A whole lot of English phrases and expressions, or anglicismes, have crept into the huge French lexicon, and so they’re not simply restricted to the phrases of tech and popular culture.
Find it irresistible or hate it, studying trendy French because it’s spoken entails acceptable use of the hybrid language derided as franglais.
On this submit, we’re going to inform you the 75 most used English phrases in French, some French options to those English phrases and a few English phrases which might be utilized in different methods.
We’ll additionally fill you in on the historical past of French-English language change.
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English Phrases Utilized in French
I may compose a dictionary of anglicismes, however sure phrases are used extra generally than others. Many are so widespread that they’ve entered into “appropriate” utilization. Listed below are among the most used:
English Phrases in French that Have the Similar That means
You received’t be misunderstood utilizing sure frequent English phrases in French, equivalent to:
French Alternate options To English Phrases
As can be anticipated, many of those phrases cope with trendy (Americanized) life. These phrases haven’t been adopted with out confrontation, and in the event you really feel uncomfortable utilizing them, no one might be offended in the event you use these options:
Though some options, like remue-méninges, are unwieldy, others have been adopted into frequent utilization. When you’re studying Quebec French, for instance, take notice that electronic mail and week-end have been changed with courriel and fin de semaine.
English Phrases in French that Have a Completely different That means
The French use sure anglicisms that both imply one thing completely completely different in English, or aren’t even really phrases in English.
A few of my favorites are:
Right here is an excellent listing of “false” anglicisms to look out for.
English and French: A Historical past of Language Alternate
If up to date discussions on franglais usually discuss with the introduction of English phrases within the twentieth century, French and English have a major historical past of interplay earlier than that to think about, too.
English and French Have Been Swapping Phrases for a Lengthy Time
When William the Conqueror invaded England, he put in his cronies as England’s new the Aristocracy. For hundreds of years, you had a French-speaking elite being served by the indigenous English-speaking inhabitants. Therefore, English gadgets like “cow,” “sheep” and “pig” grew to become “beef,” “mutton” and “pork” when served to their French overlords. Many such examples of two phrases which means the identical factor will be present in English.
English Flourished in French within the twentieth Century
There are a number of theories as to why anglicismes are coming into French. In places of work or different skilled settings, for instance, many such phrases are new ideas in French, like brainstorming or burn-out. They might be left as is since there’s no different. Plus, these phrases are sometimes much less cumbersome than proposed options.
Equally, within the tech area, or l’informatique, English phrases abound. In an Anglo-Saxon dominated trade, phrases like electronic mail, cloud computing and open-source are adopted so shortly that language authorities barely have time to react.
French Resistance to English Phrases in French
A language that doesn’t evolve is a useless language, so adopting overseas phrases ought to be an indication of the French language’s vitality.
Given how a lot French has influenced English, you wouldn’t assume that some phrases going the opposite method can be newsworthy. And it is perhaps simpler to simply accept if French have been adopting an equal quantity of phrases from a number of languages. What rubs some folks the mistaken method is that the majority new overseas phrases are of English origin, and this switch is one-sided. Certainly, French language purists haven’t taken this sitting down.
Let’s check out some key points, establishments and occasions on this debate.
Loi Toubon (Toubon Legislation)
Adopted in 1994, the Toubon Legislation assures the primacy of French in French society.
Along with assuring the citizenry’s proper to be served in French, the legislation additionally mandates using French within the office, makes certain promoting happens in French and obliges public media to make use of official French options to anglicismes.
Dubbing vs. Subtitles
In distinction to many European nations that solely present subtitles to Anglophone tv, France has a flourishing observe of dubbing English content material.
The benefit of this for French learners is that dubbed content material is simple to know, typically with every well-known actor being assigned a dubber, it doesn’t matter what the movie.
Some folks level to dubbing as the rationale why the French usually are not as sturdy in English as northern Europeans, who could profit from utilizing subtitles extra continuously for English content material.
Invoice 101
French in Quebec has been known as the most regulated language on the earth. The Quebecois have resisted assimilation in a sea of Anglophones for hundreds of years. That they nonetheless exist as a viable Francophone group is wonderful.
Invoice 101, or the Constitution of the French Language, makes French the official language in Quebec. It ensures each Quebec citizen the correct to obtain authorities companies in French, mandates enterprise communication to the general public in French and establishes the Quebec Workplace of the French Language and the Superior Council of the French Language, amongst different issues.
By most metrics, the legislation has been profitable. Francophones characterize the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants, and Quebec is likely one of the few locations on the earth the place English is declining.
Extra controversially, Legislation 101 requires all immigrants, even Anglophones, to ship their youngsters to French-speaking colleges, promotes francisation (assume cease indicators turning into Arrêt) within the public sphere and imposes stiff penalties on companies that don’t talk adequately in French.
Académie française
To know the issue with anglicisms, it’s essential to know that French is way more regimented than English usually.
Because the founding of the Académie française, authoritative our bodies have tried to instill “proper” and “mistaken” methods to speak in French.
The Académie française consists of illustrious personalities, primarily well-known Francophone authors and teachers, who information the event of French and advise the French authorities on correct use.
Languages evolve, and English has influenced French in a big method. There are lots of sides to the problem, however franglais is actual.
If you wish to perceive trendy French, you’ll should understand how English phrases are used within the language.
Whether or not you’re a language purist or an SMS fanatic, it’s as much as you to kind your personal opinion on and method of coping with English use within the French language.
Obtain:
This weblog submit is accessible as a handy and moveable PDF that you simply
can take anyplace.
Click on right here to get a replica. (Obtain)
