French words and phrases used by English speakers

Homme Fatal   Fri Apr 23, 2010 3:54 am GMT
There are many words of French origin in English, such as art, collage, competition, force, machine, police, publicity, role, routine, table, and many others which have been and are being Anglicised. They are now pronounced according to English rules of orthography, rather than French (which uses nasal vowels not found in English). Around 28% of English vocabulary is of French or Oïl language origin, most derived from, or transmitted by, the Anglo-Norman spoken by the upper classes in England for several hundred years after the Norman Conquest, before the language settled into what became Modern English.

This article, however, covers words and phrases that generally entered the lexicon later, as through literature, the arts, diplomacy, and other cultural exchanges not involving conquests. As such, they have not lost their character as Gallicisms, or words that seem unmistakably foreign and "French" to an English-speaking person.

The phrases are given as used in English, and may seem correct modern French to English speakers, but may not be recognised as such by French speakers as many of them are now defunct or have a different meaning due to semantic evolution. A general rule is that if the word or phrase retains French diacritics or is usually printed in italics, it has retained its French identity.

Few of these phrases are common knowledge to all English speakers, and most are rarely if ever used in daily conversation.

A

à gogo
in abundance. It pertains to the familiar language in French.

à la [...]
in the manner of/in a similar manner to [...]

à la carte
literally: on the card or on the menu; (in restaurants refers to ordering individual dishes rather than a fixed-price meal)

à propos
regarding (note that the correct French syntax is à propos de)

abattoir
slaughterhouse

accouchement
confinement during childbirth; the process of having a baby; only this last meaning remains in French

adieu
farewell; as it literally means "to God," it carries more weight than "au revoir" ("goodbye", literally "see you later"): it is definitive, implying you will never see the other person again. Depending on the context, misuse of this term can be considered as an insult, as you'll wish for the other person's death or will say that you don't wish to see the other person ever again while alive. It is used for "au revoir" in south of France[1] and to point a deprivation from someone or something.

adroit
skillful, clever, in French: habile, as a "right-handed" person would be using his "right" hand, as opposed to his left one with which he would be "gauche" meaning "left".

aide-de-camp
"camp assistant"; assistant to a senior military officer

aide-mémoire
"memory aid"; an object or memorandum to assist in remembrance, or a diplomatic paper proposing the major points of discussion

allez!
"go!", as in "go team!"

ancien régime
a sociopolitical or other system that no longer exists, an allusion to pre-revolutionary France (used with capital letter in French with this meaning : Ancien Régime)

aperçu
preview; a first impression; initial insight.

apéritif
a before-meal drink (in familiar French, it is shortened as "un apéro"). In French : before-meal drink, not necessary followed by a meal. Cornerstone of French sociability.

appellation contrôlée
supervised use of a name. For the conventional use of the term, see Appellation d'origine contrôlée

après moi, le déluge
literally: After me, the deluge; remark attributed to Louis XV of France; used in reference to the impending end of a functioning French monarchy and predicting the French Revolution. No. 617 Squadron Royal Air Force, famously known as the "Dambusters", uses this as its motto. Also a verse in the song Après Moi by Regina Spektor.

arête
a narrow ridge. In French, also fishbone; edge of a polyhedron or graph; bridge of the nose.

armoire
a type of cabinet; wardrobe.

art nouveau
a style of decoration and architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries (usually bears a capital in French : Art nouveau).

attaché
a person attached to an embassy; in French is also the past participle of the verb attacher (=to fasten, to tight, to be linked...)

au contraire
on the contrary.

au courant
up-to-date; abreast of current affairs.

au fait
being conversant in or with, or instructed in or with.

au jus
literally, with juice, referring to a food course served with sauce. Often redundantly formulated, as in 'Open-faced steak sandwich, served with au jus.'. No longer used in French, except for the slang "être au jus" (to be informed)

au pair
a young foreigner who does domestic chores in exchange for room and board. In France, those chores are mainly child care/education.

au revoir!
"See you later!" In French a contraction of Au plaisir de vous revoir (to the pleasure of seeing you again).

avant-garde (pl. avant-gardes)
applied to cutting-edge or radically innovative movements in art, music and literature; figuratively "on the edge", literally, a military term, meaning "vanguard" (which is the deformation of avant-garde) or "advance guard", in other words, "first to attack" (antonym of arrière-garde).

avant la lettre
used to describe something or someone seen as a precursor or forerunner of something (such as an artistic or political movement) before that something was recognized and named, e.g. "a post-modernist avant la lettre", "a feminist avant la lettre"; the expression literally means before the letter, i.e. "before it had a name".

avec plaisir
my pleasure (lit. "with pleasure")

[edit] B

ballet
a classical type of dance

beau geste
literally "beautiful gesture"; gracious gesture; also, a gesture noble in form but meaningless in substance. in French : a selfless/generous/fair-play act.

Beaux-Arts
monumental architectural style of the early 20th century made famous by the Académie des Beaux-Arts

beaucoup
plenty, lots of, much; merci beaucoup: thanks a lot; misused in slang, for example "beaucoup money" (French would add the preposition de : "beaucoup d'argent"), especially in New Orleans, LA. Occasionally corrupted to Bookoo, typically in the context of French influenced by Vietnamese culture.

bel esprit (pl. beaux esprits)
literally "fine mind"; a cultivated, highly intelligent person

belle
a beautiful woman or girl. Common uses of this word are in the phrases the belle of the ball (the most beautiful woman or girl present at a function) and southern belle (a beautiful woman from the southern states of the US)

belles-lettres
literally "fine letters"; literature regarded for its aesthetic value rather than its didactic or informative content; also, light, stylish writings, usually on literary or intellectual subjects

bien fait !
literally "well done"; used to express schadenfreude when someone is well-deservedly punished

bien pensant
literally "well thinking"; right thinking, orthodox. Commonly implies willful blindness to dangers or suffering faced by others. The noun form bien-pensance is rarely seen in English.

blasé
unimpressed with something because of over-familiarity, jaded.

bon appétit
literally "good appetite"; enjoy your meal

bon mot
well-chosen word(s), particularly a witty remark

bon vivant
one who enjoys the good life, an epicurean

bon voyage
have a good trip!

bonjour
"good day", the usual greeting

bonne chance
"good luck" (as in, 'I wish you good luck')

les boules
(vulgar) literally "the balls"; meaning that whatever you are talking about is dreadful

bourgeois
member of the bourgeoisie. The word used to refer to shopkeepers living in towns in the Middle Ages. Now the term is derogatory, and it applies to a person whose beliefs, attitudes, and practices are conventionally middle-class.

bric-à-brac
small ornamental objects, less valuable than antiques; a collection of old furniture, china, plate and curiosities. Cf. de bric et de broc, corresponding to our "by hook or by crook", and brack, refuse.

brioche
a sweet yeast bun, kind of a crossover between a popover and a light muffin; French also use the term as slang for 'potbelly', because of the overhang effect.

brunette
a brown-haired girl. For brown-haired man, French uses brun and for a woman brune. "Brunette" is rarely used in French, unless in old literature, and its masculine form, "brunet" (for a boy), is almost unheard of.

bureau (pl. bureaux)
office. Also means "desk" in French.

[edit] C

ça ne fait rien
"that doesn't matter"; rendered as san fairy Ann in British WWI slang [2].

cachet
lit. "stamp"; a distinctive quality ; quality, prestige.

café
a coffee shop (also used in French for "coffee").

café au lait
coffee with milk; or a light-brown color. In medicine, it is also used to describe a birthmark that is of a light-brown color (café au lait spot).

calque
a copied term/thing

carte blanche
unlimited authority; literally "white card" (i.e. blank check).

carte de visite
a calling card, literally "visiting card".

carte d'identité
identity card.

ce n'est pas grave
"It doesn't matter, it's not a big deal" (informal).

c'est bon
"that's good".

c'est la guerre!
"That's War!"; or "Such is war!" Often used with the meaning that "this means war", but it can be sometimes used as an expression to say that war (or life in general) is harsh but that one must accept it.

c'est la mode.
"That's the fashion."

c'est la vie!
"That's life!"; or "Such is life!" It is sometimes used as an expression to say that life is harsh but that one must accept it.
c'est magnifique!
"That's great!"; literally it's magnificent.

Ceux qui rient le vendredi, pleureront le dimanche
Those who laugh on Friday will cry on Sunday.

chacun ses goûts / à chacun ses goûts / à chacun son goût / chacun à son goût [all are used]
"to each his (their) own taste(s)" or "each to his own taste".

chaise longue
a long chair for reclining; (also rendered chaise lounge or chase lounge via folk etymology).

Champs-Élysées
literally "Elysian Fields"; Avenue des Champs-Élysées, one of the largest boulevards in Paris. Often referred as simply "les Champs".

chanteuse
a female singer

chapeau
a hat. In French, chapeau is also an expression of congratulations similar to the English "hats off to...."

chargé d'affaires
a diplomat left in charge of day to day business at a diplomatic mission. Within the United States Department of State a chargé is any officer left in charge of the mission in the absence of the titular chief of mission.

charlatan
a person who is a fraud, a fake, a hoaxer, a deceiver, a con artist.

châteaux en Espagne
literally "castles in Spain"; imaginary projects, with little hope of realisation (means the same as "castles in the air" or "pie in the sky"). No known etymology, though it was already used in the 13th century in the Roman de la rose.

chauffeur
driver

chef d'œuvre
a masterpiece

cherchez la femme
"look for the woman", in the sense that, when a man behaves out of character or in an otherwise apparently inexplicable manner, the reason may be found in his trying to cover up an illicit affair with a woman, or to impress or gain favour with a woman. First used by Alexandre Dumas (père) in the third chapter of his novel Les Mohicans de Paris (1854).

chevalier d'industrie
"knight of industry" : one who lives by his wits, specially by swindling.

chez
at the house of : often used in the names of restaurants and the like; Chez Marie = "Marie's"

chic
stylish

chignon
a hairstyle worn in a roll at the nape of the neck

cinéma vérité
realism in documentary filmmaking

cinq, cinque
five; normally referring to the 5 on dice or cards. In French, always spelt cinq.

cliché
lit. negative; trite through overuse; a stereotype

clique
a small exclusive group of friends without morale; always used in a pejorative way in French.

commandant
a commanding officer. In France, used for an airline pilot (le commandant de bord), in the Army as appellative for a chef de bataillon or a chef d'escadron (roughly equivalent to a major) or in the Navy for any officer from capitaine de corvette to capitaine de vaisseau (equivalent to the Army's majors, lieutenant-colonels and colonels) or for any officer heading a ship.

comme ci, comme ça
"like this, like that"; so-so, neither good nor bad. In French, usu. couci-couça.

comme il faut
"as it must be" : in accord with conventions or accepted standards; proper.

communiqué
lit. communicated; an official communication.

concierge
a hotel desk manager (in French also refers to the caretaker of a building usually living at the front floor ; concierges have a reputation for gossiping)

concordat
an agreement; a treaty; when used with a capital C in French, it refers to the treaty between the French State and Judaeo-Christian religions during the French Empire (Napoleon) : priests, ministers and rabbis became civil servants. This treaty was abolished in 1905 (law Church-State separation) but is still in use in Alsace-Lorraine (those territories were under German administration during 1871–1918)

confrère
a colleague, esp. in the medical and law professions.

congé
a departure; in French when used in the plural form refers to vacations

conte
a short story, a tale; in French a conte has usually a fantasy context (such as in fairytales) and always begins with the words "Il était une fois" ("Once upon a time").

contre-coup
against the blow

contre-jour
against daylight

contretemps
an awkward clash; a delay

coquette
a flirtatious girl; a tease

cordon sanitaire
a policy of containment directed against a hostile entity or ideology; a chain of buffer states; lit. "quarantine line"

cortège
a funeral procession; in French has a broader meaning and refers to all kinds of processions.

corvée
forced labor for minimal or no pay. In French, overall an unpleasant/tedious task.

cotte d'armes
coat of arms.

coup de foudre
lit. thunderbolt ("strike of thunder"); a sudden unforeseen event, usually used to describe love at first sight.

coup de grâce
the final blow that results in victory (literally "blow of mercy"), historically used in the context of the battlefield to refer to the killing of badly wounded enemy soldiers, now more often used in a figurative context (e.g., business). Frequently pronounced without the final "s" sound by English speakers who believe that any such sound at the end of a French word is supposed to be silent.

coup de maître
stroke of the master, master stroke

coup d'œil
a glance, literally "a blow (or touch) of the eye".

coup de théâtre
unexpected dramatic turn of events, a plot twist

couture
fashion (usually refers to high fashion)

couturier
a fashion designer (usually refers to high fashion, rather than everyday clothes design)

crèche
a nativity display; more commonly (in UK), a place where children are left by their parents for short periods in the supervision of childminders; both meanings still exist in French

crème brûlée
a dessert consisting primarily of custard and toasted sugar, that is, caramel; literally "burnt cream"

crème de la crème
best of the best, "cream of the cream", used to describe highly skilled people or objects. A synonymous expression in French is « fin du fin ».

crème fraîche
literally "fresh cream", a heavy cream slightly soured with bacterial culture, but not as sour or as thick as sour cream

crêpe
a thin sweet or savoury pancake eaten as a light meal or dessert

cri du cœur
"cry from the heart" : an impassioned outcry, as of entreaty or protest

croissant
a crescent-shaped bread made of flaky pastry

cri d'amour
a "cry of love"

critique
a critical analysis or evaluation of a work, or the art of criticizing.

cuisine minceur
gourmet cooking for staying thin

cul-de-sac
a dead-end (residential) street; literally "bottom (buttocks) of the bag".

