Plucked Plumes from Foreign tongues: Invaluable knick-knacks of English.

Indranil Sarkar
English is now a 1000 years old language. The dialect of a few thousand Britons in the British Isles of 10th century has taken the shape of a huge giant and has occupied the foremost position in almost all global arenas ousting even the erstwhile classical and authoritarian languages like Latin, Greek, French, and Sanskrit. The 2012 edition of the Oxford Dictionary (the Bible of English) has crossed the threshold of 1 million words. This massive empirical power of English has been developed because of a few uniquely flexible features inherent in it. The main is, obviously, the characteristic-virtue of borrowing words from almost all the sources under the sun. The opposite of which has put the deathnail to the erstwhile domineering and authoritative languages like Latin, Sanskrit, French, and Greek etc. Though loosers, a few words from French, Latin and Greek have achieved an ornamental status in English today. These are considered pearls and gems in English usages. No English user can resist the temptation of using them to make his language weighty and attractive. It is, as if, a beautification device of ones speech and writing. The occasional use of these words and phrases borrows a scholastic flavour to ones academic endeavours. These are used even in casual conversation of day to day activities at present. Unlike other languages, the use of foreign words in English is not considered a stylistic vice. It is rather considered a virtue. Truly speaking, the greatness of scholars like Bacon, Milton, and Hazlitt etc. rests primarily on their affinity to Greco-Roman or Franco-Italian cultural heritages expressed through their languages. The following foreign words are seen most frequently used in day to day English:1. Ab initio (Latin) 2. Aborigine (Latin) 3. Ad hoc (Latin) 4. Ad interim (Latin) From the beginning. Native, any of the earliest known inhabitants of a certain region. For the special purpose. In the meantime; temporary.
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7. Ad referendum (Latin) 8. A Dio (Italian) 9. Aide (French) 10. Ajax (Latin, Greek) 11. Alopecia (Latin, Greek) 12. Alter ego (Latin) 13. Affair damour (French) 14. Ala mode (French) 15. Alma Mater (Latin)

For further consideration. To God; Addio! Adieu! An assistant, a helper, a mate. The Greek hero next to Achilles in the Trojan war. Fox mange : a skin disease, which destroys the hair; baldness. Ones second self, a very close friend, a representative. A love affair. According to the custom; in fashion. Benign mother; A term applied by students to the school,

college or university where they have been educated. 16. Anno Christi (Latin) 17. Anno Dontini (Latin) 18.. Ante Meridiem (Latin) 19. Ars longa, vita brevis (Latin) 20. Au contraire (Latin) 21. Beau garcon (French) 22. Beau jour (French) 23. Beaux-arts (French) 24. Beneficiary (French) 25. Billet-doux (French) 26. Bonn fide (Latin) 27. Bon hoinie (French) 28. Bonjour (French) 29. Bon voyage (French) In the year of Christ. In the year of Christ. Before noon. Art is long, life is short. On the contrary. A handsome man. Fine day, good times. The fine arts. The person receiving benefits. A love letter. In good faith. Good nature. Good day; Good morning. A good journey to you.

30. Boutique (French) 31. Bourgeoisie (French) . 32. Bravo (Italian) 33. Carpe diem (Latin) 34. Cara sposa (Italian) 35. Chef (French) 36. Chesara Sara (Italian) 37. Cognito, ergo sum (Latin) 38. Coiffeur (French) 39. Contra (Latin) 40. Corpus (Latin) 41. Danke, Schoon (German) 42. De facto (Latin) 43. De jure (Latin) 44. Dei gratin (Latin) 45. Deluxe (French) 46. Dennode (French) 47. Detenu (French) 48. Deus ex machina (Latin)

