#20 The Influence of French on English｜French Language Column

When you study English, you may sometimes encounter words that resemble French.

For example, words such as restaurant, ballet, cuisine, and menu are commonly used in English, but they all have a close connection with French.

To understand English more deeply, it is also important to understand the influence of French. This is because modern English contains many words that originate from French.

In this article, I will explain how French influenced English, focusing on the historical background and French-derived expressions that remain in modern English.

1. The Influence of the Norman Conquest

The greatest turning point in the influence of French on English was the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In that year, William, Duke of Normandy in what is now northwestern France, invaded England and defeated King Harold II of England at the Battle of Hastings. William then became King of England as William I, and a new Norman ruling system began.

The Normans were originally a people of North Germanic origin, but after settling in Normandy, they came to speak Norman French, a variety of French. As a result, French became the common language of the new ruling class, including the royal court, nobles, and administrators.

Meanwhile, the majority of ordinary people continued to speak Old English as before.

As a result, medieval England became a society in which two languages coexisted: French for the ruling class and English, or Old English, for the general population.

2. French as the Language of the Ruling Class

After the Norman Conquest, French became the language used by England’s ruling class. At the same time, ordinary people such as farmers, craftsmen, and merchants continued to speak Old English.

In this way, medieval England remained a society in which different social classes used different languages for several centuries.

Within this bilingual society, vocabulary from the French used by the ruling class gradually entered English.

In particular, many words related to government, law, the military, and aristocratic society were borrowed from French.

• government
• court
• judge
• justice
• parliament
• crown
• royal
• army

Today, these words have become part of the basic vocabulary of English, but many of them entered English after the Norman Conquest.

When you look at these words, you can see that the influence of French was not merely a matter of vocabulary. It was also closely connected to social systems and culture.

3. French Influence in the Names of Animals and Meat

One commonly cited example of French influence on English is the difference between the names of animals and the names of meat.

In English, as shown below, the word for a living animal and the word for the meat served at the table may be different.

• cow：beef
• pig：pork
• sheep：mutton
• calf：veal

What is interesting is that words such as cow, pig, and sheep, which refer to the animals themselves, come from Old English, a Germanic language. On the other hand, beef, pork, mutton, and veal all derive from French, more precisely from Norman French.

This vocabulary difference is often understood as reflecting the social structure of medieval England.

After the Norman Conquest, many of the farmers who raised livestock spoke English, so the original English names continued to be used for the animals. In contrast, French was used at court and among the aristocracy, so the meat served as food came to be called by names of French origin.

In other words, the situation in which farmers raised cow while nobles ate beef is still reflected in modern English.

Of course, this pattern does not apply to every animal. However, this example is often introduced as a symbolic illustration of the long coexistence of English and French.

4. French Influence Enriched the Style of English

Borrowings from French did not simply increase the number of words in English. They also had a major influence on the range of styles and expressions available in English.

In modern English, there are many cases where Germanic words, which are native to English, coexist with words of French or Latin origin that have similar meanings.

For example, ask / inquire, help / assist, and begin / commence have similar meanings, but they differ in usage and impression.

• ask：An everyday word meaning “to ask.”
• inquire：A more formal word meaning “to make an inquiry.”
• help：A general word meaning “to help.”
• assist：A somewhat more formal word meaning “to support.”
• begin：A common and conversational word meaning “to start.”
• commence：A formal word meaning “to begin” or “to start officially.”

In general, native English words are often used in everyday conversation. On the other hand, Romance-derived words from French or Latin tend to appear in formal documents, academic writing, law, and business.

In this way, after the Norman Conquest, English absorbed a large number of French-derived words. As a result, English became a language that can express the same idea in different styles, from familiar and conversational to formal and dignified.

This wide range of vocabulary choices is one of the main reasons English has such rich expressive power.

5. Summary

French has had a major influence on English.

Beginning with the Norman Conquest of 1066, French influence spread into many fields, including politics, law, administration, cuisine, art, fashion, and literature.

For example, many French-derived words still remain in English today.

French influence also helped create English’s rich vocabulary system, in which everyday words and formal words often exist side by side.

Understanding the influence of French on English helps you understand not only French itself, but also the history and structure of English vocabulary.

For this reason, French can be considered an essential language for understanding the history and vocabulary of English.