Brief History of English Words
History of English words and its origins’ percentage.
History
55 B.C.
Roman invasion -> Latin
450 A.D.
Germanic migration -> Old English, Anglo-Saxon
6th Century
Christianity -> Latin, Greek, Hebrew
8th - 11th Century
Viking invasion -> Scandinavian, Old Norse
1066
Norman invasion -> French, Latin
1150
Transition to Middle English
1480
Transition to Modern English
15th - 17th
The great vowel shift occurs
Origins
Germanic
Latin
animals
ant/formic, bee/apian, bird/avian, crow/corvine, cod/gadoid, carp/cyprine, fish/piscine, gull/larine, wasp/vespine, butterfly/papilionaceous, worm/vermian, spider/arachnid, snake/anguine, tortoise (or turtle)/testudinal, cat/feline, rabbit/cunicular, hare/leporine, dog/canine, deer/cervine, reindeer/rangiferine, fox/vulpine, wolf/lupine, goat/caprine, sheep/ovine, swan/cygnean, duck/anatine, starling/sturnine, goose/anserine, ostrich/struthious, horse/equine, chicken/gallinaceous, ox/bovine, pig/porcine, whale/cetacean, ape/simian, bear/ursine, man/human or hominid (gender specific: man/masculine, woman/feminine) these words can also be altered informally by adding “-like” as a suffix to the Germanic prefix.
physiology
head/capital, body/corporal, ear/aural, tooth/dental, tongue/lingual, lips/labial, neck/cervical, finger/digital, hand/manual, arm/brachial, foot/pedal, sole of the foot/plantar, leg/crural, eye/ocular or visual, mouth/oral, chest/pectoral, nipple/papillary, brain/cerebral, mind/mental, nail/ungual, hair/pilar, lung/pulmonary, kidney/renal, blood/sanguine.
astronomy
moon/lunar, sun/solar, earth/terrestrial, star/stellar.
sociology
son or daughter/filial, mother/maternal, father/paternal, brother/fraternal, sister/sororal, wife/uxorial.
other
book/literary, edge/marginal, fire/igneous, water/aquatic, wind/vental, ice/glacial, boat/naval, house/domestic, door/portal, town/urban, sight/visual, tree/arboreal, marsh/paludal, sword/gladiate, king/regal, fighter/military, bell/tintinnabulary, clothes/sartorial.
French
Feudalism
Norman rule of England had a lasting impact on British society. Words from Anglo-Norman or Old French include terms related to chivalry (homage, liege, peasant, seigniorage, suzerain, vassal, villain) and other institutions (bailiff, chancellor, council, government, mayor, minister, parliament), the organisation of religion (abbey, clergy, cloister, diocese, friar, mass, parish, prayer, preach, priest, sacristy, vestment, vestry, vicar), the nobility (baron, count, dame, duke, marquis, prince, sir), and the art of war (armour, baldric, dungeon, hauberk, mail, portcullis, rampart, surcoat). Many of these words related to the feudal system or medieval warfare have a Germanic origin (mainly through Old Frankish) (see also French words of Germanic origin).
The Norman origin of the British monarchy is still visible in expressions like Prince Regent, heir apparent, Princess Royal where the adjective is placed after the noun, like in French.
Heraldry
The vocabulary of heraldry has been heavily influenced by French (blazon, or, argent, sable, gules, passant), for more details see tinctures, attitudes, and charges of heraldry.
Sometimes used in heraldry, some mythological beasts (cockatrice, dragon, griffin, hippogriff, phoenix) or exotic animals (lion, leopard, antelope, gazelle, giraffe, camel, zebu, elephant, baboon, macaque, mouflon, dolphin, ocelot, ostrich, chameleon) draw their name from French. It is also the case of some animals native of Europe (via Anglo-Norman: eagle, buzzard, falcon, squirrel, coney, rabbit, leveret, lizard, marten, ferret, salmon, viper).
Military
The vocabulary of warfare and the military include many words and expressions of French origin (accoutrements, aide-de-camp, army, artillery, battalion, bivouac, brigade, camouflage, carabineer, cavalry, cordon sanitaire, corps, corvette, dragoon, espionage, esprit de corps, état major, fusilier, grenadier, guard, hors-de-combat, infantry, latrine, legionnaire, logistics, matériel, marine, morale, musketeer, officer, pistol, platoon, reconnaissance/reconnoitre, regiment, rendezvous, siege, soldier, sortie, squad, squadron, surrender, surveillance, terrain, troop, volley). This includes military ranks: admiral, captain, colonel, corporal, general, lieutenant, sergeant. Many fencing terms are also from French.