[edit] D

d'accord
in accord; agreed; sure; OK; of course

de nouveau
again; anew. Cf. de novo

de règle
according to custom;

de rigueur
required or expected, especially in fashion or etiquette

de trop
excessive, "too much"

déclassé
of inferior social status

décolleté
a woman's garment with a low-cut neckline that exposes cleavage, or a situation in which a woman's chest or cleavage is exposed; décolletage is dealt with below.

décor
the layout and furnishing of a room

découpage
decoration with cut paper

demi-glace
a reduced wine-based sauce for meats and poultry

demi-sec
semi-dry, usually said of wine

déjà vu
"already seen" : an impression or illusion of having seen or experienced something before.

dénouement
the end result

dérailleur
a bicycle gear-shift mechanism

dernier cri
the latest fashion; literally "latest scream"

derrière
rear; buttocks; literally "behind"

déshabillé
partially clad or scantily dressed; also a special type of garment.

désolé
sorry

détente
easing of diplomatic tension

diablerie
witchcraft, deviltry, or, more figuratively, "wickedness"

Dieu et mon droit
motto of the British Monarchy. It appears on a scroll beneath the shield of the coat of arms of the United Kingdom.

directeur sportif
lit. sports director. A person responsible for the operation of a cycling team during a road bicycle race. In French, it means any kind of sports director.

divertissement
an amusing diversion; entertainment

dossier
a file containing detailed information about a person; it has a much wider meaning in modern French, as any type of file, or even a computer directory

douceur de vivre
"sweetness of life"

doyen
the senior member of a group; the feminine is doyenne

dressage
a form of competitive horse training, in French has the broader meaning of taming any kind of animal

droit du seigneur
"right of the lord" : the purported right of a lord in feudal times to take the virginity of one of his vassals' brides on her wedding night (in precedence to her new husband). The actual French term for this hypothetical custom is droit de cuissage (from cuisse 'thigh').

du jour
said of something fashionable or hip for a day and quickly forgotten; today's choice on the menu, as soup du jour, literally "of the day"

[edit] E

eau de toilette
perfume; can be shortened as eau (water); literally "grooming water." Usually refers to a product which is less expensive, because it has less aromatic compounds, and is thus used more for everyday purposes

écarté
a card game; also a ballet position

échappé
dance movement foot position

éclair
a cream and chocolate icing pastry

éclat
Great brilliance, as of performance or achievement. Conspicuous success. Great acclamation or applause

écorché
flayed; biological graphic or model with skin removed

élan
a distinctive flair or style

élan vital
literally "vital ardor"; the vital force hypothesized by Henri Bergson as a source of efficient causation and evolution in nature; also called "life-force"

éminence grise
"grey eminence" : a publicity-shy person with little formal power but great influence over those in authority

en bloc
as a group
en passant
in passing

en principe, oui
"in principle, yes" : a diplomatic way of saying 'no'

en route
on the way

(je suis) enchanté(e)
"(I am) enchanted (to meet you)" : a formal greeting on receiving an introduction. Often shortened to simply "enchanté".

enfant terrible
a disruptively unconventional person, a "terrible child".

ennui
boredom.

entente
diplomatic agreement or cooperation. L'Entente cordiale (the Cordial Entente) refers to the good diplomatic relationship between France and United Kingdom before the first World War.

entre nous
confidentially; literally "between us"

entrée
literally "entrance"; the first course of a meal (UK English); used to denote the main dish or course of a meal (US English).

entremets
desserts/sweet dishes. More literally, a side dish that can be served between the courses of a meal.

entrepreneur
a person who undertakes and operates a new enterprise or venture and assumes some accountability for the inherent risks

escargot
snail

escritoire
writing desk; spelled "écritoire" in current French

esprit de corps
"spirit of the body [group]" : a feeling of solidarity among members of a group; morale. Often used in connection with a military force.

esprit de l'escalier
"wit of the stairs" : a concise, clever statement you don't think of until too late, e.g. on the stairs leaving the scene

l'État, c'est moi!
"I am the state!" — attributed to the archetypal absolute monarch, Louis XIV of France

étude
a musical composition designed to provide practice in a particular technical skill in the performance of an instrument. French for "study".

excusez-moi
excuse me; can be used sarcastically (depends on the tone)

excusez le mot!
excuse the word!; if a certain word has negative connotations (for example, a word-joke at a time of grief)

extraordinaire
extraordinary, usually as a following adjective, as "musician extraordinaire"

et toi ?
and you? (Je m'appelle (your name), Et toi ?)(my name is (your name) and yours?)

[edit] F

façade
the front view of an edifice (from the Italian facciata, or face); a fake persona, as in "putting on a façade" (the ç is pronounced like an s)

fait accompli
lit. accomplished fact; something that has already happened and is thus unlikely to be reversed. A done deal. In French only used in the expression "placer/mettre quelqu'un devant le fait accompli" meaning to present somebody with a fait accompli.

faute de mieux
for want of better

faux
false, ersatz, fake.

faux amis
"false friends" : words in two different languages that have the same or similar spelling, and often the same etymology but different meanings, such as the French verb rester which means "to stay" rather than "to rest"

faux pas
"false step" : violation of accepted, although unwritten, social rules

femme fatale
"deadly woman" : an attractive woman who seduces and takes advantage of men in order to achieve personal goals after which she discards or abandons the victim. Used to describe an attractive woman with whom a relationship is likely to result, or has already resulted, in pain and sorrow

feuilleton
"little leaf of paper" : a periodical, or part of a periodical, consisting chiefly of non-political news and gossip, literature and art criticism, a chronicle of the latest fashions, and epigrams, charades and other literary trifles.

fiancé/e
betrothed; lit. a man/woman engaged to be married.

fier de l'être
proud of being; "French, and proud to be so"

film noir
a genre of dark-themed movies from the 1940s and 1950s that focus on stories of crime and immorality

fils
used after a man's surname to distinguish a son from a father, as George Bush fils (in French, "fils" = son)

fin de saison
"end of season" : marks the end of an extended (annual) period during which business increases significantly, most commonly used for the end of summer tourism

flambé
a cooking procedure in which alcohol (ethanol) is added to a hot pan to create a burst of flames, meaning "flamed" in French. Also used colloquially in reference to something on fire or burned.

flambeau
a lit torch

flâneur
a gentleman stroller of city streets; an aimless idler

fleur-de-lis
a stylized-flower heraldic device; the golden fleur-de-lis on an azure background were the arms of the French Kingdom (often spelled with the old French style as "fleur-de-lys")

foie gras
fatty liver; usually the liver of overfed goose, hence: pâté de foie gras, pâté made from goose liver. However, "foie gras" generally stands for "paté de foie gras" as it is the most common way to use it.

folie à deux
a simultaneous occurrence of delusions in two closely related people, often said of an unsuitable romance

force majeure
an overpowering event, an act of God (often appears in insurance contracts)

froideur
coldness (for behavior and manners only)

[edit] G

gaffe
blunder

garçon
literally "boy" or "male servant"; sometimes used by English speakers to summon the attention of a male waiter (has a playful connotation in English but is condescending in French)

gauche
tactless, does not mean "left-handed" (which is translated in French as "gaucher"), but does mean "left"

gaucherie
boorishness

Gautier et Garguille
all the world and his wife (possibly derived from a 17th century French comic Hugues Guérin, who performed under the stage name Gautier-Garguille, though it is likely that he in turn may have taken this pseudonym from earlier 16th century recorded sayings: prendre Gautier pour Garguille: "to take Gautier for Garguille", that is to mistake one person for another; il n'y a ni Gautier, ni Garguille: "he is neither Gaultier nor Garguille", that is, 'he is no-one')

genre
a type or class, such as "the thriller genre"

glissade
slide down a slope

les goûts et les couleurs ne se discutent pas
"tastes and colours are not argued over"; one does not argue over differences in taste, to each his own. French People usually shorten the sentence, to "les goûts et les couleurs..."

grâce à
"thanks to", "by the grace of", naming credit or fortune

Grand Prix
a type of motor racing, literally "Great Prize"

grand projet
literally "large project"; usually a government funded large scale civil engineering or technology project executed for prestige or general social benefit, and not immediately (if ever) profitable

Grand Guignol
a horror show, named after a French theater famous for its frightening plays and bloody special effects. (Guignol can be used in French to describe a ridiculous person, in the same way that clown might be used in English.)

[edit] H

habitué
one who regularly frequents a place

haute couture
"high sewing" : Paris-based custom-fitted clothing; trend-setting fashion

haute cuisine
upscale gastronomy; literally "upper cooking".

haute école
advanced horsemanship; literally "upper school"

hauteur
arrogance; lit. height

haut monde
fashionable society, the "upper world"

homme du monde
cultured, sophisticated man, "man of the world"

Honi soit qui mal y pense.
"Shame on him who thinks ill of it"; or sometimes translated as Evil be to him who evil thinks; the motto of the English Order of the Garter (modern French writes honni instead of Old French honi)

hors concours
"out of the running"; a non-competitor, e.g. in love

hors de combat
out of the fight : prevented from fighting, usually by injury

hors d'œuvre
"outside the [main] work" : appetizer

huis-clos
"closed door" : an enclosed space such as a room or cell, where action or speech can not be seen or heard from outside; title of a play by Jean-Paul Sartre

[edit] I

idée fixe
"fixed idea": obsession; in music, a leitmotiv.

impasse
a deadlock.

insouciant/e
a nonchalant man/woman

ingénu/e
an innocent young man/woman, used particularly in reference to a theatrical stock character who is entirely virginal and wholesome. L'Ingénu is a famous play written by Voltaire.

[edit] J

j’accuse
"I accuse"; used generally in reference to a political or social indictment (alluding to the title of Émile Zola’s exposé of the Dreyfus affair, a political scandal which divided France from the 1890s to the early 1900s which involved the false conviction for treason in 1894 of a young French artillery officer of Jewish background)

j'adore
literally, I adore. I love to the full extent.

j'adoube
In chess, an expression said discreetly signaling an intention to straighten out the pieces, without being committed to moving or capturing the first one touched as per the game's rules; lit. "I adjust". From adouber, to dub (the action of knighting someone)

Jacques Bonhomme
a name given to a French peasant as tamely submissive to taxation. Also the pseudonym of the 14th century peasant leader Guillaume Caillet

je m'appelle
my name is...

je m'en fous
"I don't give a damn / a fuck".

je ne regrette rien
"I regret nothing" (from the title of a popular song sung by Édith Piaf: "Non, je ne regrette rien"). Also the phrase the UK's then Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont chose to use to describe his feelings over the events of September 16, 1992 ('Black Wednesday')

je ne sais pas
"I don't know"; collapses to chais pas ʃɛpa in modern colloquial speech

je ne sais quoi
"I-don't-know-what" : an indescribable or indefinable 'something' which distinguishes the object in question from others which are superficially similar.

je t'aime
I love you. Implies "I like you" too. The French word "aimer" implies all the different kinds of love (love = like). In order to differentiate the two, one would say simply "je t'aime" to one's love whereas one would say "je t'aime bien" (lit. I love you well) to a friend.

je suis
I am

jeunesse dorée
"gilded youth"; name given to a body of young dandies who, after the fall of Robespierre, strove to bring about a counter-revolution. Today used for any offspring living an affluent lifestyle.

joie de vivre
"joy of life/living"

[edit] K

---
[edit] L

laïcité
separation of the State and the different Churches (at first, it concerned especially Catholicism). In France, where the concept originated, it means an absence of religious interference in government affairs and government interference in religious affairs. But the concept is often assimilated and changed by other countries. For example, in Belgium, it usually means the secular-humanist movement and school of thought.

laissez-faire
"let do"; often used within the context of economic policy or political philosophy, meaning leaving alone, or non-interference. The phrase is the shortcut of Laissez faire, laissez passer, a doctrine first supported by the Physiocrats in the 18th century. The motto was invented by Vincent de Gournay, and it became popular among supporters of free-trade and economic liberalism. It is also used to describe a parental style in developmental psychology, where the parent(s) does not apply rules nor guiding.

laissez-passer
a travel document, a passport

laissez les bons temps rouler
Cajun expression for "let the good times roll": not used in proper French, and not generally understood by Francophones outside of Louisiana, who would say "profitez des bons moments" (enjoy the good moments)

lamé
a type of fabric woven or knit with metallic yarns

lanterne rouge
the last-place finisher in a cycling stage race; most commonly used in connection with the Tour de France

layette
a set of clothing and accessories for a new baby

lèse majesté
an offense against a sovereign power; or, an attack against someone's dignity or against a custom or institution held sacred (from the Latin "crimen laesae maiestatis": the crime of injured majesty)

liaison
a close relationship or connection; an affair. The French meaning is broader; "liaison" also means bond such as in "une liaison chimique" (a chemical bond)

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité
"Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood" (motto of the French Republic)

lieu
from Latin locus ("place"); in lieu of: "instead of", "in the place of". This is illustrated for instance in the English word "lieutenant", which literally means "place-holder"

littérateur
an intellectual (can be pejorative in French, meaning someone who writes a lot but does not have a particular skill)

louche
of questionable taste;

Louis Quatorze
"Louis XIV" (of France), the Sun King, usually a reference to décor or furniture design. Also the namesake of the winner of the 1996 Preakness.

