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Depending on what you consider an "English" word, anywhere from 0% to 100% of words are English words. I've definitely seen accoutrement and ziggurat in English
by stavros 4mo ago
Depending on what you consider an "English" word, anywhere from 0% to 100% of words are English words. I've definitely seen accoutrement and ziggurat in English, and quite often.
- walthamstow 4mo agoOf course, the line is very blurry. I've used accoutrement(s) in English many times, but I've never considered myself to be speaking English when I use it. It's like joie de vivre or c'est la vie.
- stavros 4mo agoWhat about "rendezvous", or "etiquette", or "RSVP", cliche, nuance, etc? Do you consider those French or English? As you say, the line is very very blurry.
- walthamstow 4mo agoRendezvous and cliche yes. Nuance, etiquette, RSVP no. It's instinctive so I can't explain but maybe because rendezvous and cliche require using French pronounciation. On this I think you could find more differing opinions than there are possible answers.
- naishoya 4mo agoMy favorite in the vicinity of etiquette and rendezvous is the "double entendre", very French sounding, but not French at all. That and something being not a person's "forte" which when correctly pronounced is just fort, but through confabulation with a musical term from Italian; forte: to play loudly, sounds more French to English speakers when mispronounced. C'est la vie. Japanese loanwords really tickle my humour; バイト "Baito" : a casual, part-time, non-serious job. From the German "Arbeit" which is serious, macro-level employment or exertion.