French, or French français, is arguably the most crucial Romance language in the world on a global scale. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, French was the official language of more than 25 countries. Like other languages, French words have seen significant changes throughout time. Its linguistic legacy has been continuously transformed, taken from, and adapted during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Age of Enlightenment, and the French Revolution.
Today’s French learners will find that the language is only a distant relative of what it once was. Where does the French language originate from, then?
Overview of its origin
French is primarily a blend of German, Latin, and Celtic. The Gauls mainly spoke Celtic. The area now France was once a part of a broader region inhabited by Gauls, who spoke a variety of Celtic.
The Gauls period:
France was not yet France we know today around 5000 BC. At that time, the Gauls were present in France. Gaul was the name for France.
Le gaulois was the language of the Gauls. The French language still has certain words of Gaulish roots, such chêne, charrue, quatre-vingt-dix, quatre-vingt, etc.
The French terms “quatre-vingt-dix” and “quatre-vingt” were introduced by the Gauls. The Gauls at that time counted by twenty instead of ten.
Latin and Greek
The area was also home to other linguistic and ethnic communities. In 121 BC, the Romans overthrew the Gauls, and in 52 BC, while including the area in the Roman Empire. The Romans forced the Gauls to learn Latin since they spoke Vulgar Latin, which led to the Latin language being infused with Celtic vocabulary.
Latin thus had a significant influence on the French at the expense of the Gaulish. We still use the words orateur, oraison, and oratoire, which come from the verb orare. Manducare was eventually employed to produce manger, and hospitalem gave rise to hôtel. When comparing French to its linguistic relatives like Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish, one can see how deeply rooted the language is in Latin.
Germanic Languages and the Vikings
Several tribes from Germany invaded Western Europe in the third century, and some of these groups settled in northern France. The Franks compelled everyone to speak in their tongue. This significantly impacted the already diluted Latin spoken in the region.
Nearly a thousand new words entered French due to the Frankish invasion and the emergence of Germanic languages, many of which were used to describe military might, such as épier, galoper, and hache (to spy, gallop, axe). Loge, gâteau, salle, flan, and of course, gaufre (waffle) were added to the language of food and festivities
The Frank invasion explains why French sounds so different from other Romance languages. The presence of the Franks had a significant impact on the development of the French language that we know today. While they permitted the use of Latin, they pushed the local language to follow their usage and stress conventions. Because of its Latin roots, French remained a Romance language, but its sound patterns were permanently altered from those of its language relatives.
Hebrew and Arabic
The French language has gained another hundred words to make it richer, like amen, brouhaha, and émissaire.
French has borrowed the most from Arabic, a language that is semantically similar to Hebrew, after Italian and English. We find academic terminology (algèbre, alchimie, zénith) and terms for flora and fauna among the roughly 500 Arabic words (girafe, gazelle, albatros). Even now, words of Arabic roots like bled, toubib, and méchoui are still prevalent in spoken French (village, doctor, and spit-roasted sheep).
What About French Today?
It is not unexpected that there are numerous dialects and variations of the French language, given that it is one of the six official languages of the United Nations and the official language of 33 other nations. However, due to the capital’s growing significance from a cultural and political standpoint, Parisian French began to be seen as the “model” for the French language within France.
Regional dialects are still widely spoken in France, even if there have been efforts to standardize them. The emergence of media like radio and television has contributed to the standardization of French.
Although we are unaware of it today, it makes sense.
How can someone know that their pronunciation is different if, for instance, the word “yes” is pronounced, “ol” in the north of France and “oc” in the south?
Nowadays, thanks to the internet, social media, and television, information is available instantly, and you can now talk to people on the other side of the globe. It was a lot more sophisticated than that a few centuries ago.
The language’s structure hasn’t altered much since that time, but linguistically; French is constantly changing, which is one of the fascinating aspects of any language.
French Dialects
Most contemporary dialects only exist in rural regions and are categorized mainly through geography. The Walloon language, primarily spoken in Belgium, is an exception in that it has thriving dialect literature dating back to roughly 1600. The following groups comprise other dialects:
- Northern: Northern Norman, Picard
- Central: Orléanais, Francien, Champenois, Bourbonnais
- Western: Angevin, Gallo (around the Celtic Breton area), Norman, Manceau
- Eastern: Lorrain, Franc-Comtois, Bourguignon (Burgundian)
- South western: Saintongeais, Poitevin, Angoumois
What about French Grammar?
French has drastically streamlined its grammar from Latin, like the other Romance languages. Nouns are not case-declined. They were once denoted as plural by adding a -s or a -es, but the ending is no longer commonly used in speech, although still present in the spelling.
There are gender differences between the masculine and the feminine. They are, however, frequently mentioned in the surrounding article or adjective rather than in the term itself. The marking of the plural is often distinct in spoken French. Despite having different spellings, the verb can be conjugated in French for three persons, both singular and plural. However, many of these forms sound the same when spoken.
The indicative, imperative, and subjunctive moods, preterite, imperfect, present, future, and conditional tenses, and a number of perfect and progressive tenses, as well as passive and reflexive constructions, all have verb forms in French.
What are some French words and Phrases?
Here we will discuss some French phrases and words you can quickly learn:
- Bonjour! Pronounced as (bohn-jhoor) — Hello!