Louis Quinze
"Louis XV" (of France), associated with the rococo style of furniture, architecture and interior decoration

[edit] M

macramé
coarse lace work made with knotted cords

mademoiselle
young unmarried lady, miss; literally "my noble young lady"

mais oui
"but of course!". Often used as a sarcastic reply in French, in order to close the debate by feigning to agree.

maison
house

malaise
a general sense of depression or unease

mange tout
another phrase describing 'peas' (litt : "Eat-all", due to the fact that some peas can be cooked and eaten with their pod.)

mal de mer
motion sickness, literally "seasickness"

Mardi gras
Fat Tuesday, the last day of eating meat before Lent. Note that there isn't a capital to gras

marque
a model or brand

matériel
supplies and equipment, particularly in a military context (French meaning is broader and corresponds more to "hardware")

mauvais quart d'heure
"bad quarter hour" : a short unpleasant or uncomfortable moment

mélange
a mixture

mêlée
a confused fight; a struggling crowd

ménage à trois
"household for three" : a sexual arrangement between three people

merci beaucoup
"Thank you very much!"

merde
"shit"

merde alors
"shit then"

métier
a field of work or other activity; usually one in which one has special ability or training

milieu
social environment; setting (has also the meaning of "middle" in French.)

mirepoix
a cooking mixture of two parts onions and one part each of celery and carrots

mise en place
a food assembly station in a commercial kitchen

mise en scène
the process of setting a stage with regard to placement of actors, scenery, properties, etc.; the stage setting or scenery of a play; surroundings, environment

moi
"me"; often used in English as an ironic reply to an accusation; for example, "Pretentious? Moi?"

moi aussi
"me too", used to show agreeing with someone

le moment suprême
"the supreme moment"; the climax in a series of events (for example at the unveiling of an art exhibition)

Mon Dieu!
my God!

monsieur (pl. messieurs)
a man, a gentleman. Also used as a title, equivalent to Mr. or Sir.

montage
a blending of pictures, scenes, or sounds

le mot juste
"the just word"; the right word at the right time. French uses it often in the expression chercher le mot juste (to search for the right word)

motif
a recurrent thematic element

moue
a pursing together of the lips to indicate dissatisfaction, a pout

mousse
a whipped dessert or a hairstyling foam; in French, means any type of foam

[edit] N

naturellement
naturally

né, née
"born" : a man/woman’s birth name (maiden name for a woman), e.g., "Martha Washington, née Custis".

n'est-ce pas?
"isn't it [true]?"; asked rhetorically after a statement, as in "Right?"

noblesse oblige
"nobility obliges"; those granted a higher station in life have a duty to extend (possibly token) favours/courtesies to those in lower stations

nom de guerre
pseudonym to disguise the identity of a leader of a militant group, literally "war name", used in France for "pseudonym"

nom de plume
author's pseudonym, literally "pen name". Originally an English phrase, now also used in France

nouveau
new

nouveau riche
newly rich, used in English to refer particularly to those living a garish lifestyle with their newfound wealth.

nouvelle cuisine
new cuisine

nouvelle vague
Literally meaning "new wave". Used for stating a new way or a new trend of something. Originally marked a new style of French filmmaking in the late 1950s and early 1960s, reacting against films seen as too literary (whereas the phrase "new wave" is used in French to qualify some '80's music, such as Depeche Mode.)

[edit] O

objet d'art
a work of art, commonly a painting or sculpture

œuvre
"work", in the sense of an artist's work; by extension, an artist's entire body of work

orange
orange

ouais
yeah

oui
yes

[edit] P

panache
verve; flamboyance

papier-mâché
lit. chewed paper; a craft medium using paper and paste

par avion
by air mail. The meaning is broader in French, it means by plane in general.

par excellence
"by excellence" : quintessential

parkour
urban street sport involving climbing and leaping, using buildings, walls, curbs to ricochet off much as if one were on a skateboard, often in follow-the-leader style. It's actually the phonetic form of the French word "parcours", which means "route".

pas de deux
a close relationship between two people; a duet in ballet

pas de problème
no problem

pas de trois
a dance for three, usually in ballet.

passe-partout
a document or key that allows the holder to travel without hindrance from the authorities or enter any location.

pastiche
a derivative work; an imitation

patois
a dialect; jargon

père
used after a man's surname to distinguish a father from a son, as in "George Bush père."

la petite mort
an expression for orgasm; literally "the little death"

peut-être
perhaps, possibly, maybe

pied-à-terre
"foot-on-the-ground" or "foothold"; a place to stay, generally applied to the city house in contradistinction to the country estate of the wealthy

pis-aller
"worse"; an undesirable option selected because the other choices were even worse

piste
referring to skiing at a ski area (on piste) versus skiing in the back country (off piste).

plat du jour
a dish served in a restaurant on a particular day but which is not part of the regular menu; literally "dish of the day"

plongeur (fem. plongeuse)
a male (or female) dishwasher

plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose (or plus ça change, plus c’est pareil)
the more things change, the more they stay the same

plus royaliste que le roi
"more royalist than the king", i.e. more enthusiastic than the cause deserves

pomme
apple

porte cochère
an architectural term referring to a kind of porch or portico-like structure.

poseur
"poser" : a person who pretends to be something he is not; an affected or insincere person: a wannabe

pot-au-feu
stew, soup

pour encourager les autres
"to encourage others"; said of an excessive punishment meted out as an example. The original is from Voltaire's Candide and referred to the execution of Admiral John Byng.[3]

pourboire
"for drink"; gratuity, tip; donner un pourboire: to tip.

prêt-à-porter
"ready to wear" (clothing off the shelf), in contrast to haute couture

première dame
"first lady"

prie-dieu
"pray [to] God"; a type of prayer desk

prix fixe
"fixed price"; a menu where multi-course meals with only a few choices are charged at a fixed price

protégé/e
a man/woman who receives support from an influential mentor.

provocateur
a polemicist

[edit] Q

Quai d'Orsay
address of the French foreign ministry in Paris, used to refer to the ministry itself.

Quatorze juillet
"14th July" Bastille Day. The beginning of the French Revolution in 1789; used to refer to the Revolution itself and its ideals. It is the French National Day.

quel dommage!
"What a pity!"

quelle horreur!
What a horrible thing! (can be used sarcastically).

quelle surprise!
"What a surprise!"

Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
"What is this/that?"

qui vive ?
"who is living?" (modern language : who is here ?) : a sentry's challenge. Obsolete, but for the expressions "sur le qui-vive" (literally "on the point of saying qui vive") — on the alert, vigilant — and "il n'y a pas âme qui vive" (literally "no soul is/lives here", soul meaning person).

quoi de neuf?
"What's new?" What's up?

[edit] R

raconteur
a conversationalist

raison d'État
reason of state (always with a capital "É" in French).

raison d'être
"reason for being" : justification or purpose of existence

rapport
to be in someone's "good graces"; to be in synch with someone; "I've developed a rapport with my co-workers"; French for: relationship

rapprochement
the establishment of cordial relations, often used in diplomacy

reconnaissance
scouting; like connoisseur, modern French use a "a", never a "o" (as in reconnoissance).

reportage
reporting; journalism

répondez s'il vous plaît. (RSVP)
Please reply. Though francophones may use more usually "prière de répondre", it is common enough. (Note: RSLP ["Répondre s'il lui plaît"] is used on old-fashioned invitations written in the 3rd person, usually in "Script" typography — at least in Belgium.)

ressentiment
a deep-seated sense of aggrievement and powerlessness

restaurateur
a restaurant owner

Rive Gauche
the left (southern) bank (of the River Seine in Paris). A particular mindset attributed to inhabitants of that area, which includes the Sorbonne

roi fainéant
"do-nothing king" : an expression first used about the kings of France from 670 to 752 (Thierry III to Childeric III), who were puppets of their ministers. The term was later used about other royalty who had been made powerless, also in other countries, but lost its meaning when parliamentarism made all royals powerless.

rôle
a part or function of a person in a situation or an actor in a play

roman à clef
"novel with a key" : an account of actual persons, places or events in fictional guise

roué
an openly debauched, lecherous older man

roux
a cooked mixture of flour and fat used as a base in soups and gravies

[edit] S

sabotage
subversive destruction, from the practice of workers fearful of industrialization destroying machines by tossing their sabots ("wooden shoes") into machinery

saboteur
one who commits sabotage

Sacrebleu!
"holy Blue!" general exclamation of horror and shock; a stereotypical minced oath. Very dated in France and rarely heard.

sang-froid
"cold blood" : coolness and composure under strain; stiff upper lip. Also pejorative in the phrase meurtre de sang-froid ("cold-blooded murder").

sans
without

sans-culottes
"without knee-pants", a name the insurgent crowd in the streets of Paris gave to itself during the French Revolution, because they usually wore pantaloons (full-length pants or trousers) instead of the chic knee-length culotte of the nobles. In modern use: holding strong republican views.

saperlipopette
goodness me

sauté
lit. jumped ; quickly fry in a small amount of oil.

sauve qui peut!
those who can should save themselves. Used as a pragmatic response to an accident. Equivalent to the English "every man for himself".

savant
"knowing" : a wise or learned person; in English, one exceptionally gifted in a narrow skill.

savoir-faire
literally "know how to do"; to respond appropriately to any situation.

savoir-vivre
fact of following conventional norms within a society; etiquette (etiquette also comes from a French word, "étiquette")

s'il vous plaît (SVP)
"if it pleases you", "if you please"

si vous préférez
"if you prefer"

sobriquet
an assumed name, a nickname (often used in a pejorative way in French)

soi-disant
so-called; self-described; literally "oneself saying"

soigné
fashionable; polished

soirée
an evening party

sommelier
a wine steward

soupçon
a very small amount (In French, can also mean suspicion)

soupe du jour
"soup of the day", meaning the particular kind of soup offered that day

succès d’estime
a "success in the estimation of others", sometimes used pejoratively

il faut souffrir pour être belle
"beauty does not come without suffering" ; lit. "you have to suffer to be pretty"

sur le tas
as one goes along; on the fly

Système D
resourcefulness, or ability to work around the system; from débrouillard, one with the knack of making do. A typical phrase using this concept would translate directly to "Thanks to System D, I managed to fix this cupboard without the missing part."

[edit] T

tableau
chalkboard. The meaning is broader in French : all type of board (chalkboard, whiteboard, notice board...). Refers also to a painting (see tableau vivant, below) or a table (chart).

tant mieux
so much the better.

tant pis
"too bad," "oh well, that's tough".

tenné
orange-browm, 'rust' colour, not commonly used outside of heraldic emblazoning.

tête-à-tête
"head to head"; an intimate get-together or private conversation between two people.

toilette
the process of dressing or grooming. Also refers in French, when plural ("les toilettes"), to the toilet room.

torsade de pointes
meaning "twisting around a point", used to describe a particular type of heart rhythm.

touché
acknowledgment of an effective counterpoint; literally "touched" or "hit!" Comes from the fencing vocabulary.

tour de force
"feat of strength" : a masterly or brilliant stroke, creation, effect, or accomplishment.

tout de suite
lit. everything (else) follows; "at once", "immediately" (per Oxford English Dictionary).

très
very (often ironic in English)

très beau
very beautiful

trompe-l'œil
photograph-like realism in painting; literally "trick the eye"

[edit] U

unique
One of a kind. Unique is considered a paradigmatic absolute and therefore something cannot be very unique.

[edit] V

vas-y!
Go Ahead! Used to encourage someone (pronounced vah-zee)

va-t'en!
imperative form, like above, literally meaning "Go from here" but translating more closely as "Go away". Roughly equivalent to idiomatic English get lost or get out.

vendu (pl. vendus)
sellout. Lit. sold (past tense of "vendre" = to sell); used as a noun, it means someone who betrays for money.

venu/e
invited man/woman for a show, once ("come"); unused in modern French, though it can still be used in a few expressions like bienvenu/e (literally well come : welcome) or le premier venu (anyone; literally, the first who came).

vin de pays
literally "county wine"; wine of a lower designated quality than appellation controlée

vinaigrette
salad dressing of oil and vinegar; diminutive of vinaigre (vinegar)

vis-à-vis
"face to face [with]" : in comparison with or in relation to; opposed to. From "vis" (conjugated form of "voir", to see). In French, it's also a real estate vocabulary word meaning that your windows and your neighbours' are within sighting distance (more precisely, that you can see inside of their home).

viva, vive [...]!
"Long live...!"; lit. "Live"; as in "Vive la France!", "Vive la République!", “Vive la Résistance!”, "Vive le Canada!", or "Vive le Québec libre!" (long live free Quebec, a sovereigntist slogan famously used by French President Charles de Gaulle in 1967 in Montreal). Unlike "viva" or "vivat", it cannot be used as such, it needs a complement.

vive la différence!
"[long] live the difference"; originally referring to the difference between the sexes, the phrase may be used to celebrate the difference between any two groups of people (or simply the general diversity of individuals)

voilà!
literally "see there"; in French it can mean simply "there it is"; in English it is generally restricted to a triumphant revelation.

volte-face
a complete reversal of opinion or position, about face

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir) ?
"Do you want to sleep with me (tonight)? " In English it appears in Tennessee Williams's play A Streetcar Named Desire, as well as in the lyrics of a popular song by Labelle, "Lady Marmalade". In French, it is a rude and cheesy pick-up line ("coucher" is vulgar in French).

voyeur
lit. someone who sees; a peeping tom.

