FANTASTIQUE!
Bonjour! Discover Ten English Words Derived From French!
Published on July 8, 2024
Image: Jossuha Théophile
Oh, la France! From Nobel-Prize-winning authors to delicious dishes and mouth-melting desserts, France's contributions to the world can’t be denied. However, you might be surprised to learn how deeply French culture has influenced the world we live in today. Sure, we are all aware of what the birthplace of baguettes is, but are you aware that everyday words like "scarlet" and "mortgage" come from France as well?
We have selected ten common English words that come straight from the elegant streets of Paris. Keep on reading and celebrate this wonderful exchange between our two languages. Bon voyage!
Restaurant
Image: Jay Wennington
We’ll begin with what’s probably the most well-known entry in this article. You don’t need us to tell you that "restaurant" comes from France: If English speakers were asked to say a French-sounding word on the spot, most of us would probably go straight to "restaurant". However, do you know the gorgeous, poetical meaning hidden in this everyday word?
"Restaurant" comes from 16th century France, in which this word first meant "food that restores". In French, restaurant is derived from the word restaurer, which means "to restore or refresh". Therefore, this word can literally be interpreted as a place that serves food so good that it can restore you.
Scarlet
Image: Tengyart
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is an American classic and an argument could be said that the sharpness of its title adds to the gravitas of this novel. Do you think we would remember Hester Prynne’s troubles and tribulations if the novel was called "The Bright Red Letter"? No, "scarlet" definitively is a better fit, and we can thank the French language for this colorful word.
The word "scarlet" comes from escarlate, an Old French word that means "a type of cloth". Interestingly, escarlate itself comes from scarlatum, a Medieval Latin word of unknown origin that translates to "a scarlet cloth".
Cushion
Image: Dan Dennis
The addition of "cushion" to this list might come as a surprise, but let’s try something: say the word "cushion" out loud. Doesn’t it vaguely resemble a French-sounding word? Try repeating the word a few times, perhaps while pretending you are enjoying a warm drink in a cozy French cafe.
This bit of roleplaying notwithstanding, "cushion" comes from the Middle English word quysshyn, which in turn comes from the Old French word coissin. In turn, this word evolved into coussin, currently used by French speakers everywhere.
Portrait
Image: Eric TERRADE
Considering the world’s most famous portrait calls the Louvre Museum its home, it seemed only fair that we included this word on our list. "Portrait" comes from the Old French portraire, which means "to portray". However, it should also be noted that the word "portrait" has evolved rather similarly in both English and French, up to the point that currently both words are spelled in the exact same way.
The root behind both the English and French words is the Latin prōtrahō. As any Latin scholar could tell you, understanding the inner workings of this ancient language can be rather tricky: At first glance, prōtrahō means "I drag". However, another definition of this term could be translated as "to reveal" or "to expose", which seems a more faithful root behind our modern understanding of what a portrait is.
Detour
Image: Kind and Curious
We placed this item in the exact middle of this article for a reason: Time to take a little detour. Well, not really, we are still going to focus on etymology, but let’s think about this middlepoint as a breather of sorts. After all, while having to take a detour on your way to work is certainly annoying, some changes in direction offer a whole different scenery for us to enjoy, and sometimes, a new road might bring a whole new meaning to the trip we find ourselves on.
Feeling refreshed? Great! Now let’s go back to the subject at hand. The word "detour" was borrowed from the French word détour, which in turn comes from the verb détourner (turn away). Our English word is practically identical to its French counterpart, although its pronunciation is definitively different.
Hotel
Image: Marten Bjork
Paris is famous for its elegant, world-class hotels. From the Ritz to the Plaza Athenee, visitors everywhere know that a night spent in one of these hotels is a night spent in comfort and luxury. In that regard, the hospitality world has a lot to thank France for, besides setting the bar on splendid accommodation. How about, for starters, we thank the French language for providing the word "hotel" itself?
The French word **hôtel**is one of the most borrowed words in modern history, considering that several countries use this word with little to no variations. In that regard, hôtel comes from the Latin word hospitālis, which can be translated to "hospitable" or as "guesthouse".
Turquoise
Image: Pawel Czerwinski
While this word is obviously French, the story of how this peculiar color got its name is particularly interesting. The French word "turquoise" has remained practically unchanged since its adoption by the English-speaking world: only its pronunciation has slightly changed. Not only that, turquoise is the same term used in Old French for this color, during the time period this word was first introduced.
Interestingly, the etymology of this word doesn’t describe anything related to the tones or characteristics of this color, but it does focus on its origins.Turquoise is derived from the Old French words turc and ois, and it roughly translates to "Turkish stone". This relates to the fact that turquoise stones were brought over to Europe through Turkey.
Mortgage
Image: Tierra Mallorca
Not every word in this list can be pleasant. Let’s try to push through this one, we promise that the last two entries are way more fun. The mere mention of the word "mortgage" is enough to keep millions of English speakers awake at night, as if this common bank loan was some kind of adult version of the boogeyman. In any case, if you happen to be one of those unfortunate souls terrified by the mere mention of a pending mortgage, you should know you can blame the French language for this awful-sounding word.
Even the etymology of this word is slightly creepy: it comes from the Old French termmort gage, which roughly translates to "dead pledge". Luckily, it doesn’t involve any morbid subjects: the dead part of the term is derived from the fact that any interest would be paid to the lender and not deducted from the loan owed.
Parachute
Image: Mohammad Asadi
Parachuting is one of those things that took a fear as primal as falling and turned it into something fun. While definitively not for everyone, it is highly recommended to anyone who feels at least a little bit like a daredevil, looking for that adrenaline rush that only these types of activities can provide.
For such an exciting hobby, the etymology of this French word is rather straightforward: It comes from the combination of para (protection against) and chute (fall). Just like with "restaurant", this word remains relatively unchanged in the English language, with only the pronunciation varying.
Cinema
Image: Jake Hills
We’ll end with one of the world’s favorite pastimes. Going to the movies is a universally beloved experience, and one that has transcended decades ever since its invention. From your children to your grandparents, every single generation in modern history has at least a few treasured memories that took place in front of a silver screen.
In that regard, the word "cinema" is as old as movies themselves: it comes from cinématographe, a term coined by the groundbreaking French filmmakers the Lumiere Brothers. Cinématographe comes from the amalgamation of the Ancient Greek words kínēma, which means "movement, and gráphō, meaning "to record" or "to write".
