The pervasiveness of words of French origin that have been borrowed into English is comparable to that of borrowings from Latin.
A
abaisse abandon abandonment abase (Old Fr. ) abash (Old Fr. ) abate (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) abatement (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) abatis abattoir abbreviation, (Fr. ) abdication abet (Old Fr. ) abeyance (Anglo Fr. , from Old Fr. ) abhor (Fr. ) ability (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. with restoration of initial h of Latin ) abject abjection abjuration abjure (Fr. ) ablation (Fr. ) ablative able, from Old French, compare modern Fr. or ablution abnormal compare aboard (Middle Fr. ) abolish, compare abolition abominable abomination abound abrasion abrasive, Fr. , (fem.) abridge, Fr. abrogation abrupt absence absent absolute, from Middle French, compare modern Fr. absolution absorb (Fr. ) abstain (Old Fr. ) abstention abstinence abstinent absurd absurdity (Fr. ) abundance (Old Fr. , modern Fr. ) abundant abuse (Fr. ) abusive (Fr. (fem.) ) abut (Old Fr. ) acceleration (Fr. ) accent (Fr. ) accept (Fr. ) acceptable acceptance access (Fr. ) accessible accession accident acclamation acclimate (Fr. ) accolade accommodation accompaniment (Fr. ) accompany (Old Fr. , modern Fr. ) accomplice (Old Fr. ) accomplish (Old Fr. , modern Fr. ) accord accordance (Old Fr. ) accost accoucheur account (Old Fr. ) accountant (Old Fr. ) accoutre or accouter accoutrements accredit accreditation accrue accumulation accusation accusative (Old Fr. ) accuse accustom (Old Fr. , modern Fr. ) ace, (Old Fr. ) acerbity, (Middle Fr. ) acetic, (Fr. ) achieve, (Old Fr. ) achievement, (Fr. ) acid, (Fr. ) aconite, (Fr. ) acquaint, (Old Fr. ) acquaintance, (Old Fr. ) acquiesce, (Middle Fr. ) acquiescence, (Middle Fr. ) acquire, (Old Fr. ) acquisition acquit (Old Fr. ) across (Anglo Fr. ) act (Old Fr. ) action activity, (Middle French ) actual, (Old French ) acuity, (Middle French ) adage adapt, (Middle French ) adaptation addition address adhere adherence adhesion adhesive, compare or feminine form adieu, which literally means "to God" (), farewell adjective, compare adjoin adjourn (Old French ) adjudge (Old French , compare modern French ) adjust (Old French , compare modern French ) administer (Old French , compare modern French ) administration admirable admiral (Old French ) admiration admire admissible admission admonish (Old French , compare modern French ) admonition adolescence adolescent adopt adoption adorable adoration adore adorn (Old French ) adornment (Old French ) adroit adulation adultery (Old French or , compare modern Fr. ) advance (Old French ) advancement (Old French ) advantage (Old French ) advantageous adventure, (Old French , compare modern Fr. ) adventurous, (Old French , compare modern Fr. ) adversary, (Anglo French , from Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) adverse (Old French , compare modern Fr. ) adversity (Anglo French , from Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) advertisement, (French [warning]) advice, (Old French [opinion]) advise, (Old French [give one's opinion]) advocacy, (Old French ) advocate (Old French [attorney or lawyer]) aeroplane (French ) affability (French ) affable affair, (Anglo-Norman , from Old Fr. or , compare modern Fr. ) affection affiance (Old French ) affiliation affinity, (Old French , compare modern Fr. ) affirm, (Old French , compare modern Fr. ) affirmation affirmative affix (Middle French , from Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) afflict affliction affluence affluent affront afraid p.p. of afray (Anglo French , from Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) agate age agent provocateur aggrandisement Fr. aggravation aggression, compare aggrieve, (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) agile agility à gogo, or in abundance agrarian agree (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ["to accept" or "to please"]) agreeable, compare modern Fr. agreeance (Old Fr. ) agreement (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. [authorization or amenity]) ague aid (Old Fr. ) aileron aim (Old