[edit] W - X - Y - Z

le zinc
bar/café counter.

zut alors!
"Damn it!" or the British expression "Blimey!", a general exclamation. Just plain zut is also in use — often repeated for effect, for example, zut, zut et zut! There is an album by Frank Zappa titled Zoot Allures. The phrase is also used on the Saturday Night Live Weekend Update sketch by recurring character Jean K. Jean, played by Kenan Thompson.

[edit] Not used as such in French

Through the evolution of the language, there are many words and phrases that are not used anymore in French. Also, there are those which, even though they are grammatically correct, are not used as such in French or do not have the same meaning.

accoutrement
personal military or fighting armaments worn about one's self; has come to mean the accompanying items available to pursue a mission. In French, means a funny or ridiculous clothing; often a weird disguise or a getup, though it can be said also for people with bad taste in clothing.

agent provocateur
a police spy who infiltrates a group to disrupt or discredit it. In French it has both a broader and more specific meaning. The Académie française, in its dictionary, says that an agent provocateur is a person working for another State or a political party (for examples), whose mission is to provoke troubles in order to justify repression.

appliqué
an inlaid or attached decorative feature. Lit. "applied", though this meaning doesn't exist as such in French, the dictionary of the Académie française indicates that in the context of the arts, "arts appliqués" is synonym of decorative arts.

après-ski
after skiing socializing after a ski session; in French, this word refers to boots used to walk in snow (e.g. MoonBoots).

artiste
a skilled performer, a person with artistic pretentions. In French : an artist. Can be used ironically for a person demonstrating little professional skills or passion.

auteur
A film director, specifically one who controls most aspects of a film, or other controller of an artistic situation. The English connotation derives from French film theory. It was popularized in the journal Cahiers du cinéma: auteur theory maintains that directors like Hitchcock exert a level of creative control equivalent to the author of a literary work. In French, the word means author, but some expressions like "cinéma d'auteur" are also in use.

au naturel
nude; in French, literally, in a natural manner or way ("au" is the contraction of "à le", masculine form of "à la"). It means "in an unaltered way" and can be used either for people or things. For people, it rather refers to a person who doesn't use make-up or artificial manners (un entretien au naturel = a backstage interview). For things, it means that they weren't altered. Often used in cooking, like "thon au naturel" : canned tuna without any spices or oil. Also in heraldry, meaning "in natural colours", especially flesh colour, which is not one of the "standard" colours of heraldry.

à la mode
fashionable; also, with ice cream (in the U.S.) or with cheese in some U.S. regions. In French, it only means "fashionable".

baguette
a long, narrow loaf of bread with a crispy crust, otherwise called 'French bread' in the United Kingdom and United States. In French, a "baguette" refers to many objects which are long and narrow, including some kind of bread described above (which has also some subvarieties), a magical wand or chopsticks. Also, there are many varieties of bread, and some "French bread" are not called in France "baguette", but rather "épi" or "ficelle".

bête noire
a scary or unpopular person, idea, or thing, or the archetypical scary monster in a story; literally "black beast." In French, "être la bête noire de quelqu'un" ("to be somebody's bête noire") means that you're particularly hated by this person or this person has a strong aversion against you, regardless of whether you're scary or not. The dictionary of the Académie française only admits its use for people, though other dictionaries admits it for things or ideas too. It's familiar in French.

boutique
a clothing store, usually selling designer/one off pieces rather than mass-produced clothes. Can also describe a quirky and/or upmarket hotel. In french, it can describe any shop, clothing or otherwise.

boutonnière
In English, a boutonnière is a flower placed in the buttonhole of a suit jacket. In French, a boutonnière is the buttonhole itself.

bureau de change (pl. bureaux de change)
a currency exchange. In French, it means the office where you can change your currency.

c'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la guerre
"it is magnificent, but it is not war" — quotation from Marshal Pierre Bosquet commenting on the charge of the Light Brigade. Unknown quotation in French.

cap-à-pied
from head to foot; modern French uses de pied en cap.

cause célèbre
An issue arousing widespread controversy or heated public debate, lit. famous cause. It's correct grammatically, but the expression is not used in French.

cinq à sept
extraconjugal affair between five and seven pm. In French, though it can also mean this, it primarily means any relaxing time with friends between the end of work and the beginning of the marital obligations.

chanson
1) a classical "art song," equiv. to the German lied or the Italian aria; or 2) in Russian, a cabaret-style sung narrative, usually rendered by a guttural male voice with guitar accompaniment. In French, it simply means a song.

claque
a group of admirers; in old French, the claque was a group of people paid to applaud or disturb a piece at the theater; in modern French, it means "a slap"; "clique" is used in this sense (but in a pejorative way).

coiffeur
hairstyle. In French, means a hairstylist, a hairdresser, a barber.

connoisseur
an expert in wines, fine arts, or other matters of culture; a person of refined taste. It is spelled connaisseur in modern French.

corsage
A bouquet of flowers worn on a woman's dress or worn around her wrist. In French, it refers to a woman's chest (from shoulder to waist) and, by extension, the part of a woman's garment which covers this area.

coup de main (pl. coups de main)
a surprise attack. In French, "[donner] un coup de main" means "[to give] a hand" (to give assistance). Even if the English meaning exists as well, it is old-fashioned.

coup d'état (pl. coups d'État)
a sudden change in government by force; literally "hit (blow) of state". French uses the capital É, because using or not a capital change the sense of the word (État : a State, as in a country; état : a state of being). It also can NOT be shortened as "coup", which means something else altogether in French.

crudité
an appetizer consisting of grated raw vegetables soaked in a vinaigrette. In French, it means uncooked vegetable, traditionally served as an entrée (first part of the meal, contrary to an appetizer which is considered as outside of the meal), with or without a vinaigrette or another sauce. Almost always used in the plural form in French (as in, crudités).

début
first public performance of an entertainment personality or group. In French, it means "beginning". The English sense of the word exist only when in plural form : "[faire] ses débuts [sur scène]" (to make one's débuts on the scene).

décolletage
a low-cut neckline, cleavage (This is actually a case of "false friends": Engl. décolletage = Fr. décolleté; Fr. décolletage means: 1. action of lowering a female garment's neckline; 2. Agric.: cutting leaves from some cultivated roots such as beets, carrots, etc.; 3. Tech. Operation consisting of making screws, bolts, etc. one after another out of a single bar of metal on a parallel lathe.

déjà entendu/lu
already heard/read. They do not exist as an expression in French: the Académie française[4] says that un déjà vu (a feeling of something already seen) can be used but not un déjà entendu or un déjà lu.

démarche
a decisive step. In French, it means all the different kinds of manners you can walk.

dépanneur
a neighbourhood general/convenience store, term used in eastern Canada (often shortened to "dép" or "dep"). In French, it means a repairman. A convenience store would be a "supérette" or "épicerie [de quartier]".

émigré
one who has emigrated for political reasons. In French, it means someone who emigrated. To imply the political reason, French would use of the word "exilé" (exiled).

encore
A request to repeat a performance, as in “Encore !”, lit. again; also used to describe additional songs played at the end of a gig. Francophones would say «Une autre !» (Another one !) to request « un rappel » (an encore).

en masse
in a mass or group, all together. In French, 'mass' only refers to a physical mass, whether for people or objects. It cannot be used for something immaterial, like, for example, the voice : "they all together said 'get out'" would be translated as "ils ont dit 'dehors' en choeur" ([like a chorus]). Also, 'en masse' refers to numerous people or objects (a crowd or a mountain of things).

en suite
as a set (do not confuse with "ensuite", meaning "then"). In French, "suite", when in the context of a hotel, already means several rooms following each other. "J'ai loué une suite au Ritz" would be translated as "I rented a suite at the Ritz". "En suite" is not grammatically incorrect in French, but it's not an expression in itself and it is not used.

épée
a fencing weapon descended from the duelling sword. In French, apart from fencing (the sport) the term is more generic : it means sword.

escritoire
a writing table. It is spelt écritoire in modern French.

exposé
a published exposure of a fraud or scandal (past participle of "to expose"); in French refers to a talk or a report on any kind of subject.

extraordinaire
extraordinary, out of the ordinary capacity for a person. In French, it simply means extraordinary (adjective) and can be used for either people, things or concepts. The rule that systematically puts 'extraordinary' after the noun in English is also wrong, because in French, an adjective can be put before the noun to emphasize - which is particularly the case for the adjective 'extraordinaire'. In fact, French people would just as well use 'un musicien extraordinaire' as 'un extraordinaire musicien' (an extraordinary male musician, but the latter emphasizes his being extraordinary).

femme
a stereotypically effeminate gay man or lesbian (slang, pronounced as written). In French, femme (pronounced 'fam') means "woman".

fin de siècle
comparable to (but not exactly the same as) turn-of-the-century but with a connotation of decadence, usually applied to the period from 1890 through 1910. In French, it means "end of the century", but it isn't a recognized expression as such.

foible
a minor weakness or quirkiness. The word is spelt faible in French and means "weak" (adjective). Weakness is translated as faiblesse (noun).

forte
a strength, a strong point, typically of a person, from the French fort (strong) and/or Italian forte (strong, esp. "loud" in music) and/or Latin forte (neutral form of fortis, strong). French use "fort" both for people and objects.
According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, "In forte we have a word derived from French that in its "strong point" sense has no entirely satisfactory pronunciation. Usage writers have denigrated \'for-"tA\ and \'for-tE\ because they reflect the influence of the Italian-derived forte. Their recommended pronunciation \'fort\, however, does not exactly reflect French either: the French would write the word le fort and would rhyme it with English for [French doesn't pronounce the final "t"]. All are standard, however. In British English \'fo-"tA\ and \'fot\ predominate; \'for-"tA\ and \for-'tA\ are probably the most frequent pronunciations in American English."
The New Oxford Dictionary of English derives it from fencing. In French, "le fort d'une épée" is the third of a spade nearer the hilt, the strongest part of the sword used for parrying.

fromage
cheese. Used in place of Say cheese. when taking pictures of people to get them to sm
Homme Fatal   Fri Apr 23, 2010 4:08 am GMT
Paul   Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:47 am GMT
The state of English is so bad, that essentially, one could pretty much write plainly in french with maybe a few English words here and there, and it would be considered acceptable english prose - and of high quality at that.
Pure Greatness   Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:51 am GMT
Only cunts use those words.
WHARFFINGER   Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:40 am GMT
So sorry to burst your bubble, but I have never ever heard of 90% of those words and sayings spoken in England before. The rest of them are pretensious media elite speak, which in itself, has never ever drifted down to the bulk of everyday British folk. Nobody up until World War Two and the wireless, or the younger folk since the naughties, have ever even heard of any of them let alone use them. The whopping bulk of everyday Brits have always read newspapers like the sun. Anyway, speaking pretensious French bollocks has almost utterly gone out of fashion these days and is so last centuary.
Matematik   Fri Apr 23, 2010 9:40 am GMT
French litter their speech with far more Angloisms than British do with French sayyings. To be honest, the only time I've ever heard a Brit use a French saying is David Jason in Only fools and Horses and that sums up well what people think of it.
encore   Fri Apr 23, 2010 10:15 am GMT
Mots français d'origine anglaisebadge
badge
barman
best of
best-seller
bitter
blazer
bluff
bookmaker
boomer
booster
boss,
boycott , boycotter
brainstorming
brain-trust
break (faire un break)
bulldozer
bungalow
bunker (fossé dans un green)
bun petit pain ou petit gâteau
business
canif [prononciation française de knife (k-nife)]
cash
casting
charter
check-up
club
cocktail
coke
cool
cosy
cowboy, cracking (terme technique de raffinage)
cracker (sorte de biscuit)
crash
dancing
dealer
docker
drink
drive, driver (sport)
drive-in
duffel-coat (duffle-coat)
fair-play
fan [abréviation de « fanatic »]
fast-food
feedback
feeling
ferry[-boat]
flipper
free-lance
freezer
gag,
groom
goal
hall [de l'ancien français : hale (du francique « halla : foule, assemblée, lieu d'assemblée)]
handicap
has been
hi-fi
hit-parade
hold-up
hot-dog
handicap > handicapé
hippie
hype
hamburger
job
joker
kidnapping (francisation : kidnappage)
knock-out (K.O.)
know-how
leader
leggings
living-room
lock-out
look
lobby (lobbying)
match
marshmallow
marketing mess (jargon militaire)
milk-shake
muffin

O.K.,
outsider
overbooké
overdose
paletot (francisation de paltok, lui-même dérivé de l'ancien français : paletoc)
parking
pedigree
penalty
pick-pocket
passing-shot (piercing
pin's
play back
planning
poker
porridge
pressing
prime-time
pull-over
redingote (déformation de riding-coat)
remake
reporter
ring
rocking-chair
roller
rom
rosbif (francisation récente de roastbeef)
rush puzzle
sandwich (self-control, littéralement : la maîtrise de soi
self-made man,
self-service,
sex-appeal
sex-shop
sex-symbol
shoot
shopping
show
showtime
skateboard
skinhead
skipper
slip
slogan
socquette [francisation de socket ; ancien français : sochet, soket (petit soc de charrue)]
speaker
smash
snack
snob
sponsor
spot
sprint
standard
standing ovation
star
starter
start-up
station
steak
stock et ses dérivés : stock-options, stock-car
stop
sunlight
surf
string
sweat-shirt"
talkie-walkie, qui vient de l'anglais walkie talkie
tank
tender (wagon)
T-shirt
tunnel, du français « tonnelle »
turf
W.C.
week-end,
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mots_fran%C3%A7ais_d'origine_anglaise
newsletter
newsbar
speeder
zoomin
podcast
cowboy
star
news
web
wagon
You have forgotten   Fri Apr 23, 2010 10:35 am GMT
le foot
racing
Aritmetik   Sat Apr 24, 2010 2:55 am GMT
<< French litter their speech with far more Angloisms than British do with French sayyings. To be honest, the only time I've ever heard a Brit use a French saying is David Jason in Only fools and Horses and that sums up well what people think of it. >>

<< le foot
racing >>

Stupid! It's the other way around. The English language is filled with French expressions whether you like it or not. You can see it in the ff. words which the anlgos failed to anglicize the pronunciation or spelling.

example(s):

Façade - This word is spelled in English as facade and retained the orinal pronunciation. It could have pronounced as "fakeyd" or spelled as "fassad"

Foyer - With original pronounciation. It could be spelled as "fwoyay".

