English and French have a natural link, because of the proximity of the UK and France. The languages have influenced each another to a similar degree, although the English influence on French came later.
English is full of words that have come from French through the ages. There are plenty of common expressions used in English today, such as cul-de-sac, which originally came from France, but many words, which we think of as wholly English also came from France.
This started with the Norman invasion of England in 1066. It had a major impact not only on the country, but also on the English language. William the Conqueror and his merry band of Normans brought Norman French with them, which became the language of the court, government and the upper class for the next three centuries. English continued to be used by ordinary people, and Latin was the language of the church.
During the period when Norman French was the dominant language, English was rarely used in writing, and started to change in many ways.
Over the years, the English language has borrowed a great number of French words and expressions. Some of this vocabulary has been so completely absorbed by English that speakers might not realize its origins. Other words and expressions have retained their “Frenchness” – a certain je ne sais quoi which speakers tend to be much more aware of.
Vocabulary
During the Norman occupation, about 10,000 French words were adopted into English, some three-quarters of which are still in use today. This French vocabulary is found in every domain, from government and law to art and literature.
Around a third of all English words are derived directly or indirectly from French. In fact English speakers know around 15,000 French words, even before they start learning the language. There are also more than 1,700 words that are identical in the two languages.
À la carte, chef d’œuvre, crème brûlée, competition, force, machine, publicity… English indeed contains many words of French origin, and many other Anglicized French words. These are pronounced according to English rules of orthography, rather than French but around 28% of English vocabulary is of French origin.
Many French expressions are also commonly used, such as “après moi, le déluge”. Literally: after me, the deluge; remark attributed to Louis XV of France and used in reference to the impending end of a functioning French monarchy and predicting the French Revolution.
Pronunciation
The pronunciation of English also changed to some extent under the influence of French, as did the spelling. For example, the Old English spellings cw, sc and c became qu, sh and ch, so we now write queen rather than cwen, ship rather than scip, and should rather than scolde.
Grammar
Another rare but interesting remnant of French influence is in the word order of expressions like secretary general and surgeon general, where English has retained the noun + adjective word order typical in French, rather than the usual adjective + noun used in English.
Finally, we can see the influence of French in the English language by all the Idiomatic English expressions using the word “French”: French vanilla, French kiss, French press, French maid, or French letter, which in French is actually “English condom”!
For further reading, here is a list of French phrases and sayings used in English and a list of French words in English. You can also test yourself with this quiz about French terms used in English.