Politics and economics
The political/economic lexicon include many words of French origin like money, treasury, exchequer, commerce, finance, tax, liberalism, capitalism, materialism, nationalism, plebiscite, coup d’état, regime, sovereignty, state, administration, federal, bureaucracy, constitution, jurisdiction, district.
Law
The judicial lexicon has also been heavily influenced by French (justice, judge, jury, attorney, court, case).
Diplomacy
attaché, chargé d’affaires, envoy, embassy, chancery, diplomacy, démarche, communiqué, aide-mémoire, détente, entente, rapprochement, accord, treaty, alliance, passport, protocol.
Arts
art, music, dance, theatre, author, stage, paint, canvas, perform, harmony, melody, rhythm, trumpet, note, director, gallery, portrait, brush, pallet, montage, surrealism, impressionism, fauvism, cubism, symbolism, art nouveau, gouache, aquarelle, collage, render, frieze, grisaille.
Architecture
aisle, arcade, arch, vault, voussoir, belfry, arc-boutant, buttress, bay, lintel, estrade, facade, balustrade, terrace, lunette, niche, pavilion, pilaster, porte cochère.
Aviation and automobile engineering
France played a pioneering role in the fields of aviation (nacelle, empennage, fuselage, aileron, altimeter, canard, decalage, monocoque, turbine) and automobile engineering or design (chassis, piston, arbor, grille, tonneau, berline, sedan, limousine, cabriolet, coupé, convertible).
Cuisine
baba au rhum, beef, beef bourguignon, boudin, caramel, casserole, cassoulet, clafoutis, confit, consommé, cream, croissant, custard, filet mignon, fillet, foie gras, flognarde, fondant, fondue, gateau, gratin, madeleine, marmalade, mayonnaise, meringue, mille-feuille, mustard, mutton, navarin, pâté, pastry, petit four, pork, porridge, potage, pudding, puree, ragout, ratatouille, roux, salad, sauce, sausage, soufflé, soup, stew, terrine, trifle, veal, vol-au-vent.
Colours and Other Influences
Other influences include the names of colours (ecru, mauve, beige, carmine, maroon, blue, orange, violet, vermilion, turquoise, lilac, perse, scarlet, cerise), vegetables or fruits (courgette, aubergine, cabbage, carrot, cherry, chestnut, cucumber, nutmeg, quince, spinach, lemon, orange, apricot), and months of the year (January, March, May, July, November, December).
Terms coined by French people
Some of the French words that made their way into the English language were coined by French speaking inventors, discoverers or pioneers, or scientists: cinema, television, helicopter, parachute, harmonium, bathyscaphe, lactose, lecithin, bacteriophage, chlorophyll, mastodon, pterodactyl, oxide, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, photography, stethoscope, thermometer, stratosphere, troposphere.
Named after French people
Some French words were named after French people (from their family name), especially in the fields of science (ampere, appertisation, baud, becquerel, braille, coulomb, curie, daguerreotype, pascal, pasteurise, vernier), botany and mineralogy (begonia, bougainvillea, clementine, magnolia, dolomite, nicotine), fashion and style or any other cultural aspect (lavalier, leotard, recamier, mansard, chauvinism, kir, praline, saxophone, silhouette, guillotine).
Proper names
The names of certain cities in non-francophone regions/countries entered English with French spelling (Constance, Ypres, Bruges, Louvain, Turin, Milan, Plaisance, Florence, Rome, Naples, Syracuse, Vienna, Prague, Munich, Cologne, Aix-la-Chapelle, Seville, Constantinople).
In North America, the names of some of the Native American peoples or First Nations the French came in contact with first are from French (Sioux, Saulteaux, Iroquois, Nez Perce, Huron, Cheyenne, Algonquin). It is also the case of some place names such as Canada, Arkansas, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Vermont, Baton Rouge, Boise, Chicago, Des Moines, Detroit.
