Imported Words

Lesson 1. French Borrowings

We've borrowed so many words from French that someone once half-seriously claimed that English is little more than French badly pronounced. Some of these words have kept their original spelling, while others have become so Anglicized you may not recognize them as originally French. 1. envoy (en"voi, n"-) a diplomatic agent; an accredited messenger or representative. 2. rsum (rez" ma', rez' ma") a summing up; a brief account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience, as of an applicant for a job. 3. coup d'tat (k'da t") a sudden and decisive action in politics, especially one effecting a change of government, illegally or by force. 4. cause clbre (kz"s* leb", -leb"r*) any controversy that attracts great public attention. 5. avant-garde (* vnt'grd", * vant'-, av'N-, "vN-) the advance group in any field, especially in the visual, literary, or musical arts, whose works are unorthodox and experimental. 6. laissez-faire (les'a fr") the theory that government should intervene as little as possible in economic affairs. 7. rendezvous (rn"d* v', -da-) an agreement between two or more people to meet at a certain time and place. 8. cul-de-sac (kul"d* sak") a street, lane, etc., closed at one end; blind alley. 9. esprit de corps (e spre" d* kr") a sense of union and of common interests and responsibilities, as developed among a group of persons associated together. 10. ide fixe (e'da feks") a fixed idea; obsession. 11. joie de vivre (zhw'd* vev", ve"vr*) a delight in being alive. 12. milieu (mil y", mel-) an environment; medium. 13. potpourri (po'p re") a mixture of dried petals of roses or other flowers with spices, kept in a jar for their fragrance. 14. rapport (ra pr", r*-) a harmonious or sympathetic relationship or connection. 15. bon vivant (bon"ve vnt", bN"ve vN") a person who lives luxuriously and enjoys good food and drink.