Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg i.Br.
Englisches Seminar
HS: Reconstructing English Sound Change

Anglicization of French Words

by: Francesca Cangeri

Table of Contents

1. Introduction... 3

2. Historical Background of French Influence on English... 4

2.1 Consequences of the Norman Conquest... 5

3. Anglicization in the English Language... 6

3.1 Romanization in Word-Formation... 7
3.2 Borrowing and Loanwords... 9

4. The French Influence on Middle English Spelling... 15

4.1 Vowels and Dipthongs... 15
4.2 Consonants...16

5. The French Influence on Middle English Phonolgy... 16

5.1 Vowels... 16
5.2 Consonants... 17
5.3 Dipthongs... 17

6. Conclusion... 19

7. Bibiliography...20

1. Introduction

The stream of immigrants from the French language has been for almost a thousand years larger than that from any other tongue; and even today it shows little sign of decrease. Of all the strangers within our gates none are more cordially received than those which come to us from across the Straits of Dover. None are more rapidly able to make themselves at home in our dictionaries and to pass themselves off as English. At least, this was the case until relatively recently, when the process of adaptation and assimilation became a little slower and more than a little less adequate. Of late French words, even those long domiciled in our lexicons, have been treated almost as if they were still aliens, as if there were here on sufferance, so to speak, as if they had not become members of the commonwealth. They were allowed to work, no doubt, and sometimes even to be overworked; but they functioned as foreigners, perhaps even more eagerly employed by the superior because they were foreigners and yet held in disregard by the more meticulous because they were not truly English. That is to say, French words are still as hospitably greeted as ever before, but they are now often ranked as guests only.

Perhaps this may seem to some a too bizarre presentation of the case. Perhaps it would be simpler to say that until comparatively recently a foreign word taken over into English was made over into an English word, whereas in the past two or three centuries there has been an evident tendency to keep it French and to use it freely while retaining its French pronunciation, its French accents, its French spelling, and its French plural. This tendency is contrary to the former habits of our language. In my term paper I will firstly make a brief outline of the history of the English language. Secondly I will describe Anglicization in the English language in general terms. Then I will analyse the Anglicization of some French words especially the suffixes –ation and –able, the prefixes ultra-, pre- and non-. Then I will examine some French words in general which have been anglicized especially those which came into the English through the invasion of the Normans in the 11th century. In conclusion I will illustrate in which way the English language has been influenced by French in terms of phonology.

2. Historical Background of French Influence on English

The contributions of loanwords from particular languages into English offer insight into cultural influence. The influx of French terms into English has played a very important role and one reason for this can be the direct infusion of Norman French into the English court, law, and manners. Another reason is surely the long supremacy of French as the language of diplomacy world-wide or the close ties with France in the history of the North American continent. If we came back to the first reason we can say that the historical event, which led to the English language becoming interspersed with French elements and which occurred at the end of the Old English period and is widely know as the Norman Conquest in the year 1066. In that year, after the death of Edward, King of England, the need to find a suitable successor arose. The choice fell on Harold, son of Godwin, the Earl of West Saxon, who had been Edward’s principal advisor. However, his election did not find agreement from all sides. William, Duke of Normandy, had been assured by Edward that he would succeed him as King of England. Therefore, in September 1066, he decided to claim the throne by force and invaded England from its south coast. Although unprepared, the English forces went to defend their country, which resulted in the Battle of Hastings, where the current regent, Harold, was killed. After the battle was won, William continued to plunder and bum the southwest of England, until the inhabitants of London gave in and capitulated. William was crowned King of England in 1066. Blake says: “When Charles II returned to England, he brought back with him French ideas and influences including the whole question of regulating the vocabulary and syntax of the language.”(Blake, 12) Blake remarks that the Norman Conquest (1066) has influenced more or less all areas of the language, this means: sound, syntax, spelling and vocabulary. According to Blake this influence of foreign languages like Latin, French and Greek had a great effect on the English lexicon. He says that it can be divided into two parts:

Many Anglo-Saxon words are monosyllabic and refer to everyday thing, whereas Latinate ones are more likely to be polysyllabic and to refer to concepts as much as to items of a more intellectual nature. The Anglo-Saxon word see differs not only in length but also in meaning and connotation from the Latinate perceive.” (Blake, 31) This shows that the influence French had on English is of a more stylistic importance. This means that literary or religious texts at this period were almost all written in French. English was the language used in every day communication. In the eighteenth century English took over many foreign words from the developing technology and science. However, French remained the most important country which influenced the English vocabulary mostly. Blake states: “The French Revolution followed by the Napoleonic Wars and the Universal European acceptance of French as a sophisticated language meant that many concepts and words for fashion and eating entered the language.” (Blake, 299)

2.1 Consequences of the Norman Conquest

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