Debut - Pronounced as "debyoo". Spelling should be "debbew"

Machine - Should have been spelled as "masheen" or pronounced as "machein".

Omellete - Should be spelled as "Omelet.

Group - e is removed at the end of the word nevertheless it should have spelled as 'groop".

Gourmet - Should have spelled as 'goormay"

Emigré - should be spelled as Emigray.

Clairvoyance - Should be spelled as "clairvwoyans"

Voyeur - Should have been spelled as "vwayer"

Roulet - "roolay"

And a lot more.

English language is weak because it keeps on borrowing words from other languages but fail to anglicize their spelling or pronunciation.

Take for example the word "Czechoslovakia". The spelling is obviously Polish. They couldn't use the use Čechoslovakia because the "Č" is how the sound "ch" is represented in Czech and Slovak and it would make it unusual in English. "Ch" is Polish for that sound. So weird when the word could have been spelled as "Checoslovakia" but it shows the inconsistency of the English speakers.

BTW, the "Ch" has 3 sounds in English for words like:

1. "Cheese" which is the primary sound

2. "Chalet" pronounced as "shalay" which is French loanword

3. "Chronometer" A greek loanword pronounced as "ch" is pronounced as "k" sound
Homme Fatal   Sat Apr 24, 2010 2:57 am GMT
List of English words of French origin

A great number of words of French origin have entered the English language to the extent that many Latin words have come to the English language. Most of the French vocabulary now appearing in English was imported over the centuries following the Norman Conquest of 1066, when England came under the administration of Norman-speaking peoples. According to different sources, around one third of all English words have a French origin. This fact suggests that at least 20,000 words should appear in this list (however the following list only contains about 1,600 words).

Many non-Latin Germanic words have also entered English from the Germanic element in French (see also French words of Germanic origin). Since English is of Germanic origin, via the influences apparent in modern Dutch (or Frisian languages), ascertaining whether a given Germanic word is definitely from French can be difficult in a few cases.

There is a fake language game that consists in converting French-origin words into Germanic-origin words to make the English language seem purer. Hence, rock becomes stone and pure becomes black.

* abbatial (Fr. abbatial)
* abbreviation, from abréviation
* abet
* abhor (Fr. abhorrer)
* ability (Fr. habilité)
* abjection
* ablation (Fr. ablation)
* ablative
* able, from Old French, compare modern Fr. habile or capable
* ablution
* abnormal compare anormal
* abolish, compare abolir
* abomination
* abortive
* abound
* abridge, Fr. abréger
* absence
* absolute, from Middle French, compare modern Fr. absolu
* absorb (Fr. absorber)
* abstain (Old Fr. abstenir)
* abstinence
* abstract
* abstruse
* abundance (Old Fr. abundance, now abondance)
* abuse (Fr. abuser)
* academic (Fr. académique)
* academy, compare académie
* Acadia (Fr. Acadie)
* acceleration (Fr. accélération)
* accent (Fr. accent)
* accept (Fr accepter)
* access (Fr. accès)
* accession
* accident
* acclimate (Fr. acclimater)
* accolade (Fr. accolade)
* accommodation
* accompany (Fr. accompagner)
* accomplice (Fr. complice)
* accomplish (Fr. accomplir)
* accord
* accost
* account (Fr. compte)
* accourtre
* accoutrement (Fr. accoutrement)
* accredit
* accrue
* accusation
* accusative (Old Fr. accusatif)
* accuse
* accustom (Old Fr. acostumer, now accoutumer)
* ace, compare as
* acid, compare acide
* acoustic, compare acoustique
* acquisitive
* acquit
* acrobat (Fr. acrobate)
* acrostic, compare acrostiche
* action
* activity, compare activité
* adaptation
* adhesive, compare adhésif or feminine form adhésive
* adieu, which literally means "to God" (à Dieu), farewell
* adjective, compare adjectif
* administer (Fr. administrer)
* admire, compare admirer
* adolescence
* adopt, compare adopter
* adore, from Old French, compare modern Fr. adorer
* adroit
* advantage, compare avantage
* adventure, from Old French, compare modern Fr. aventure
* adverb, compare adverbe
* adversary, from Old French, compare modern Fr. adversaire
* advertisement, compare avertissement (warning)
* advise, compare aviser (to assess [a situation])
* advocate (noun), from Old French avocat - in modern French this means an attorney or lawyer
* affair, from Old French, compare modern Fr. affaire (business)
* affection
* affiliation
* affinity, compare affinité
* affliction
* affluence
* age
* agent provocateur
* aggression, compare agression
* à gogo, or a-go-go, in abundance
* agree (Old Fr. agreer)
* agreeable, compare agréable
* aid (Old Fr. aide)
* aim (Old Fr. esmar)
* à la, in the style of...
* alabaster, from Old French alabastre (>Latin> Greek> Ancient Egyptian a-labaste)
* à la carte
* alas, from Old French, compare modern Fr. hélas
* alert, compare alerte
* align, compare aligner
* allocation
* allure, look or air
* almond, from Old French, compare modern Fr. amande; compare also Spanish almendra. //NOTE: I believe almond (and almendra) come from arabic
* amateur
* ambience
* ambiguous, from ambigu
* ambition
* ambergris, from ambre gris, grey amber
* ambulance
* ameliorate
* ammunition, from munition
* amnesty, compare amnistie
* amorous, from Old French, compare modern Fr. amoureux
* ample
* amplitude
* amusement
* analyse, compare analyser
* animal
* anarchism
* anarchist (Fr. anarchiste)
* anatomy, compare anatomie
* ancestor, from Old French, compare modern Fr. ancêtre
* ancient, compare ancien
* angle
* anglophobe, someone who fears or dislikes England or the English
* anglophone, a speaker of English (Fr. anglophone)
* anguish (from Old French anguisse, now angoisse)
* anise
* annals
* annex, compare annexer
* annihilation
* announce
* annoy, from Old French anoier, now ennuyer
* annual (Fr. annuel)
* annuity (Fr. annuité)
* annular (Fr. annulaire)
* anoint, compare oindre
* anomie
* antecedent, compare antécédent
* anther, compare anthère
* antique
* apartment, compare appartement
* aplomb
* apostrophe
* apparel, from Old French, compare modern Fr. appareil
* application
* appliqué
* apprehend, compare appréhender
* après-ski
* apropos, compare à propos
* arbitrage
* arcade
* archetype
* area, from aire
* arête, a mountainous ridge
* argent (Fr. argent)
* argue, from Old French, compare modern Fr. arguer
* army, compare armée> desarmée, armement Le français langue de la guerre et de l'amour (French as language of war and love)
* arrest, from O.Fr. arester
* article
* artificial, from artificiel
* artist (Fr. artiste)
* assembly (Fr. assembler)
* assume, from assumer (in its old meaning : to suppose)
* assurance
* attack (Fr. attaque)
* attaché
* attorney (Fr. procureur)
* attitude
* aubergine, British name for eggplant
* au naturel
* aunt (Old Fr. ante)
* authority (Fr. autorité)
* avalanche
* avenue (Fr. avenue)
* average (Fr. moyenne)
* averment
* aversion (Fr. aversion)
* avert
* aviation (Fr. aviation)
* avid (Fr. avide)
* avocet
* avoid (Old Fr. evuider)
* avoirdupois
* avouch
* avow (Fr. aveu)
* axiom (Fr. axiome)
* aye-aye
* azimuth (from Old French, from Arabic as-sumut)
* azure (Old Fr. azur, from Old Spanish azur, from Arabic, in turn from Persian)hi

* bacon
* bag, from both Old Norse "baggi" and Old French "bague" (bundle)
* baggage, from French bagage
* ballet
* band, from bande
* bandeau, a type of headdress
* banquet
* barge
* baroque
* barrel (Fr. baril)
* barren, from Old French
* barricade
* barrier
* base
* Baton Rouge, Bâton Rouge
* battle (Old Fr. bataille)
* bay, compare baie
* bayonet, compare baïonnette
* beagle (Fr. bagle)
* beak, compare bec
* Béarnaise, a type of sauce, named after a region in France (Béarn)
* beau, a lover or a dandy
* beauty (Old Fr. beauté)
* beast (Old Fr. beste)
* beaux arts, fine arts
* beef (Fr. boeuf)
* benefit (Fr. bénéfice)
* beret, compare béret
* bête noire
* bicycle, compare bicyclette > vélo
* bidet
* bikini
* billet
* billet-doux, a love letter
* binge, after a beer-festival in Binche, Belgium
* biscuit
* bistro
* bivouac
* bizarre
* blank (Old Fr. blanc)
* blanket, from Old French blanquette Blanquette de veau
* blasé
* bloc > blocage
* blonde
* boil (Old Fr. boilir)
* Boise
* bomb
* bombard (Fr. "bombarde")
* bombe
* bon appétit
* bon mot
* bonnet, from Old French, compare modern Fr. bonnet
* bon-vivant
* bon voyage
* bon-bon (Fr. "bonbon")
* bouillabaisse
* boule
* boulevard
* bound (leap), from bond
* bouquet
* bourgeoisie
* bracelet
* bran, from Old French bran or bren
* brandish, compare brandir
* brasserie
* brassiere, compare brassière, although the modern French for this is soutien-gorge
* brave
* bravery
* bric-a-brac
* brigade
* brilliant, compare brillant
* brioche
* briquette
* brochure, from brocher - to stitch
* broderie anglaise, a type of embroidery
* brunette
* buckle, compare boucle
* budget, from Old Fr. bougette (a little purse)
* buffet
* bullet, from boulette, although the modern French for this is balle
* bureau
* button, from bouton


* cabal, compare cabale
* cabaret
* cache, compare cacher
* cadet
* café
* cafetière
* cagoule
* cajole, compare cajoler
* calque
* camaraderie
* camouflage
* camp
* campaign, compare campagne
* canapé
* canard, aeronautical term
* cancel, from canceller, evolution of chanceler (1293) (to cross out)
* capacity
* cape, compare cap, land jutting into the sea, as in Cape Horn
* captain (from capitaine)
* car (Norman-Fr. carre)
* card (Fr. carte)
* career (Fr. carrière)
* casserole
* cassette
* castle (Old North Fr. castel)
* castor
* casual (Old Fr. casuel)
* casuist, compare casuiste
* cataclysm
* catalogue
* catch
* category
* caterpillar
* catholic
* cattle
* cause
* cavalry, compare cavalerie
* celebrate, from célébrer
* cement (Old Fr. ciment)
* cense, compare encenser
* censer (Old Fr. censier)
* centime (Fr. centime)
* centre (Old Fr. centre)
* chaise longue or sometimes chaise lounge
* chalet
* chalice, from calice
* chance
* change
* character, from caractère
* chase, compare chasse
* château, compare castle
* chatelaine
* chattel
* chauffeur
* chauvinism
* cheat (Old Fr. escheat)
* check (Old Fr. eschec)
* checkmate, compare échec et mat or possibly from old arabic
* cheer (Old Fr. chiere)
* chef compare chief
* chemise
* chemist, from chimiste
* cheque
* cherish (Old Fr. chériss-)
* cherry (Old North Fr. cherise)
* cheval de frise, a military term
* cheval-glass, from cheval - horse
* Chicago (from Fort Chécagou)
* chief (Old Fr. chief, compare chef)
* chieftain (Old Fr. chevetain, compare chief)
* chiffon
* chivalry
* cinema, compare cinéma
* city (Old Fr. cite)
* claim (Old Fr. clamer)
* clairvoyance
* clarinet, compare clarinette
* classic
* cliché
* cloche, a kind of hat
* closet, from Old French closet
* Coeur d'Alene
* coiffeuse
* coin (Old Fr. coigne)
* collage
* collar, from collier, from cou (neck)
* colonel, compare modern Fr. colonel
* combustible
* comedian and comedienne, compare comédien and comédienne
* comic, from comique (funny)
* commandant, commanding officer
* commendation
* commode
* common
* communion
* communiqué
* communism (Fr. communisme)
* community, from Old Fr. comunalté, modern Fr. communauté
* company (milit.), from compagnie
* competent
* competitor
* complete
* compliment, from compliment
* comrade, from camarade
* concede, from concéder
* congratulations
* connoisseur (from connaisseur)
* conscience
* convenient, from covenant, convenable
* cordon
* cormorant, compare cormoran
* cornet
* corniche
* corporal Old.Fr. corporal
* corps
* corset
* costume
* cotton (Old Fr. 'coton')
* council
* count
* county (Old Fr. comté)
* countenance (Old Fr. : continere, Modern French : contenance)
* counter
* counterfeit, from Old French, compare modern Fr. contrefaire
* country (Old Fr. cuntree)
* coup
* coup d'état
* coup de grâce
* couple
* coupon
* courage (Old Fr. corage)
* courageous
* courgette, in the UK, but called zucchini in the US
* courier
* course
* court
* courtesy
* couscous
* cousin (Old Fr. cosin)
* couture
* couturier
* cover (Old Fr. covrir)
* crème brûlée
* crème caramel
* crème de menthe
* crêpe crêperie
* Croissant - Croissanterie
* croupier
* crouton, from the diminutive form of the old French word, Croust, (later to come into modern French as the word croûte), meaning Crust.
* crown, from couronne
* crust, from Croûte, or Crust, in French.
* cry (Old Fr. crier)
* cuisine
* cul-de-sac
* culotte
* cult (Fr. culte)
* culture (Fr. culture)
* curfew (Fr. couvre-feu)
* custom, from Old French coustume, compare modern Fr. coutume


