Foreign language influences in English
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Considering that all new words generally start off as slang, no word really just enters the English language immediately, all words come from different languages. Here is a list of the most common foreign language influences in English, where other languages have influenced or contributed words to English
- French words for the meat of an animal, noble words (this comes from the influence of the Norman language), words referring to food - e.g. au gratin. Nearly 30% of English words (in an 80,000 word dictionary) may be of French origin.
- German some words relating to the First World War and the Second World War, e.g. Blitz. And some food terms, such as wurst, Hamburger and Frankfurter. Also: wanderlust, schadenfreude, zeitgeist, kaputt, kindergarten, autobahn, rucksack.
- Scandinavian languages such as Old Norse - words such as sky and troll or, more recently, geysir.
- Dutch - words relating to sailing, e.g. skipper, keel &c, and civil engineering, such as dam, polder, &c.
- Latin words, technical or biological names, medical terminology, legal terminology. See also: Latin influence in English
- Spanish - words relating to Spanish culture - for example paella, siesta, plaza, etc.
- Italian - words relating to music, piano, fortissimo. Or Italian culture, such as piazza, piza, gondola, etc. Also: balcony. Also: Fascism
- Nahuatl - tomato, coyote, chocolate
- Russian - words relating to the Cold War and the aftermath (glasnost), and also words relating to Russian culture, such as Cossack or Baboeschka.
- Indian - words relating to culture, originating from the colonial era, e.g.: pyjamas,bungalow, verandah jungle and curry. Also:shampoo, khaki.
Related articles
External links
- AskOxford - What is the proportion of English words of French, Latin, or Germanic origin? (http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutenglish/proportion)