![]() You’re hooked on crochet? Of course you are - it means “little hook” in French. You love saving coupons for a discount? The word literally means “piece cut off,” since couper is “to cut” in French. Going to the dentist? Why not simply say “toother” and be done with it? Because that’s what it means: “tooth” in French is dent, and the dentist is a “toother,” a professional who takes care of your pearly whites. The word’s meaning gradually morphed into “how to conduct oneself properly in polite society.”Īnd did you know that sabotage originated from the French word sabot, which is a kind of wooden clog worn by French and Breton peasants? As industrialization swept Europe, disgruntled peasants soon discovered that a sabot, when thrown into machinery, was very effective at bringing much-maligned factories to a halt. French Words In English With Surprising Originsĭid you know that etiquette originated in the French Court of Louis XIV at Versailles? A number of étiquettes (little cards) were used by courtiers to remember all the little nit-picky rules they needed to abide by while at court. Let’s take a tour of the broad world of English words that are actually French. Now many native speakers recognize French words in English when they see them, but few know their true original meanings. William the Conqueror’s military victories instituted a French-speaking aristocracy in England (and French remained the official language for the next 400 years). One of the biggest influencers came from France in 1066 during the Norman Conquest. English is a mishmash of a language - it’s the product of many cultures clashing on the British Isles for over 1,000 years, followed by an empire spread around the globe.
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