French Connection

The Influence of French Words on English Vocabulary

In England in the mid-1400s, a large castle named Herstmonceux was constructed in Sussex. How was it – at a time when England was often at war with France- that a fine English castle was given a French name?

 Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex (England)

Although we think of England today as having its own culture,history and language, the fact is that during the Middle Ages,(edad media)  French culture, introduced after the Norman Conquest in 1066 , was very important in England. For more than three centuries after the conquest, the French language was used extensively in English society and the church and it was the official language of the English courts until the mid-16th century. This is the main reason why the  English we speak today contains many French words.

French words are everywhere

You' ll find French words in all sorts of places (todo tipo de lugares)- in cooking, fashion, the military and more. Most English speakers are unaware (ignoran)  that many of the words they use in English came, originally, from French. People learning English are often surprised to find French words appearing again and again. It takes them some time to realise that these words are as much a part of English as “real “ English words.

" French words are everywhere..."

Why French?

French-speaking people ruled  (governaban) England from 1066 A. D. and it is from that period that we get many of the words we now think of as exclusively English (e.g. "royal" and "pork" ). As the “black death" (peste negra ) killed many of the priests (sacerdotes, curas)  who often went to visit the sick and then became ill themselves, the language they spoke, Latin became less common in Europe. Educated people then relied upon French as the official language, one that commanded respect and admiration. As English developed , it borrowed  (tomó prestado) words from French to describe cooking, fashion and the arts.

French used to be the language of the upper classes (clases altas)  , of royalty and the aristocracy. French also became the official language of diplomacy and continued to be used until very recently. Many of the words and phrases in law , war and travel , which were originally French , have been incorporated into English.

And here are some examples ! Watch this interesting video to rapidly increase your French (an English ) vocabulary with just a few language tricks !