The influence of French on the English language relates not only to grammar, but also to vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Most French vocabularies entered the English language after the Norman conquest of England in 1066, which lasted until the end of the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453). From that time onwards, the English language continued to be influenced by the French language.
According to language expert Henriette Walter, words of French origin account for more than two-thirds of English vocabulary. Language expert Anthony Lacoudre estimates that French is the direct source of more than 40,000 English words and can be understood without French speakers changing their grammar.
There are a lot of differences between English language and French languages like grammar, pronunciation, spelling, etc. English and French are two languages that are very closely related to each other since they both belong to one family called the Indo-European family. This is one of the world’s most important language families because it contains many languages. English belongs to the Germanic group whereas the French belongs to the Latin group or the Italian group of the Indo-European family. The subgroup in which the French appear in this group of Italic languages is also known as the Romance languages. This is the principal difference between the two languages.
French is the national language in France. It is one of the Romance languages. When it comes to pronunciation, French is governed by a number of pronunciation rules. In general, the last letter of a word is not pronounced in the French language. However, if a word ends with a consonant and a next word begins with a vowel, usually there is a connection. These two words are pronounced together without a pause in between. It is important to know that French has a significant influence on the Latin language.
In the French language, there are different conjugations for verbs in each pronoun. Therefore, French is more complex. In the French language, every noun and most of the pronouns have a gender. You have to choose the verb according to the gender and number of the noun or pronoun that comes up. The major differences between French and English languages are:
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Language
The English and French Languages belong to the Indo-European language family. Under this,
- English belongs to the Germanic group.
- French belongs to the Italian language group.
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Pronunciation
- English has fewer rules regarding pronunciation.
- French has more rules regarding pronunciation, especially about the combination of vowels.
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Silent letters
- In English, some letters become silent in some words such as Psalms, Knife, etc.
- In the French language, the last letter of a word is not pronounced generally. This is a general rule.
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Accents
- English dialects are used only in foreign borrowing.
- French uses a number of accents.
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Gender
- In English, only personal pronouns have a gender.
- In French, all nouns and most pronouns have a gender.
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Negation
- The English language is negated by using the word “no”.
- In French, “ne” comes before the verb, “pas” comes after the verb.
Between French and English Which Do You Prefer and Why?
Both French and English possess distinct qualities that make them appealing languages. French exudes romance and poetry, while English is known for its practicality and clarity. Your preference depends on your language goals; if seeking beauty, French is ideal, whereas English is advantageous for its ease of learning and global usage. Additionally, considering the IELTS for English proficiency may be beneficial for those aiming to master the language for academic or professional purposes. Ultimately, both languages offer rich experiences worth exploring.
FAQ:
QUESTION: Why is French more complex than English?
ANSWER: This is because French has different conjugations for verbs in each pronoun, while English only has one conjugation for all pronouns. Additionally, every noun and pronoun in French has a gender, which adds an extra layer of complexity. Finally, French uses a number of accents, while English dialects are only used in foreign borrowings.
Conclusion:
Learning about the basic differences between English and French will help you in understanding and learn the two languages better and thus help you in communicating well with others who speak these languages, whether on a personal or business level. You can learn English by hiring English instructors online From AmazingTalker.
AmazingTalker is the No#1 language Learning platform where you can learn all languages by taking classes from their online language tutors .Since you can see, both the English and French languages have many differences between them. Just remember, the letters are the same but everything else in these two languages is different from each other.