The English and French languages share over 1,700 identical words – often with similar or exact meanings. In fact, up to 45% of English words have French origins, largely due to the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066. (French is far from the only language to have influenced English. Here are 30 everyday English words you didn’t know came from Arabic.)
To compile a list of some common English words that are really French – either spelled exactly the same way, usually with the same meaning, or drawn from a similarly spelled French term – 24/7 Tempo consulted the Oxford English Dictionary and language sites including Babbel, Translation Directory, French Together, and Busuu. Because French culinary terms are so common in English – from “café” to “soufflé” and even “restaurant” and “cuisine” – they are not included here.
A major difference between the English and French vocabulary is the French use of diacritics, the accent marks attached to particular letters. Many of the words with French origins are exactly the same except for an accent above a certain letter, such as the English “debris” and the French “débris” – though some French terms, like the aforementioned “café” and “soufflé,” retain their accents in our language.
In addition to exact cognates with origins in Old French, English has many words that are derived from the names of famous French people, including “pasteurize,” “silhouette,” and “magnolia.” Still other parts of our vocabulary are borrowed from modern French, such as the phrases “avant-garde” and “déjà vu.” (English also borrows Latin phrases. Here are Latin phrases everyone should know.)
Allowance
> French origin: Alouance
> Meaning in French: Praise, acknowledgement
Anguish
> French origin: Angoisse
> Meaning in French: Anguish, anxiety
Arbor
> French origin: Arbre
> Meaning in French: Tree
Bachelor
> French origin: Bachelier
> Meaning in French: Bachelor
Brunette
> French origin: Brunette
> Meaning in French: Brunette
Bureau
> French origin: Bureau
> Meaning in French: Office, desk
Chassis
> French origin: Châssis
> Meaning in French: Frame, undercarriage, stretcher
Chic
> French origin: Chic
> Meaning in French: Chic, elegant
Debris
> French origin: Débris
> Meaning in French: Debris, remains
Dossier
> French origin: Dossier
> Meaning in French: Case, folder
Encore
> French origin: Encore
> Meaning in French: Again, still, yet
Energy
> French origin: Énergie
> Meaning in French: Energy, vitality
Envisage
> French origin: Envisager
> Meaning in French: To consider
Fiancé
> French origin: Fiancé
> Meaning in French: Fiancé, engaged
Gauche
> French origin: Gauche
> Meaning in French: Left
Gazette
> French origin: Gazette
> Meaning in French: Gazette, newspaper
Lagoon
> French origin: Lagune
> Meaning in French: Lagoon
Legume
> French origin: Légume
> Meaning in French: Vegetable
Lilac
> French origin: Lilas
> Meaning in French: Lilac
Literature
> French origin: Littérature
> Meaning in French: Literature
Majesty
> French origin: Majesté
> Meaning in French: Majesty, grandeur
Maladroit
> French origin: Maladroit
> Meaning in French: Clumsy, awkward
Marine
> French origin: Marin
> Meaning in French: Sailor, marine
Matinee
> French origin: Matinée
> Meaning in French: Morning, forenoon
Occasion
> French origin: Occasion
> Meaning in French: Opportunity, chance
Pasteurize
> French origin: Pasteuriser
> Meaning in French: To pasteurize (from Louis Pasteur, inventor of the process)
Purify
> French origin: Purifier
> Meaning in French: To purify
Reservoir
> French origin: Réservoir
> Meaning in French: Tank, cistern
Souvenir
> French origin: Souvenir
> Meaning in French: Memory
Zest
> French origin: Zeste
> Meaning in French: Enthusiasm, rind, peel