- Au revoir! Pronounced as (ohr-vwahr!) — Goodbye!
- Bonsoir! Pronounced as (bohN-swahr!) — Good evening!
- S’il vous plait! Pronounced as (seel vooh pleh.) — Please.
- Merci. Pronounced as (mehr-see) — Thank you.
- Je vous en prie. Pronounced as (zhuh vooh-zahN pree.) — You’re welcome!
- Pardon/Excusez-moi. Pronounced as (pahr-dohN/eks-kew-zey-mwah.) — Excuse me.
Some questions to learn in French:
- Quelle heure est-il ? Pronounced as (kehl uhr eh-teel?) — What time is it?
- Comment vous appelez-vous ? Pronounced as (koh-mahN vooh-zah-pley-vooh?) — What’s your name?
- Comment allez-vous ? Pronounced as (koh-mahN-tah-ley-vooh?) — How are you?
- Est-ce que vous parlez anglais ? Pronounced as (ehs-kuh vooh pahr-ley ahN-gleh?) — Do you speak English?
- Où est-ce que je peux trouver… ? Pronounced as (ooh ehs-kuh zhuh puh trooh-vey….?) — Where can I find . . .?
How can you learn French Quickly?
Speaking French might be challenging. After all, learning this lovely language requires memorization of numerous critical French words. However, if learning French keeps you from speaking confidently and effectively, we have some helpful advice.
Study French with Audio
Many pupils have trouble remembering French vocabulary. However, they can recall French songs easily since, as is common knowledge, learning a song is easier than memorizing a dictionary. Therefore, studying French with audio is the primary method for learning the language. Numerous audiobooks and playlists are easily accessible online. You can also record your voice and listen to the audio during practice.
Learn French sounds
Over 28% of English words have French roots, and the French alphabet shares many of the same letters,just like in the English alphabet. There are numerous similarities in the French and English alphabets than any other language. As a result, it ranks among the easiest languages to learnfor people who can easily converse in English. There is one exception, though, and that is the use of accents on some letters.
In French, there are 16 vowel sounds and 23 consonant sounds. English speakers are already familiar with 20 consonants and six vowels. You now have to master three new consonants and ten new vowels. Becoming familiar with the French alphabet and the individual letter sounds is essential.
Practice With Your Textbook
Illustrations are commonly used in language learning books to introduce new words. Try to describe the graphics as you look at them using the vocabulary you have learned or already know. Once you have done so, read the captions beneath the images to see how well you did. Keep in mind the context in which the vocabulary words are employed.
Know Your Cognates
This method helps start to learn French quickly. Make a list of French/English cognates (words that sound identical and share the same meaning in both languages). Once you’ve gathered and listed a few cognates, write them down and divide them into two columns: one for French and one for English. Now fold the piece of paper and question them yourself. This technique will help you quickly recall French words.
Look for a language exchange
One of the easiest ways to learn French is to look for French speakers who can teach you the language and in exchange you can teach them yours via language exchange applications. You can be friends with your language exchange partner who is also your informal French teacher, which is advantageous for both of you.
Since exchanges are free and French classes are frequently pricey, this method is an excellent way to learn French if you are on a tight budget. However, you may consider a “real” tutor to learn the language because language interactions can be chaotic and challenging to advance with.
Listen and Repeat
You must trust your ears if you wish to learn the French language successfully. After all, learning the subtleties of various sounds is a critical component of studying French. If you’re not pronouncing the words correctly, practising French vocabulary serves no purpose.
Get to the Roots
It is another practical method for improving your ability to absorb French vocabulary quickly. Here is how this strategy works. It is best to learn words with the exact origin together. You can study “écrivain” (writer) and “l’écrire” (an act of writing), much like when learning the French verb “écrire” (to write). The root word “écrire” is closely connected to these words. You will be able to learn the terms and their meaning in this way.
Watch Movies in French
Movies help you learn any foreign language. Why not watch movies in French if you enjoy doing so in your spare time? With this practice, you will better understand cultural and linguistic communication patterns. The stimulation of French-language thought is another advantage of watching French films.
Initially, you can watch movies with French subtitles, but after some time, you might want to stop to work on your hearing and comprehension without having to read. Additionally, don’t be afraid to halt, make notes, and repeat a few words.
Do It Daily
Make it a regular part of your day if you’re serious about learning French properly. Regular vocabulary study is the key to picking up new words quickly. It doesn’t have to take much time; even a few minutes a day can significantly impact how well you remember the words you learn.
To quickly advance your skills, review your French vocabulary list, engage in French conversations, read books written in the language, and explore French language apps daily.
Create Associations
The use of associations can aid in the memorization of new terms when learning French vocabulary. Make connections between known English words and French words. As an illustration, the English word “van” and the French word “vin,” Consequently, you can link these two related words together.
The Bottom Line
Although learning a language on your own is difficult, using the strategies we’ve provided will get you off to a terrific start. Finding a qualified tutor as soon as possible will help you learn more efficiently and, most importantly, speak French frequently.
Practice reading, listening, and writing in French and speaking it whenever possible. Additionally, we advise making weekly summaries of your learning to help retain your memory and keep you motivated as you observe your development.