* dais, from Old French deis
* dalmatic (Old Fr. dalmatique)
* dame
* damage (Old Fr. damage)
* damn (Fr. damner)
* debt (Old Fr. dete)
* déclassé
* décolletage
* décor or decor
* découpage
* defamation, from diffamation
* default, from Old French, compare modern Fr. défaut
* defeat (Fr. "défaite")
* déjà vu
* de luxe or deluxe
* demand
* demi-monde
* démodé
* denouement
* dépanneur
* department
* deploy, from Old French, compare modern Fr. déployer
* depot
* derail, compare dérailler
* derive (Fr. "dérive")
* derogation (Fr. dérogation)
* derrière
* descend (Old Fr. descendre)
* desert (Old Fr. desert)
* Des Moines (Fr. des moines of the monks)
* dessert
* detachment (Fr. détachement)
* detail (Fr. détail)
* detain (Old Fr. detenir)
* détente
* determine
* detonation
* detriment
* Detroit (Fr. détroit = strait)
* deuce, from deux (two)
* development or develop
* deviation
* device (Old Fr. devis)
* devise
* devoid
* devotion
* devour (Old Fr. devorer)
* devout (Old Fr. devot)
* diabolical
* diadem
* diamanté
* diet
* different
* digestion
* dignity (Old Fr. dignete)
* dilate
* diligence
* dime (Old Fr. disme, modern French "dîme", from "dix", ten)
* diplomacy, compare diplomatie
* direction (Fr. direction)
* disadvantage
* disappoint (Fr. desappointer)
* disarm (Old Fr. desarmer)
* discothèque or discotheque, thus disco
* discover (Old Fr. descovrir)
* disguise (Old Fr. desguisier)
* disport (Old Fr. desporter, modern Fr. "déporter")
* diverse
* divinity
* division
* double (Old Fr. duble)
* doubt (Old Fr. douter)
* douche, from French, meaning shower
* dozen, from Old French, compare modern Fr. douzaine
* dress (Old Fr. dresser)
* due (Old Fr. deu)
* during (Old Fr. durer, compare endure)
* duty (Anglo-Fr. duete from Old Fr. deu)
* duvet


* eager, from Old French aigre
* eagle, from Old French, compare modern Fr. aigle
* easy, from Old French, compare modern Fr. aisé
* echelon, compare échelon
* éclair
* ecstasy, from Old Frech, compare modern Fr. extase
* élite
* eloquence, compare éloquence
* emigré
* emir from Fr. émir, colloquial pronunciation of Ar. amir "commander"
* emperor (Old Fr. emperere)
* empire
* emplacement
* employ (Old Fr. employer)
* empress
* enclave
* encore
* encourage, from Old French, compare modern Fr. encourager
* endive
* endue
* endure (Old Fr. endurer)
* endurance
* enfranchise
* enemy (Old Fr. ennemi)
* energy (Fr. énergie)
* engage, compare engager
* enjoy (Old Fr. enjoir)
* enmity, from Old French, compare modern Fr. inimitié
* ennui
* enrage, compare enrager
* enrich, compare enrichir
* ensemble
* en suite
* ensure, from 'assurer
* entente
* enter, compare entrer
* entomb, from Old French, compare modern Fr. entomber
* entrant
* entrée (but is first part of the meal in French)
* entrepreneur (Fr. from entreprendre undertake)
* envelope, compare enveloppe
* environ, from Old French, compare modern Fr. environs
* environment or environmental
* envisage, compare envisager
* envoy, compare envoyé
* envy, compare envier
* epaulet or epaulette, compare épaulette
* épée
* ephebe, from éphèbe
* ephemeral, from "éphémère
* epic, from épique
* epicurean, from épicurien
* epidemic, from épidémie
* epilogue
* episcopal
* episode
* epithet, from épithète
* épris
* equal, from égal
* equality, from Old French, compare modern Fr. égalité
* equation
* equilibrate, from équilibrer
* equipage, compare équipage
* équipe
* equipment, from équipement
* equitable
* equity, from équité
* eradicate, compare éradiquer
* erase, from araser
* erect, from ériger (to build)
* ermine, from hermine
* erode, compare éroder
* erudite, compare érudit
* escapade
* escargots
* escarpment
* essence
* establish (Old Fr. establisse)
* estate (Old Fr. estat)
* ether
* etiquette, étiquette
* Eucharist (Old Fr. eucariste)
* European, compare européen
* evangelist, compare évangéliste
* evaporation, compare évaporation
* evasion, compare évasion
* example
* exclamation
* exhibition (Old Fr. exhibicion)
* expire, compare expirer
* exploit, compare exploiter
* exposé or expose
* extraction (Fr. extraction)
* extraordinaire
* extravagance


* fabric, compare fabrique
* fabulous
* face
* facile
* factor
* faience, compare faïence
* failure
* family
* fanfare
* fantastic
* fantasy, compare fantaisie
* farce
* farm (Old Fr. ferme)
* fashion, from Old French façon
* fatal
* fatigue
* fault (Old Fr. faute)
* faux pas
* feasible
* feast (Old Fr. feste)
* feint, compare feinte
* felicity, from Old French, compare modern Fr. félicité
* felon, from Old French, compare modern Fr. félon
* female (Old Fr. femelle)
* feminine, compare féminin
* fertility, compare fertilité
* figure
* fiancé
* fierce
* fillet, compare filet
* film noir
* final
* finance
* fine (Old Fr. fin)
* flageolet
* flambé tarte flambée
* flan
* flèche
* fleur-de-lis
* flexible
* floret, from Old French, compare modern Fr. fleurette
* florin
* floss
* flourish (Old Fr. floriss, compare flower)
* flower (Old Fr. fleur)
* fluid, compare fluide
* flux
* foliage (Fr. feuillage)
* folly (Old Fr. folie)
* fondant
* font (Fr. fonte)
* fool (Old Fr. fol)
* force majeure
* foreign (Old Fr. forain)
* forest (Old Fr. forest)
* forte compare fort (strong)
* fortune
* found (Old Fr. founder)
* fountain from O.Fr. fontaine, still used in modern french.
* foyer
* fracas
* fraction, from Old French, compare modern Fr. fraction
* franchise
* francophone, a speaker of French (Fr. francophone)
* frappé
* frigate, compare frégate
* frisson
* fritter, compare friture
* frontier
* fruit
* function (Old Fr. function)
* fund
* fuselage
* fusible
* fusion
* futile
* future (Old Fr. futur)


* gabardine
* gaffe
* gallant, compare galant
* gallop, from galop
* galvanize
* ganache
* gangrene
* gangue
* garage
* garter, from Old French, compare modern Fr. jarretière
* gasket
* gateau
* gauche
* gay (Old Fr. gai)
* gel
* gelatin or gelatine, from gélatine
* gem, from gemme
* general
* generic
* generosity
* generous
* gender, from genre
* genial
* genius, from génie
* gent
* gentle, from Old Fr. gentil (both noble and sweet)
* genteel
* gently, from gentiment
* gesticulation
* gesture, from geste (movement)
* giant
* gigantism
* gigolo
* gleet (Old Fr. glette)
* glissade
* globe (Fr. globe)
* global
* goblet, from Old Fr. gobelet (a deep cup)
* gondolier
* gorge
* gorgeous
* gouache
* gourmet
* govern, governance, government, governor
* grace
* gracious, from Old French, compare modern Fr. gracieux
* grammar, from Old French, compare modern Fr. grammaire
* grand
* grant
* gratin
* grief
* group
* gruel, from gruau
* guard, from garde
* guide
* guillotine
* gulf, from Old French, compare modern Fr. golfe


* hangar
* harlequin, from Arlequin, a character from the Italian comedy
* haste, from OF. (Compare contemporary French hâte)
* haute couture high sewing
* hazard (Old Fr. hasard)
* Hollandaise
* honour or honor, Old French, compare modern Fr. honneur
* hors d'œuvre
* hospital (Fr. hôpital)
* host, compare with "hôte", or, in the meaning of an army, with Old Fr. "ost”
* hostage
* hotel, compare hôtel
* huge (Old Fr. ahuge)
* humanity (Old Fr. humanité)


* illustration
* Illinois
* ignore
* ignorance
* ignorant
* imagine
* imaginative
* immediate
* imbecile, compare imbécile
* indictment
* infant
* infantry (from infanterie)
* influence
* influx
* inform
* information (Old Fr. information)
* infrastructure
* infusion
* ingénue
* injustice (from injustice)
* ink (Old Fr. enque)
* insurance, from assurance
* insurgent, from insurgé
* insurmountable, from insurmontable
* insurrection
* integrate, from intégrer
* integrity
* integrant
* intellect or intellectual
* intelligence
* intention
* intercession
* interchange
* intercourse
* interdict
* interest
* interfere
* interlace
* intense
* intrinsic, compare intrinsèque
* ivory, from Old French, compare modern Fr. ivoire


* jack, Old Fr. jaque or jacque, a garment, from Jacques, general nickname for peasants who used to wear this garment (see jacket)
* jacket, Old Fr. jaquette, diminutive form of jaque
* jade
* j'adoube
* jardiniere
* jargon
* jelly (from gelée)
* je ne sais quoi
* jet
* jetty
* jew, from Old French giu
* jewel, from joyau
* juggle
* joie de vivre
* join, from joindre
* joint
* journey (Old Fr. journée)
* judge, from juge , jugement,
* juggle, from jongler
* juggler
* just, from Old French juste
* justice, from Old French, compare modern Fr. justice


* kepi, compare képi
* kiosk, (Fr. kiosque)
* kermess or kirmess (Fr. kermesse)
* kilo
* kilogram (Fr. kilogramme)
* kilometre (Fr. kilomètre)


* label
* labour or labor, compare labourer
* lace
* lackey, compare laquais
* laissez-faire
* laissez-passer
* lamé
* lancer
* lancet
* language (Old Fr. langage)
* L'Anse aux Meadows (Fr. L'anse aux méduses : Jellyfish Cove)
* large
* largess
* latrine
* launder
* laundry
* laurel
* laver (Fr. laveoir)
* lay, literary sense
* leisure, from Old French, compare modern Fr. loisir
* liaison
* lias
* libel, from Old Fr. un libelle (short memorandum)
* liberal
* liberty (from Old Fr . liberté)
* library
* libre
* license
* licorice
* lieu
* lieutenant
* limousine
* lingerie
* liquor, from liqueur
* litre
* lorgnette
* Louisiana (Fr. Louisiane land of Louis XIV)
* Louisville, Louisville (named after Louis XVI)
* loupe
* love (as used in tennis)
* lozenge, from Old French, compare modern Fr. losange
* luminary, compare luminaire
* lustre or luster


* machine
* madam (Old Fr. ma dame)
* mail (Old Fr. male)
* Maine (name of the former French province of Maine)
* maintain (Old Fr. maintenir)
* maintenance
* maisonette, compare maisonnette
* majesty (Fr. majesté)
* majority (Fr. majorité)
* maladroit
* male (Old Fr. masle)
* malinger (Fr. malingre)
* mangetout
* manger
* mannequin
* manœuvre or manœuver, compare manœuvre
* maquis
* mardi gras
* marine, compare marin
* marionette (Fr. marionnette)
* marmalade, compare marmelade
* marriage, compare mariage
* marshal, from Old French, compare modern Fr. maréchal
* marvel
* marvelous, from merveilleux
* mascot
* masculine
* mask, compare masque
* masque
* mass (Old Fr. masse)
* massacre, compare massacrer
* massage
* masseur
* masseuse
* mathematics
* matron
* mattress, from Old French, compare modern Fr. matelas
* May, compare mai
* Mayday, from m'aider which means literally to help me
* medal, compare médaille
* mediocre, compare médiocre
* mêlée
* memory, (from mémoire)
* ménage à trois
* mercy (Old Fr. mercit, merci)
* meridian
* merit
* merle
* merlin (from Old Fr. esmerillon via Anglo-Fr. merilun)
* merlon
* meringue
* mésalliance
* mesclun
* mess
* message
* messenger
* Messiah (Fr. Messie)
* messianic (Fr. messianique)
* metro (Fr. métro)
* military
* mille-feuille
* Mille Lacs (USA), means thousand lakes
* milliard (Fr. milliard)
* million
* millionaire (Fr. millionnaire)
* miniature
* mine or mining, as in a coal mine
* minister (Old Fr. ministre)
* minstrel
* mitten, compare mitaine
* modern
* modify
* module
* moil
* moist (Old Fr. moiste, now "moîte")
* moment (Old Fr. moment)
* monad
* monarch (from monarque)
* monarchism (from monarchisme)
* monarchy (from monarchie)
* monetary (from monétaire)
* money (Old Fr moneie)
* monition
* monster (Fr. monstre)
* monobloc
* monocle
* monogamy (Fr. monogamie)
* monogram
* monolith
* monologue (Fr. monologue)
* montage
* morgue
* mortality
* mosaic (Fr. mosaïque)
* motif
* mot juste
* mount (from mont)
* mountain (from montagne)
* mousse
* moustache or mustache, compare moustache
* move (Old Fr. moveir)
* movement (from mouvement)
* muffle (Old Fr. moufle)
* mule, as a type of footwear
* murder (Old Fr. murdre)
* muscle
* musket (from mousquet)
* musketeer (from mousquetaire)
* mustard, from Old French, compare modern Fr. moutarde
* mutton
* mystery (Old Fr. mystère)
* mystic
* mystique