Greek
Academy = Ακαδημία (Akademia)
Acrobat = Ακροβάτης (Akrovates)
Air = Αέρας, Αήρ (Aeras)
Airplane = Αεροπλάνο (Aeroplano)
Anatomy = Ανατομία (Anatomia)
Angel = Άγγελος (Aggelos)
Anti = Αντι (Anti)
Archaeo = Αρχαιο (Archaeo)
Architect = Αρχιτέκτων (Architekton)
Aroma = Άρωμα (Aroma)
Astronaut = Αστροναύτης (Astronaftis)
Athlete = Αθλητής (Athleetees)
Atlas = Άτλας (Atlas)
Atmosphere = Ατμόσφαιρα (Atmosphera)
Atom = Άτομο (Atomo)
Auto = Αυτο (Afto)
Bacterium = Βακτήριον (Vakterion)
Base = Βάση (Vasee)
Bible = Βίβλος (Veevlos)
Bio = Βιο (Veeo)
Biology = Βιολογία (Viologia)
Box = Βοξ (Vox)
Cemetery = Κοιμητήριο (Keemeeteerio)
Centre = Κέντρο (Kentro)
Centro = Κέντρο (Kentro)
Chair = Καρέκλα (Karekla)
Chaos = Χάος (Chaos)
Character = Χαρακτήρ (Characteer)
Chorus = Χορός (Choros)
Chromo = Χρωμο (Chromo)
Chronological = Χρονολογικό (Chronologiko)
Cinema = Κινημα (Kinima)
Climate = Κλιμα, Κλιματικό (Klimatiko)
Clinic = Κλινική (Kliniki)
Comedy = Κωμωδία (Komodeea)
Cosmos = Κόσμος (Kosmos)
Cube = Κύβος (Kyvos)
Cycle = Κύκλος (Kyklos)
Cyclo = Κυκλο (Kyklo)
Decade = Δεκάδα (Decada)
Demo = Δημο (Deemo)
Democracy = Δημοκρατία (Deemokrateea)
Devil = Διάβολος (Diavolos)
Diagram = Διάγραμμα (Diagrama)
Dialogue = Διάλογος (Dialogos)
Diet = Δίαιτα (Dieta)
Diplomat = Διπλωμάτης (Diplomates)
Dinosaur = Δεινόσαυρος (Dinosavros)
Disc = Δίσκος (Diskos)
Drama = Δράμα (Drama)
Dynasty = Δυναστεία (Dynasteia)
Dys = Δυσ (Dys)
Echo = Ηχώ (Echo)
Ecology = Οικολογία (Ekologia)
Economy = Οικονομία (Ekonomia)
Ecstasy = Έκσταση (Ekstasi)
Electric = Ηλεκτρικό (Elektriko)
Electronic = Ηλεκτρονικό (Eelektroniko)
Energy = Ενέργεια (Energeia)
Enthusiasm = Ενθουσιασμός (Enthousiasmos)
Episode = Επεισόδιο (Episodeio)
Erotic = Ερωτικό (Erotiko)
Ethics = ‘Ηθη (Ethe)
Eu = Ευ (Ef)
Euro = Ευρώ (Evro)
Europe = Ευρώπη (Evropee)
Fantasy = Φαντασία (Fantasia)
Galaxy = Γαλαξίας (Galaxias)
Genetic = Γενετικός (Genetikos)
Geography = Γεωγραφία (Geographia)
Geometry = Γεωμετρία (Geometria)
Giant = Γίγαντας (Gigantas)
Grammatical = Γραμματικό (Grammatiko)
Graph = Γραφ (Graph)
Guitar = Κιθάρα (Kithara)
Harmony = Αρμονία (Armonia), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Helicopter = Ελικόπτερο (Elikoptero), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Hercules = Ηρακλής (Eraklees), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Hero = Ήρως (Iros), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Hippopotamus = Ιπποπόταμος (Ipopotamos), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
History = Ιστορία (Eestoreea), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Horizon = Ορίζοντας (Orizontas), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Hormone = Ορμόνη (Ormonee), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Horoscope = Ωροσκόπιο (Oroskopio), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Hour = Ώρα (Ora), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Hydro = Υδρο (Ydro), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Hymn = Ύμνος (Ymnos), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Hypo = Υπο (Ypo), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Hyper = Υπερ (Yper), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Hypnotic = Υπνωτικό(Ypnotiko), the “h” is rejected in modern Greek.
