Emigres

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This study examines French words and phrases that have entered the English language untranslated. Since 1500, English has borrowed more from French than any other modern foreign language, with many words naturalized while others retain their foreign roots. These words, often italicized to highlight their distinctiveness, pose challenges in spelling and pronunciation for native English speakers, functioning as émigrés within the language. The 1660s marked a significant period when terms like à-la-mode, ennui, naïveté, and caprice gained prominence in English, coinciding with the French influence brought by Charles II and his court. Many of these foreign terms have been embraced by English speakers, adding a certain je-ne-sais-quoi to the language, although some have faced resistance, reflecting the ambivalence towards foreign influences. Richard Scholar poses intriguing questions about the roles of these French words in English, how their meanings may have shifted, and what their study reveals about the interactions between languages and cultures. He investigates the meanings and associations these words carry from their French origins and contextualizes their integration into English within the broader early modern attitudes towards foreign cultures and the fascination with all things French.