* nacelle
* naïve
* née or nee, feminine past participle of naître to be born
* Nez perce (Fr. Nez percés = Pierced noses)
* nice (Old Fr. nice)
* niche
* nicotine, from Jean Nicot
* niece (Fr. nièce)
* noble
* noblesse oblige
* noise (Old Fr. noise)
* nonpareil
* note
* notice
* nouveau
* nouveau riche
* nouveau roman
* nouvelle cuisine
* nouvelle vague
* novel
* novelty
* november
* novice (Old Fr. novice)
* nuance
* nuisance
* null
* nullity (Fr. nullité)
* number (Old Fr. nombre)
* numerator
* numismatic
* nun (Old Fr. nonne)
* nurse
* nurture
* nutrition (Fr. nutrition)
* nutritive
* nymph (Old Fr. nimphe)


* oboe (via Italian), from French "haut bois”
* ocean, from O.Fr. occean
* œuvre
* offend
* offense (Fr. offense)
* office
* officer (Old Fr. officier)
* official
* ogive (Fr. ogive)
* ogre
* oil (Old Fr. oile)
* ointment (Old Fr. oignement)
* olive
* omelette, compare omelette
* omission
* omnibus
* opacity
* opal
* operation
* opinion (Old Fr. opinion)
* opportune
* opportunism (Fr.opportunisme)
* opportunity
* oppose (Old Fr. opposer)
* opposite
* opposition (Old Fr. oposicion)
* oppress (Old Fr. oppresser)
* optative (Fr. optatif)
* optician
* optimism (Fr. optimisme)
* option
* oracle (Old Fr. oracle)
* orange (Old Fr. orenge)
* ordain (Old Fr. ordener)
* order (Old Fr. ordre)
* organic
* organism
* organise
* orgy
* origin
* original
* ormolu
* ornament
* ornithopter
* orpine
* orthography, from Old French, compare modern Fr. orthographe
* oubliette


* pair
* palace (Old Fr. palais)
* palm (Old Fr. palme)
* panache
* pansy (Fr. pensée)
* pant (Old Fr. pantaisier)
* pantaloon (Fr. pantalon)
* panther (Old Fr. pantère)
* papier mâché
* parade
* paragon
* parent
* parentage
* parfait
* parley
* parliament
* part (Old Fr. part)
* partial (Old Fr. parcial, compare modern Fr. partiel or partial, the later being a synonym of biased)
* partisan
* partition
* pass (Old Fr. passer)
* passion
* passé
* passive
* passport
* paste
* pastel
* pastiche
* pastille
* pastor
* pasture
* pasturage
* pasty
* pastry
* patch
* pâté
* patent
* paternity
* pathetic
* pathology
* patience (Old Fr. pacience)
* patient
* patisserie
* pause (Old Fr. pause)
* pawn (Old Fr. pan, pant)
* peace (Old Fr. pais)
* peach
* pear
* pell-mell (Fr. pêle-mêle)
* pelt (Old Fr. pelete)
* pen (Old Fr. penne)
* penal
* pencil
* pension
* pensive
* penthouse (Old Fr. apentis)
* people (Old Fr. peupel)
* perchance
* perceiver
* perch (Old Fr. perche)
* perdition
* perfect
* perfection
* perfume, from Middle French, "parfum"
* person (Old Fr. persone)
* petty (Old Fr. petit)
* petulant, compare pétulant
* phial
* philanthropic (Fr. philanthropique)
* philately (Fr. philatélie)
* philharmonic
* philosophy (Old Fr. filosofie)
* philtre (Fr. philtre)
* physics (Fr. physique)
* phantom (Fr. fantôme)
* phlebotomy
* phlegm
* piece (Old Fr. piece)
* pied à terre
* piety (Old Fr. piete)
* pipette
* piquant
* piqué
* pirouette
* piss (Old Fr. pisser, still used today in slang)
* pistol
* pistole
* plain (Old Fr. plain)
* plaque
* plastic (Fr. plastique)
* plat du jour
* plate
* plateau
* platform (Fr. plateforme)
* platoon (Fr. peloton)
* platter
* plebiscite (Fr. plébiscite)
* plea (Old Fr. plait)
* please (Fr. plaire)
* pleasant (Old Fr. plaisant)
* pleasantry (Old Fr. plaisanterie)
* pleasure (Old Fr. plesir, modern French "plaisir")
* plead
* pledge (Old Fr. plege)
* plié
* plumage
* plumb
* plumber (Old Fr. plommier)
* plume, nom de plume
* plural (Old Fr. pluriel)
* plurality
* plus ça change
* plush
* pneumatic
* poach, as in cookery, from Old French, compare modern Fr. pocher
* poem (Fr. poème)
* poesy (Old Fr. poesie)
* poetic (Fr. poétique)
* policy, from police (as a contract)
* poor (Old Fr. poure, compare poverty)
* populace (Fr. populace)
* popular
* pork
* porous
* porpoise
* port (Old Fr. port)
* portage
* porter
* portion
* portmanteau
* pose, compare poser
* position (Old Fr. position)
* positive (Old Fr. positif)
* posology
* possess (Old Fr. possesser, modern Fr. posséder)
* possibility
* possible (Fr. possible)
* post, compare poste
* poultry
* poutine
* poverty (O.Fr. poverte, compare poor)
* power (Old Fr. poeir)
* practical (Old Fr. practique)
* practise
* precious
* pregnant
* prejudice
* premier (Fr. = first)
* premiere (Fr. première)
* prepare
* prerogative
* presence
* present
* president
* prêt-à-porter
* pretend
* pretense
* price (Old Fr. pris)
* prince (Old Fr. prince)
* princess
* princical
* principality (Old Fr. principalité)
* principle
* print
* prison (Old Fr. prisoun)
* prize compare price
* proof (Old Fr. proeve)
* pronoun (Fr. pronom)
* pronounce
* pronunciation
* proper (Old Fr. propre)
* property
* prophecy (Old Fr. profecie)
* prophesy
* proportion (Old Fr. proportion)
* propose, from proposer
* proposition (Old Fr. proposition)
* prorogue
* prosaic
* prose (Old Fr. prose)
* prosecution
* protection (Old Fr. protection)
* protein
* protestation
* protocol (Old Fr. prothocole)
* proud (Old Fr. prud)
* province (Old Fr. province)
* pulley
* punish (Old Fr. puniss-)
* pure (Old Fr. pur)
* purify (Old Fr. purifier)
* purpose (Old Fr. porpos)
* putty (Modern Fr. potée)


* qualify
* quality
* quantity
* quarter
* quartet
* quartier
* quatrain
* quatrefoil
* quay
* Québécois
* quest
* question
* questionnaire
* queue
* quiche
* quiet
* quilt
* quintessence
* quintuple
* quit
* quittance
* quotidian


* rabble (Fr. râble)
* raconteur
* rage (Old Fr. raige)
* raison d'être
* rare (Old Fr. rere)
* rarefy
* rarity
* ratatouille
* rate
* ration
* rave
* real (O.Fr. reel)
* realm
* reason (Old Fr. raison)
* reasonable
* rebound
* receipt, from un reçu, un récépissé
* receive (Old Fr. receivre, modern Fr. recevoir)
* reception
* receptor
* recitation
* recite
* record
* reclaim
* recognize
* recognizance
* recoil
* recollection
* Récollet
* reconnoitre, compare reconnaître
* record
* recorder (Old Fr. recordeur)
* recover
* recovery
* recreation
* recruit
* rector
* rectory
* regret, from Old French, compare modern Fr. regretter
* reign, from régnier
* remain (Old. Fr. remaindre)
* remark
* remarkable
* rendezvous
* reservoir
* responsible
* rest ("remainder, part that is left")
* restaurant
* restaurateur
* resume
* résumé
* revenue
* riposte
* risqué
* rock ("stone", Old Fr. ro(c) que)
* role (Fr. rôle, compare roll)
* roll (Old Fr. rolle)
* Roman
* romantic
* rotisserie
* rouge
* roué
* roulette
* round
* roundel
* rouse
* rout (Old Fr. route)
* route
* routine
* roux
* royal (Old Fr. roial)
* royalty
* rubble
* rubric
* rush (Old Fr. ruser)
* ruse
* russet
* rut


* sabot
* sabotage
* saboteur
* sachet
* sacrament, compare sacrement
* Saint Louis (named for Louis IX)
* salon
* saloon, compare salon
* sample (Old Fr. essample)
* satin
* sauce (Old Fr. sauce)
* sauté
* savage (Old Fr. sauvage)
* savant
* savate
* save (Anglo-fr. sa(u) ver, Old Fr. salver)
* savoir faire
* scepter
* scholar
* science
* screw (Old Fr. escroue)
* seal (Old Fr. seel)
* séance
* search (Old Fr. cerchier)
* season (Old Fr. saison)
* second (Old Fr. second)
* sensitive
* sentence (Old Fr. sentence)
* sentiment (Old Fr. sentement)
* sentinel
* sepal
* separable
* separation
* septillion (from sept seven)
* sepulchre
* sepulchral
* sequester
* serf (Old Fr. serf)
* sergeant or serjeant, from Old French, compare modern Fr. sergent
* servant
* several (from Old Fr. seperalis via Anglo-Fr. several)
* sex
* similar (Fr. similaire)
* simple (Old Fr. simple)
* skirmish (from escarmouche)
* slice (Old Fr. esclis)
* slot (Old Fr. esclot)
* snye
* sober (Old Fr. sobre)
* sobriety (from sobriété)
* sobriquet
* sociable (Fr. sociable)
* social (Fr. social)
* socialism (Fr. socialisme)
* society (Fr. société)
* socket
* soil (Old Fr. soil)
* soiree (Fr. soirée)
* sojourn (Old Fr. sojorn)
* solder
* sole
* solemnize
* solicit (Old Fr. solliciter)
* solicitor (Old Fr. solliciteur)
* solid
* solidarity (Fr. solidarité)
* soldier
* sombre (Fr. sombre)
* sort (Old Fr. sorte)
* soufflé
* sound (Old Fr. son)
* soupçon
* sovereign (from souverain)
* sovereignist (Fr. souverainiste)
* special
* spirit (Old Fr. esprit)
* stage (Old Fr. estage)
* state (Old Fr. estat, modern Fr. état)
* stay
* stereotype
* story (Old Fr. estorie)
* stray
* stress (Old Fr. estresse)
* structure (Old Fr. structure)
* study (Old Fr. estude, modern Fr. étude)
* stuff (Old Fr. estoffe, modern Fr. étoffe)
* stupid (from stupide)
* sturgeon, from esturgeon
* subject, from sujet
* subtle (from subtile)
* subtlety(from subtilité)
* succession
* successor
* succumb (from succomber)
* succour
* suffer (from souffrir)
* sufficient
* suit, from Old Fr. seoir
* suitor
* superior
* superlative
* support (Old Fr. supporter)
* suppose (Old Fr. supposer)
* sure (Old Fr. sur, seur)
* surety (Old Fr. seurté)
* surface
* surgeon (from chirurgien)
* surgery (from chirurgie)
* surgical (from chirurgical)
* surmise
* surmount
* surname (Old Fr. surnom)
* surpass
* surplus
* surprise
* surrender (Old Fr. surrendre)
* surrealism (Fr. surréalisme)
* suspend
* suspense (Fr. suspens)
* suspension
* sustain
* system


* tablature
* table
* tableau
* tablet
* tailor (Old Fr. tailleor)
* talc
* tally
* talon
* tambour
* tamp
* tampon
* tapestry
* tapis
* target
* tariff (Fr. tarif)
* tarot
* tarnish (Fr. ternir)
* Tartar (Old Fr. Tartare)
* tart, as in cookery, compare tarte
* task (from Old Fr. tasche via Norman Fr. tasque)
* taste (Old Fr. tast)
* taupe
* tax (Old Fr. taxer)
* taximeter (Fr. taximètre)
* teat (Old Fr. tete)
* telegraph (Fr. télégraphe)
* temporal (Old Fr. temporel)
* temporize
* tempt (Old Fr. tempter)
* tenant
* tench (Old Fr. tenche)
* tend (Old Fr. tend)
* tender
* tendon (Fr. tendon)
* tennis (Old Fr. Tenez, to start the game)
* tent
* terrace, from terrasse
* terrible
* terror (Old Fr. terreur)
* terrorism (first used during French Revolution)
* theatre
* theology (Old Fr. theologie)
* theorem (Fr. théorème)
* therapeutics (Fr. thérapeutique)
* thermal
* toilet, compare toilette
* tonne
* torrid
* tortuous
* torture
* touch (Old Fr. touchier)
* toupée
* tout de suite or toot sweet, compare tout de suite
* towel (Old Fr. toaille)
* transfer
* transparent
* trial
* triangle
* tribe (Old Fr. tribu)
* tribunal
* trompe l'œil
* troop, from troupe
* troupe
* try (Old Fr. trier)
* tuff
* tube
* tyrant (from Fr. tyran, through Latin tyrannus and Greek turannos)


