In the text De l’origine du français,” certain words originate from regional or foreign languages. Did you recognize them? They are highlighted in color.
You will find the answers below the text.
1. Words originating from Occitan
Some words derived from Latin passed through Occitan or the langue d’oc. This is the case, for example, with the word cagnard, which comes from the Occitan word canha.
Canha is a sunny spot sheltered from the wind where dogs lie down to bask in the sun, or even to warm up or dry off (the origin of the word), and also, by extension, a sunny, sheltered place where people sunbathe, take a nap, or warm themselves in the sun’s rays.
We can add that “canha” comes from the Latin ‘canicula’ (and “canis”), the other name for the star Sirius in the constellation Canis Major.
The words in the text that come from Occitan are therefore: tranquilou – farnac, but also panade, which comes from an Occitan dialect, Provençal.
- farnac: work
- tranquilou: quiet
- être dans la panade: to be in big trouble
2. Words borrowed from English
Needless to say, “yacht” and “speech” belong to the English language.
3. Words from other European languages
In this text, there is one German word, leitmotiv, and two Spanish words: patio and siesta, which comes from the Spanish word “siesta,” itself derived from the Latin “sexta hora.”
Have you noticed the Italian expression “La dolce vita”?
Café also comes from the Italian “caffé,” which itself comes from a Turkish word.
What about Portuguese? Did you know that autodafé is a Portuguese word?
4. Words from other languages
Some words come directly from Arabic, such as satin, sucre or ouate, via the Italian “ovatta.”
The word bistro, on the other hand, did not cross the Mediterranean but comes from beyond Western Europe, as it is a Russian word.
I hope you enjoyed this overview of foreign words used in French.
What is your opinion on the Anglicisms that are creeping into our vocabulary? Are they legitimate, incongruous, unacceptable…?