Fr. ) air aisle à la, in the style of... à la carte à la mode alamode alarm alas, from Old French phrase , compare modern Fr. alcove alert alien (Old Fr. ) alienation (Middle Fr. ) align, (Middle Fr. ) alignment, (French ) allegation allege allegiance (Anglo French , from Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) allemande alley compare alliance allocation allot (Old Fr. ) allotment Fr. allow (Old Fr. ) allowable (Old Fr. ) allowance (Old Fr. ) alloy (Anglo Fr. , from Old Fr. ) allude allure ally (Old Fr. ) almoner (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) alter alteration alum amass amateur ambassador amber ambergris ambiance ambience ambiguity ambiguous ambition amble (Old Fr. ) ambulance ambuscade ambush (Old Fr. ) amelioration amenable amend amendment amends amenity amerce ami amiable amity ammunition, from amorous, from Old French, compare modern Fr. amortise amount amour ampere ample amplify amplitude ampoule ampul amulet (Middle Fr. ) amuse amusement ancestor (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) ancestral ancestry ancien regime ancient andiron (Old Fr. ) andouille angle anguish (from Old French , now ) anime Fr. animosity anisette annals (Old Fr. ) annelid annex, (Old Fr. ) annihilation announce announcement annoy, from Old French , modern Fr. annoyance annual (Old Fr. ) annuity (Old Fr. ) annul (Old Fr. ) annunciation (Fr. ) anoint (Old Fr. , p.p. of , compare modern Fr. ) antecedent, compare antique antiquity (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) antler (Anglo-Fr. , from Old Fr. , modern Fr. ) anus (Old Fr. ) apart (Old Fr. ) apartment, Fr. apercu, Fr. aperitif, Fr. aplomb appall (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) appanage (Old Fr. ) apparel, (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) apparent apparition appeal appear appearance appease appeasement appellant appellation appellee apperception appertain appetence appetite application applique apply (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. [to implement]) appoint appointee appointment apportion appose appraise appreciable appreciation apprehend apprise approach approbation appropre approvance approve appurtenance appurtenant apricot (Fr. , from Port. , from Arabic ) apron (Old Fr. ) apropos (Fr. ) aquarelle aquatic aqueous arabesque arable arbalest arbitrage arbitration arbitrator arbiter arbor arbour arc arcade arch archer archery ardent ardour are arête argent (Fr. ) argot argue, (Old French ) argument argumentation aridity arm [weapon] (Old French ) armagnac armament armature armistice armoire armorer armour army arraign arraignment arrange arrangement arras array arrearage arrears arrest, from Old Fr. arrive arrogance arrogant arrondissement arsenal arsenic arson art art brut art deco art nouveau artesian article articulation artifice artificial artillery artisan ascendant ascertain ascribe (Old Fr. ) ashlar (Old Fr. ) asine askance (Old Fr. ) asp (Middle Fr. , modern Fr. ) asperity aspic aspirant aspire assail assailant assassin (Fr. , from Arabic [hashish users]) assault assay assemblage assemble assembly assent assertion assess (Anglo Fr. ) assessor (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) assets (Anglo Fr. , from Old Fr. ) assign assignation assignee assignment assist assistance assistant assize assonance assort assuage assume assurance assure astonish astray atelier attach attaché attachment attack attain attainder attainment attempt attend attendance attendant attentive attest attestation attire attitude attorn attorney (Old Fr. [appointed] p.p. of ) attraction attractive attribution aubade aubain aubergine auburn au courant audible audience audition auditor au fait augment augmentation augmentative au naturel au pair aunt (Anglo Fr. , from Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) aureole auspices auteur author (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) authorise authority autumn avail avalanche avant avarice avaricious avaunt avenge avenue aver average averment avert aviation (Fr. ) aviator avid (Fr. ) avidity avocet avoid (Old Fr. ) avoirdupois avouch avow (Old Fr. ) await (Anglo Fr. , from Old Fr. ) award (Anglo Fr. , from Old Fr. ) azimuth (Old Fr. , from Arabic ) azure (Old Fr. , from Arabic , from Persian )