Idea = Ιδέα (Idea)
Idiot = Ιδιώτης (Idiotes)
Idol = Είδωλο (Idolo)
Irony = Ειρωνία (Ironea)
Jealous = Ζήλεια (Zelia)
Kilogram = Χιλιόγραμμο (Chiliogrammo)
Kilometer = Χιλιόμετρο (Chiliometro)
Kinetic = Κινητικό (Kinetiko)
Lion = Λέων (Leon)
Logic = Λογικό (Logiko)
Logo = Λογο (Logo)
Lyrics = Λυρισμός (Lyrismos)
Machine = Μηχανή (Mechane)
Macro = Μακρο (Makro)
Mega = Μεγα (Mega)
Magic = Μαγικό (Magiko)
Meta = Μετα (Meta)
Metaphor = Μεταφορά (Metaphora)
Metropolis = Μητρόπολις (Metropolis)
Micro = Μικρο (Mikro)
Mono = Μονο (Mono)
Muse = Μούσα (Musa)
Mystery = Μυστήριο (Mysterio)
Myth = Μύθος (Mythos)
Nectar = Νεκταρ (Nektar)
Neon = Νέον (Neon)
Nike = Νίκη (Nike)
Nine = Εννέα (Enea)
Ocean = Ωκεανός (Okeanos)
Olympic = Ολυμπιακός (Olympiakos)
Orchestra = Ορχήστρα (Orcheestra)
Organism = Οργανισμός (Organismos)
Orgasm = Οργασμός (Orgasmos)
Oxyzen = Οχυγόνο (Oxygono)
Paleo = Παλαιο (Paleo)
Panic = Πανικός (Panikos)
Panther = Πάνθηρας (Pantheras)
Paper = Πάπυρος (Papeeros)
Para = Παρα (Para)
Paradise = Παράδεισος (Paradeisos)
Patriot = Πατριώτης (Patriotes)
Pause = Παύση (Pafsi)
Pepper = Πιπέρι (Peperi)
Period = Περίοδος (Periodos)
Phase = Φάση (Phasee)
Philo = Φιλο (Philo)
Philosophy = Φιλοσοφία (Philosophia)
Photo = Φωτο (Photo)
Photography = Φωτογραφία (Photografia)
Physic = Φυσική (Physike)
Planet = Πλανήτης (Planeetes)
Poem = Ποίημα (Peema)
Pole = Πόλος (Polos)
Poly = Πολυ (Poly)
Pro = Προ (Pro)
Program = Πρόγραμμα (Programma)
Pseudo = Ψευδο (Psevdo)
Psycho = Ψυχο (Psycho)
Psychology = Ψυχολογία (Psychologia)
Pyro = Πυρο (Pyro)
Rhapsody = Ραψωδία (Rapsodia)
Rhythm = Ρυθμός (Rythmos)
Rhinoceros = Ρινόκερως (Rinokeros)
Sarcasm = Σαρκασμός (Sarkasmos)
Scene = Σκηνή (Skene)
Schizophrenia = Σχιζοφρένεια (Schizophrenia)
School = Σχολείο (Scholeeo)
Sphere = Σφαίρα (Sphera)
Star = Αστήρ (Asteer)
Stereo = Στέρεο (Stereo)
Strategy = Στρατηγική (Strategiki)
Sycophant = Συκοφάντης (Sykophantes)
Syllable = Συλλαβή (Syllavee)
Symbol = Σύμβολο (Symvolo)
Symmetry = Συμμετρία (Symmetria)
Sympathy = Συμπάθεια (Sympatheia)
Symphony = Συμφωνία (Symphonia)
Syntax = Σύνταξη (Syntaksi)
System = Σύστημα (Systeema)
Tactic = Τακτική (Taktikee)
Talent = Ταλέντο (Talento)
Techno = Τεχνο (Techno)
Technology = Τεχνολογία (Technologia)
Telescope = Τηλεσκόπιο (Teleskopio)
Telephone = Τηλέφωνο (Telephono)
Television = Τηλεόραση (Teleorasi)
Theatre = Θέατρο (Theatro)
Theme = Θέμα (Thema)
Theory = Θεωρία (Theoria)
Therapy = Θεραπεία (Therapia)
Thermo = Θερμο (Thermo)
Thermometer = Θερμόμετρο (Thermometro)
Third = Τρίτο (Treeto)
Tone = Τόνος (Tonos)
Tragedy = Τραγωδία (Tragodia)
Triumph = Θρίαμβος (Thriamvos)
Type = Τύπος (Typos)
Utopia = Ουτοπία (Utopeea)
Zone = Ζώνη (Zonee)
Zoo = Ζωο (Zoo)
Zoology = Ζωολογία (Zoologia)
Names
Google, Hoover
Reference
Discover the History of English