballet	little dance	One of many entertainment terms from French.
bayonet		Named after its place of origin.
biscuit	twice cooked	Has different meanings in USA and UK.
bon vivant	good liver	Someone who enjoys life.
bribe	beg
cabaret	tavern	Entertainment provided while guests are at the table.
cache	hidden
camouflage	disguise
carte blanche	blank cheque
chauffeur	stoker	Professional driver.
corduroy	king's clothes	A type of cloth.
coup d'etat		The taking of power by force, as in "military coup".
coupon	piece cut off	Detachable ticket.
courier	run	A messenger.
crayon	big chalk
crochet	little hook
croquet		A game played on grass. The same root as "crochet".
debris	break down
denim	from Nimes	A type of cloth.
dentist	tooth person
detour	turn away
diplomat	back form
dossier	bundle of papers
en masse		All together.
en route		On the way.
entrepreneur		Business person.
envoy	send
espionage	spying
etiquette	ticket	Rules of social behaviour.
fait accompli	thing done	What would be called a "done deal" in the USA.
faux pas	false step	A blunder.
gaffe		A blunder.
gourmet	wine taster	Judge of good eating.
grape		A berry used in wine making.
hors d'oeuvre	outside the work	Extra dish served as a starter for a meal.
laissez faire	let act	As in "anything goes". Lack of government intervention.
lieutenant	place holder	Military rank. Pronounced LEFT-tenant in UK and LOOT-tenant in USA.
macabre	from "Maccabee"
margarine		Butter substitute.
marinade	pickle in brine	From the same root as "marine", of the sea.
maroon		To leave someone on a desert island.
mauve	mallow	A purple colour.
mayonnaise		Named after its place of origin. Shortened to "mayo" in the USA.
memoir	memory
menu	list	Originally a restaurant term, now used in computing.
mortgage	dead pledge	Payment and security on a property.
mutiny	move
nasal		Of the nose.
niece
nomad	pasture	Tribe roaming for pasture.
nouveau riche	new rich	The recently wealthy.
omelette		Beaten and fried eggs.
panache	feather	Display of swagger.
parachute		Silken cloth used for descending slowly.
par excellence		Of special excellence.
picnic		An outdoor meal.
pioneer
plaice		A flat fish.
plaque	tablet
portrait	depict
promenade	take a walk
publicity
queue	tail	To wait in line. Used more in UK than USA.
raffle
raison d'�tre	reason for being	Purpose.
rapport	carry again	Harmonious relationship.
ratchet	lance head
rectangle	straight angle	Four sided figure.
regal		From a word for "king".
regime		System of government.
relay		Originally a set of fresh horses for a journey.
renaissance	rebirth
rendezvous	present yourselves	Place appointed for a meeting.
reprimand	repress	An official rebuke.
reservoir	reserve supply
resign	surrender
restaurant		Public eating place.
revenue	return
ricochet
rifle	groove
roast	gridiron	Cook meat in oven.
rôle		From the roll of paper containing an actor's part.
roulette	little wheel
rout	disorderly retreat
route	marching orders	Pronounced RA-OOT in parts of USA and ROOT in UK.
routine		The same root as "route".
sabotage	clatter with wooden shoes	Wooden shoes used to be thrown into machinery to stop it.
sachet	little sack
salvage	to save
satchel	little bag
sauce	to salt
saucer		From the same root as "sauce".
sauté	tossed
saveloy	from brains	Sausage made from brains.
savoir faire	how to do	Knowing how to do the right thing.
séance	a sitting
sirloin	above the loin	Choice cut of meat.
somersault	leap above
soufflé	blown	Made light and frothy.
soup	broth
souvenir	memory
spiral	like a coil
splendid	with shine
suède	from Sweden
sport		An amusement or game.
syndicate
tampon	wad for packing gun
tangerine		Named after its city of origin in Morocco.
tapestry	to carpet
torture	twisting
traffic	trade
tranquil
trophy		Originally the arms of a vanquished enemy put on display.
umpire	from "non per", not equal	The term "a nonper" lost its letter N to become "an umpire".
unique	of one
velocity	swiftness
version	turn
visa	things seen
wardrobe	look after garment
zest	orange peel
zigzag

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