B
baba au rhum baboon (Fr. ) babouche (Fr. , from Arabic , from Persian ) baccarat bachelor (Old Fr. ) bacon (Old Fr. ) badinage bagatelle baggage, (Old Fr. ) baguette (Fr. , from Italian ) bail (Old Fr. ) bailey bailiff baize balance baldric (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) bale (Old Fr. , from Germanic) baleen ballad (Fr. , from Old Provençal ) ballet (Fr. , from Italian ) ballon balloon (Fr. ) balm (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) baluster (Fr. , from Italian ) balustrade (Fr. , from Italian ) banal banality band, (Middle Fr. ) bandage bandeau bandolier bandy banish (Old Fr. , from Frankish ) bank (Old Fr. , from Old Italian , from Germanic) banner banquet banquette bar (Old Fr. ) barb (Old Fr. ) bargain (Old Fr. ) barge bark [small ship] (Middle Fr. ) baron (Old Fr. , from Frankish ) baroness baroque barque barracks barrage barratry barre barrel (Old Fr. ) barren, (Old Fr. ) barret barrette barricade barrier barter (Old Fr. ) basil basin basket basset (hound) bassinet bassoon bastard baste [sew] (Old Fr. ) bastion bate (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) baton battalion (Middle Fr. , from Italian ) batten (Fr. ) batter battery battle (Old Fr. ) battlement bauble baud bauxite bay, compare bayonet, compare beagle (Fr. ) beak, (Old Fr. ) beast (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) beatification beatitude beau, a lover or a dandy beau idéal beau monde beauty (Old Fr. ) beaux arts, fine arts bec de corbin bechamel beef (Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) beef bourguignon beggar (Old Fr. ) begonia beige beignet beldame belfry belle benefice (Fr. ) beneficial benefit (Anglo-Fr. , compare modern Fr. ) benevolent benign benignity benison benzoin berate berceuse beret, compare bergamot berline berm (Fr. , from Old Dutch ) beryl (Old Fr. , from anc. Greek , from Sanskrit ) bestial bête noire betray bevel beverage (Anglo-Fr. , from Old Fr. [to drink], compare modern Fr. ) bevy bezant bezel bezique bias bibelot bice (short form of Fr. [brownish-grey blue]) bicycle, compare > bidet bigamy bigot bigotry bijou bikini bile bilge biliary bilious billet billiards Fr. , dim. of Old Fr. [stick of wood], from Gaulish [tree] billion binocular biscuit bison bisque bistro bittern bituminous bivouac bizarre blame blanch blancmange blandish blank (Old Fr. ) blanket, from Old French (originally "a white cloth") blasé blazon blemish bleu cheese blister bloc block blond blonde blouse bludgeon blue Old Fr. , from Frankish bobbin boil (Old Fr. ) boisterous bombard (Fr. "bombarde") bombardier bon appétit bonbon bonhomie bon mot bonnet, from Old French, compare modern Fr. bonny bon ton bon viveur the French use instead bon voyage boot booty borage borax bordello border bottle bouche boudoir bouffant bougainvillea bougie bouillabaisse bouillon boule boulevard boulevardier bound (v.) Old Fr. bound (n.) Old Fr. boundary bounty bouquet bourbon whiskey bourdon bourgeois bourgeoisie bourn bourse boutique boutonniere bowel bowls brace bracelet brach bracket braggart brail braise bran, from Old French or brandish, compare brasserie brassiere, compare , although the modern French for this is brave bravery brawn bray braze brazier bream brevet bribe brick bricolage brigade brigadier brigand brigantine brilliant, compare brioche briquette broach brochure, Fr. , from - to stitch broderie anglaise, a type of embroidery broil broker bronze brooch brose brouhaha browse bruise Old Fr. bruit brulee brume brunet brunette brush brusque brut brute buccaneer Fr. bucket buckle, compare buckler buckram budge budget, from Old Fr. (a little purse) buff buffer buffet buffoon bugle bulb bulge bullet, from , although the modern French for this is bulletin bullion bun burden compare bureau bureaucracy bureaucrat burette burgeon burgess burglar burin burlesque burnish bushel busk busker buskin bustard bustier butcher butchery butler butt butte button, Old Fr. , compare modern Fr. buttress buzzard
C
cabal, compare cabale cabaret