French Inuence on the American Language and Culture

By: Terry Rouhandeh

During the Norman occupation, about 10,000 French words were adopted into English

French Inuence on English Vocabulary

French vocabulary is found in every domain from government and law to art and literature More than 1/3 of all English words are derived directly or indirectly from French English speakers who have never studied French already know 15,000 French words

French Inuence of Pronunciation

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Old English had the unvoiced fricative sounds [f], [s], ["] (as in thin), and [#] (shin)$
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French inuence helped to distinguish their voiced counterparts [v], [z], [%] (the), and [&] (mirage), and also contributed the diphthong ['y] (boy)

French Inuence on Grammar

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Another rare but interesting remnant of French inuence is in the word order of expressions like secretary general and surgeon general. Where English has retained the noun + adjective word order typical in French, rather than the usual adjective + noun used in English.

Words Introduced by Century

17th Century: dragoon, stockade, ballet, burlesque, tableau, chagrin, champagne, native, soup, forte 18th Century: guillotine, regime, bureau, canteen, picnic, police, coup 19th Century: barrage, communique, renaissance, restaurant, matinee, motif, menu, chauffeur, elite

How the Family has been Inuenced by the French

Terms relating to daily relationships have also been borrowed from the French uncle, nephew, niece, cousin The use of the French prex was extend to grandson, granddaughter in Elizabethan times. Mother-in-Law and Father-inLaw, though compounded of English words are literal translation of Old French designations

French Inuence on American Cuisine

Baguettes, Crepes, Croissants Cheese: Roquefort, Blue Cheese, Neufchatel, Muenster, Camembert, Brie Petits Fours, Fondant mustard, mayonnaise, sauce, cont cream, caramel, custard, marmalade, meringue French Wines

Bordeaux, Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinots Chablis, Champagne

American Colors of French Origin

ecru, mauve, beige carmine, maroon, blue orange, violet, vermilion turquoise, lilac, scarlet

French Literature that has Inuenced America

Les Miserables Madame Bovary The Phantom of the Opera The Three Musketeers The Count of Monte Cristo The Hunchback of NotreDame Cyrano de Bergerac

American French Words in the Arts

Surrealism, Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Symbolism Art nouveau Gouache Aquarelle Collage Grisaille

Famous French-Americans

Eva Green, Casino Royale Emma Watson, Harry Potter Juliette Binoche, The English Patient Audrey Tautou, Amelie Roman Polanski, Director of The Pianist Andre the Giant, The Princess Bride Brigitte Bardot, Contempt

French Inuence on Science and Technology

Some of the French words that made their way into the English language were coined by French inventors, discoverers, pioneers, or scientists. cinema, television, helicopter aviation, parachute, lactose bacteriophage, chlorophyll mastodon, oxygen, hydrogen photography, stethoscope, troposphere, thermometer

New Orleans and the French Inuence

New Orleans was named after the Duke of Orleans in 17th century France by members of the French Bourbon dynasty. French Creole architecture and cuisine give New Orleans its unmistakable character and general personality. The French quarter is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans Le Cafe du Monde is famous in New Orleans for is French-style beignets and its cafe au lait, blended with chicory, in the New Orleans style.

Resources:
http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/frenchinenglish.htm http://www.ehow.com/about_5191663_popular-french-foodsamerica.html http://blog.biographyonline.net/2009/12/top-10-frenchartists.html http://www.imdb.com/search/name?birth_place=France http://www.livinglanguage.com/blog/2012/04/27/new-orleansthe-french-inuence/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ List_of_English_words_of_French_origin http://jilaniwarsi.tripod.com/french.pdf
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