* unique
* unity
* universal
* university
* universe
* urgent
* use
* usurp
* usurper


* vague
* vast (Fr. vaste, compare waste)
* veal (Old Fr. veel)
* velcro, from velours, velvet, and crochet, hook
* ventre à terre
* verdigris, from vert de gris, the colour of the copper oxide
* verdict
* Vermont (from les verts monts the green mountains)
* versatile
* verse
* version
* vert
* vertical
* very (Old Fr. verai)
* vesper
* vest
* view (Old Fr. veue)
* victory
* vigour
* vile
* villain (Old Fr. villain)
* village (Old Fr. village)
* vintage
* viol (Old Fr. viel(l) e)
* violence (Old Fr. violence)
* violent
* vin, vin blanc, vin rouge, vin rosé, etc
* vintage
* virgin (Old Fr. virgine)
* virginal
* virtue
* vis-a-vis
* visible
* viscount
* vogue
* voice
* voilà
* void
* volant
* volatile
* volley
* volte-face
* voluble
* volume (Old Fr. volume)
* voluntary
* volunteer
* voluptuous
* volute
* voodoo (from a West African language)
* voucher
* voyage (Old Fr. veiage)
* voyeur

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_French_origin
encore   Sat Apr 24, 2010 3:23 pm GMT
Liste de mots français provenant de l'allemand ou de l'un des divers dialectes allemands
A [modifier]
accordéon : de Akkordion, 1833 (Le Petit Robert) ;
alpenstock : littéralement, bâton des Alpes ;
arquebuse : de hâkenbühse (moyen haut-allemand), du néerlandais hakebusse ;
asticoter : du verbe français dasticoter qui vient de « daß dich Gott... » « que Dieu te... » (Le Petit Robert) ;
aurochs : Urochse (taureau primaire) ; de l'allemand auerochs ;
B [modifier]
baltique (adj.) : de l'adjectif baltisch (Wahrig Deutches Wörterbuch) ;
batz (subst.)
bandonéon : de Bandoneon (du nom de son inventeur, H. Band), 1905 ;
bécher (subst.)
beffroi : du moyen haut-allemand běrgfrîd « qui garde la paix » (Le Petit Robert) ;
benzine (subst.), de Benzin ;
biocénose : (subst.) du grec, par l'intermédiaire de l'allemand (1908) ;
bismuth : (subst.), de l'allemand Wismut (Le Petit Robert) ;
bivouac : du suisse allemand Bîwacht (Le Petit Robert) ;
blafard : de l'adjectif bleichvar (moyen haut-allemand) ;
blende : 1731, de l'allemand Blende ;
blinde : (subst.) du verbe blenden « aveugler » (1628) ;
blockhaus : (subst.), de Blockhaus (fin du XVIIIe siècle) ;
bocard : (subst,) dérivé de l'allemand Pochhammer « marteau à écraser » ;
bock : (subst.) de Bockbier (1855) ;
boulevard : de Bolwërc « ouvrage de madrier, rampart » (moyen haut-allemand), du [[néerlandais) ;
bouquetin : {subst.) de Steinbock « bouc de rocher » ;
bourgmestre : de Bürgermeister , « maire ». littéralement « maître du bourg » ;
bunker : de Bunker, « soute à charbon ».
C [modifier]
cadmium (subst.)
calcite : (subst.) de Calcit ;
calèche (subst.) de Kallesche ;
came : (subst.), de Kamm « peigne » ;
caractérologie : (subst.), du grec, par l'intermédiaire de l'allemand.
cartel : (subst.) de Kartell (1901)
chabraque : (subst.) de Schabracke ;
chic (subst.), de Schick (1803)[1] ;
chopine : (subst.) de Schoppen (fin du XIIe siècle) ;
choucroute : (subst.) de Sauerkraut ;
chromatine : (subst.) de Chromatin ;
cible : schîbe (suisse allemand, de l'allemand Scheibe « disque » ;
cobalt : (subst.) : de Kobalt (variante de Kobold, le lutin) ;
cravache : (subst.) de Karbatsche « fouet en cuir » ;
cric : (subst.), du moyen allemand Kriec ou Krich ;
cromorne : (subst.) de Krummhorn ;
cyclothymie : (subst.) d'origine grec, mais formé sur l'allemand (Le Petit Robert) ;
D [modifier]
déterminisme : (subst.) de Determinismus (fin du XVIIIe siècle) ;
déterministe : (adj.) de l'allemanr Determinist ;
diathermie ; (subst.), de Diathermie (1922) ;
diktat/dictat (subst.) de l'alleamnd Diktat « chose dictée » ;
duralumin : (subst.) nom déposé, de la ville allemande de Düren où l'alliage fut inventé (Le Petit Robert) ;
E [modifier]
eidétique (adj.) : de l'allemand eidetisch (lui-même formé sur le grec eidos) ;
engramme (subst.) : de l'allemand (1902) (Le Petit Robert) ;
ersatz (subst.) : de Ersatz (1914 ; répandu à partir de 1939) (Le Petit Robert) ;
extraverti, extroverti (adj.) de l'allemand, lui-même du latin (Le Petit Robert) ;
F [modifier]
feld-maréchal (subst.)
feldgrau (subst.) ?
feldwebel (subst.) ?
fifre (subst.) : du suisse allemand pfifer, de l'allemand Pfeifer ;
fifrelin (subst.) : de Pfifferling ;
foudre (subst.) : de Fuder (tonneau de grande dimension) ;
frichti : de Frühstück « petit-déjeuner » ;
fridolin (subst.) : du prénom allemand Fritz ;
fritz (subst.) du prénom allemand Fritz ;
G [modifier]
gestapiste (subst.) : dérivé de Gestapo ;
glass (subst.) : de Glass ;
glockenspiel (subst.) de Glockenspiel, « jeu de cloches » ;
gneiss (subst.) : de Gneiss ;
groschen (subst.) : de Groschen ;
gueuse (subst.) : du bas-allemand Göse « morceau informe de fer fondu » (Le Petit Robert) ;
H [modifier]
halbran (subst.) : du moyen haut-allemand Halber-ant « demi-canard » (Le Petit Robert) ;
hallebarde (subst.) : du moyen haut-allemand Helmbarte « hache à poignée » ;
handball (subst.) : de Handball « balle à la main » ;
hanse (subst.) : du bas-allemand Hansa « troupe » ;
hase (subst.) : de Hase « lièvre » ; en français : hase = femelle du lièvre ;
hinterland (subst.) : de hinter « derrière » et Land « pays » ;
hisser (verbe) : du bas-allemand hissen ;
horst (subst.) : du terme allemad signifiant buttoir géologie ;
hussard (subst.), de Husar ;
hutte (subst.) du moyen haut.allemad Hütte ;
hypnoïde (adj.) de l'allemand hypnoid (Le Petit Robert) ;
I [modifier]
introversion (subst.) : néologisme de Jung.
K [modifier]
kaïnite (subst.) : de l'allemand Kainit, lui-même du grec kainos' ;
kaiser : de Kaiser « l'empereur » ;
kaputt : de kaputt
képi : de l'allemand Käppi, diminutif de Kappe « bonnet » ;
kiesérite (subst.) du savant allemand Kieser ;
kirsch : de Kirschwasser « eau de cerise »;
kitsch : du bavarois kitschen « rénover, vendre du vieux » ;
kouglof ;
L [modifier]
laborantin (subst.) : du mot féminin allemand Laborantin, de Laborant (masc.) ;
landgrave (subst.) ;
lansquenet (subst.) : de Landsknecht, de Land « pays » et Knecht « valet » ;
leitmotiv : « motif conducteur » en allemand ;
lette; letton (adj.) : de lette ;
leucémie (subst.) : de Leukämie (1845) ;
lœss (subst.) : probablement du suisse allemand lösch « léger, meuble » ;
loustic de lustig « drôle, gai » d'où « individu en qui l'on a pas confiance »
LSD (subst.)
M [modifier]
macrobiotique (subst.) : de Makrobiotik ;
mark (subst.) de Mark ;
méristème (subst.), de l'allemand Meristem ;
métapsychologique (adj.) : de l'allemand Metapsychoogie (S. Freud) ;
monazite (subst.) : de l'allemand Monazit ;
monisme (subst.) : de l'allemand Monismus ;
mouise < mues « bouillie » (allemand dialectal du sud et Suisse) ;
murmel (subst.) de l'allemand « marmotte » ;
N [modifier]
noéme (adj.): du grec, par l'allemand ;
nouille (subst.) : de l'allemand Nudeln ;
noumène (subst.) : de l'allemand, transcrit du grec (E. Kant) ;
O [modifier]
obus (subst.) : altération de l'allemand Haubitze ;
P [modifier]
panzer : de l'allemand Panzer « blindé » ;
pechblende (subst.) : de Pech « poix » et de Blende « blende » ;
pepsine (subst.)
peptone (subst.) de l'allemand Pepton lui-même du grec ;
pfennig (subst.)
phylétique (adj.) : de l'allemand Phylum ;
physicalisme (subst.) : de Physikalismus ;
piétiste (subst.) de l'allemand pietist ;
plancton (subst.) : de l'allemand Plankton ;
Poltergeist
poutzer (verb) de putzen ;
pragmatisme (subst.) : de Pragmatismus ;
propédeutique (subst.) : de Propädeutik ;
protiste (subst.), de l'allemand, lui-même du grec ;
protoplasme (subst.) : de l'allemand Protoplasma ;
purine (subst.) de Purin ;
putsch
pyrrol(e) (subst.) : de l'allemand lui-même du grec ;
Q [modifier]
quartz (subst.) : de Quarz ;
quenelle (subst.) : de Knödel ;
quille (subst.) de Kegil (en allemand moderne Kegel) ;
R [modifier]
rafle (subst.) : de 'Raffel (raffen).
râpes (subst.)
reître : (subst.) de Reiter « cavalier »
rhingrave (subst.) de Rheingraf « seigneur du Rhin » ;
ridelle (subst.) de Reidel, « rondin » ;
rollier (subst.) : de l'allemand Roller ;
rosse (subst.) : de Ross « cheval, coursier »
rösti (subst.) ;
rotengle (subst.) : de Roteugel ;
S [modifier]
sabre (subst.) : de l'allemand Sabel (varaition du hongrois) ;
saisir (verb) : le sens de « mettre en possession » viendrait de l'ancien haut allemand sazjan (Le Petit Robert') ;
sarrau (subst.) du moyen haut-allemand Sarrok « vêtement militaire » ;
schilling (subst.)
schlague < (subst.) : de Schlag « coup »
schlass (adj.) ;
schlitte, schlitter : de Schlitten « traîneau » ;
schnaps < Schnaps ;
schnouf(f) (subst.) : de l'allemand Schnupf ;
schuss < (subst.) : de Schussfahrt (composé de Schuss : « coup de feu » et Fahrt: « voyage, promenade »)
sémitique (adj.) : de semitisch (1781) ;
sépiolite (subst.) : de l'allemand Seplolith lui-même du grec ;
social-démocrate (adj.) : de sozialdemokrat ;
spalter (subst.) : de l'allemand spalten « fendre, crevasser » ;
spartakiste (subst.) : de Spartakist ;
spath (subst.) ;
speiss (subst.) : de Speiss ou Speise ;
stylistique (subst.) : Stylistik ;
sylvaner (subst.) : de 'silvaner, variante de transsilvaner ;
T [modifier]
transfini (adj.) : de l'allemand transfinit ;
trias (subst.) ;
trinquer < du verbe trinken « boire » ;
trolle (subst.) ;
trommel (subst.) de l'allemand « tambour »
U [modifier]
uhlan (subst.) : de l'allemand lui-m^me issi du polonais et du tater oglan ;
uranisme (subst.) : de l'allemand Uranismus lui-même du grec.
V [modifier]
valine (subst.) : de Valin ;
valse, valser (subst.) : de Walzer, walzen
vampire (subst.) de Vampir ;
vasistas < Was ist das ? « Qu'est-ce que c'est ? » : vantail mobile
vermouth (subst.) : de Vermut « absinthe »
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mots_fran%C3%A7ais_d'origine_allemande
encore   Sat Apr 24, 2010 3:28 pm GMT
French words of Dutch origin:
"Le français a emprunté certains mots au néerlandais, en particulier dans le domaine de la navigation. À titre d'exemple, voici une liste non exhaustive de mots français provenant du néerlandais (bien que pour certains parmi ceux-ci, il pourrait s'agir de mots plus généralement germaniques ou anglo-saxons ; par exemple bier, brick, drug pour drogue, etc.)

affaler : afhalen « tirer en bas le cordage »
bâbord : bakboord « bord du dos »
bague : bagge « anneau »
bière : bier
boulevard : bolwerk
colza : koolzaad « semence de chou »
drogue : drogerij « herbe séchée »
foc : fok
frelater : verlaten « transvaser »
gruger : gruizen « écraser »
kermesse : kerkmisse « messe d'église, fête patronale » (en néerlandais actuel kermis)
mannequin : mannekijn ou manneke « petit homme »
matelot : mattenoot « compagnon de couche » (en néerlandais actuel matroos)
pamplemousse : pompelmoes « citron épais »
ruban : ringband « collier »
tribord : stuurboord « bord du gouvernail »
trique : strijken « passer un objet sur un autre »
vase (masculin) : vaas
vrac : wrak « mal salé, mauvais »"
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A9erlandais