A shop. Tradesmans stock. The social class between the aristocracy and the Working class; Middle Class Well done; splendid. Enjoy the present day. Dear wife. A cook in charge of a kitchen; head cook What will be will be. I think, therefore, I am. Hair dresser. Against. The body of a man or animal, especially a dead body. Many thanks. In fact, actually. In the law; by right. By the grace of God. Luxurious. Out of fashion. A prisoner. A character or event brought artificially into the plot of a story

or drama to settle an involved situation. 49. Distrait (French) 50. Dramatis personae (Latin) 51. Donna e mobile (Italian) 52. Duce (Italian) Absent minded. Characters in a drama or a play. Woman is changeable. A leader.
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53. Ecce! (Latin) 54. Elegant (French) 55. Elite (French) 56. En famille (French) 57. En masse (French) 58. En queue (French) 59. En rapport (French) 60. En route (French) 61. Entrepreneur (French) 62. Errare est liumaru in (Latin) 63. Estancia (Spanish) 64. Et tu, Brute ! (Latin)

Behold! A person of fashion. The best part. With ones family; at home; in an informal way. In a group, universally. In a string or line. In agreement, in accord with. On the way. A business man. To err is human. A mansion. You too, Brutus! (Caesars exclamation, when he saw his much

loved Brutus amongst the murderers.) 65. Euge! (Latin, Greek) 66. Eureka (Meureka) (Greek) 67. Ex officio (Latin) 68. Ex post facto (Latin) 69. Extra (Latin) 70. Fade (French) 71. Festa (Italian) 72. Flair (French) 73. Gallant (French) 74. Gens de letters (French) 75. Grand (French) Well done! I have found it. By virtue of his office. After the deed is done; done or made after wards. Beyond, outside the scope of. To become less distinct. A festival. Aptitude; a natural talent or ability. Gay, elegant, attentive to ladies. Literary man. Great.

76. Heil (German) 77. In toto (Latin) 78. Impasse (French) 79. In memoriam (Latin) 80. In petto (Italian) 81. Inter alia (Latin) 82. Kinder (German) 83. Lallegro (Italian) 84. Libra (Latin) 85. Lingua franca (Italian) 86. Litterateur (French) 87. Magnum opus (Latin) 88. Matinee (French) 89. Milieu (French) 90. Modus (Latin) 91. Modus operandi (Latin) 92. Monsieur (French) 93. Monand (French) 94. Nil (Latin) 95. Non (Latin) 96. Oninia vincist labor (Latin) 97. Opera (Latin)

Flail! In the whole; entirely. A deadlock. In the memory of. Secretly, not revealed. Among other things. Children. The cheerful man. A pound; a unit of weight. Mixed language. A man of letters. A great work. Reception or entertainment held in the afternoon. Surroundings; environment. Manner, mode. Manner of working. Sir, Mr. My friend. Nothing. Not. Labour overcomes all things. Plural of opus. Musical works of a composer

numbered in order of composition or publication. 98. Oil (French) yes.

99. Par excellence (French) 100. Persona grata (Latin) 101. Postmortem (Latin) 102. Post (Latin) 103. Prima facie (Latin) 104.Quantum (Latin) 105. Quasi (Latin) 106. Resume (French) 107. R.S.V.P. (Reponds si1 108. Suns souci (French) 109. Sine die (Latin) 110. Status quo (Latin) 111. Terra incognita (Latin) 112. Tete-a-tete (French) 113. Vice versa (Latin) 114. Vis-a-vis (French) 115. Viva voce (Latin) 116. Vive la (French) 117. Vaux Populi

Eminently, beyond comparison. A person who is acceptable or welcome. Happening done or made after death. After, e.g., afternoon. On first view. Quantity, or amount. As if, seemingly. An abstract or summary. : Reply, if you please, an answer will oblige. vous plait) (French) without care. Without a day being appointed. The existing state of existing affair. An unknown country. A private or intimate conversation between two people. The order or relation being reversed, conversely. Opposite; face to face. By word of mouth; orally. Long live! Voice of the people

It would, however, be wrong to hold this practice as a modern or postmodern phenomenon. It is rather a scholastic tendency which began when the sun did never set in the British empire.

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