The linguist Bernard Cerquiglini doesn’t beat around the bush about his new book: “Basically, I say that the English language is what French has done best! My book is willingly in bad faith! » The former rector of the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie uses humor and provocation, in a well-found dosage.
“Almost all of the sustained vocabulary of English belongs to the French language,” underlines the author of “ The English language does not exist ». It’s poorly pronounced French. “International English comes from French. A variety of French sown in England transmuted Anglo-Saxon, which thus set out to conquer the world. » To the point of making a laughing Bernard Cerquiglini say that England was, for a time, the capital of the French-speaking world.
“Until the writing of this book, we spoke mainly in quantitative terms. It was said that 35%, 40%, even 45% of the English dictionary was made up of French words. I was interested in the qualitative aspect. I insist on the fact that what comes from French is the essential part of the English language. Which makes it international. When you use English to do business, international administration, to catch a plane at the airport, you are using the French part of the English lexicon. » For him, this is a fact. Not at all a provocation.
More than a third of English vocabulary is indeed of French origin. Mr. Cerquiglini shows this by multiplying the correspondences and examples. It delves into the heart of the origin of words. Foreignforeign, comes from old French fairgroundfrom forismeaning outside. Soldiersoldier, finds its origin in old French soldierfrom sale. Targettarget, is a diminutive of targea shield in old French.
Basically the flesh, what makes English international, comes from French
Are you tired of hearing your children tell you that it’s nice ? Know that nicein old French, first meant idiot and simpleton, before subsequently taking on a positive value.
The examples are almost endless. Riotriot, comes straight from riotmeaning quarrel in old French. Story is only a form of Old Norman estorie from whom a letter was dropped. Word peace ? Simply old French peace. And war ? From ancient Norman warreSame direction.
International English
“I am not calling into question the entire architecture of the English language, the skeleton, the entire grammar, even if, in one chapter, I show that English grammar has been quite Frenchized. But basically the meat, what makes English international, comes from French. »
Many English words were borrowed from Old French, but also from Norman. “Last summer, I was in Normandy. I spoke to an association of Normans. I stated the theses of my book. There was an old man there who spoke Norman. All the words I cited that had passed into English, he recognized as Norman. »
Reading and listening to Bernard Cerquiglini, we quickly end up realizing that English is a language made up of borrowings from French.
A nobility
Until the 15the century, continues a smiling Bernard Cerquiglini, the English language is first and foremost a matter of social class. “French is a court language, with a high register. » It asserted its prestige very early, from the 13the century in the face of a popular world that speaks English. “The entire British noble lexicon is borrowed from French: baron, count, monarch, monarchy, noble, prince, regent, royal, sire, sovereign, throne, vassal. » And it is not for nothing that the motto of the British monarchy is affirmed in French: “God and my right”. The motto is clearly visible both in the parliament of Quebec and that of Ottawa. “There is a whole French-speaking aspect to the British monarchy which has endured. »
In 1066, the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror, was crowned in England. From then until 1260, the use of French and Norman in this kingdom was extremely important. “The aristocracy rules England in French. Until 1260, French was the language of an elite. It was the lawyers and traders who would later speak French. » Borrowings from French were endorsed in the current and popular language between 1260 and 1400.
Which makes the linguist say that the French-speaking world began in England in the 14the century. “French is the spoils of war that a population has appropriated. She used it. » Then, from the 15the century, the new language which was established, relying on a quantity of French words, undertook a meteoric rise. Great English writers, he shows, have a language nourished by French.
During the Age of Enlightenment, it was the English political vocabulary, capable of carrying revolutionary ideas, which was imported to France. Words like majority, parliament, convention, motion appear in French. Words soon in use at the heart of the French Revolution. Now these English words, observes Mr. Cerquiglini, were only returning from where they had started! They were indeed of French origin.
Especially since the end of the Second World War, we are well aware of the globalized dimension of English. “English was able to dethrone French by first having plundered French,” underlines the linguist.
The reverse invasion
In France, it was from the post-war period that an invasion of English was feared. “Not just any Englishman anyway. My friend Michel Serres spoke of “Californiaism”, because it is still a language of innovation that is making headway. » Before, in France, it was rather borrowings from Italian that were notable, he notes.
“In Quebec, this concern about English arose before 1945. It was the Catholic Church, in the fight against Protestantism, which constituted a bulwark for the defense of French. The Church creates manuals against the improprieties of language. We are trying to avoid the proliferation of provincialisms originating from the west of France”, in the name of “good speaking”.
The thesis of maintaining an ancient French language is fine, but it is certain that living under direct pressure from an English-speaking continent plays a big role in Quebec.
In this tradition, Bernard Cerquiglini judges that the Quebec linguist Michel Parmentier did useful work by publishing a Dictionary of expressions and expressions modeled on English. However, he regrets that “as soon as an expression is not in line with French, he sees it as an Anglicism”. The expression “to fall in love”, apparently a copy of the English, was an expression in use in the 17the French century. Many Quebec expressions come from ancient uses and are in no way wrong, believes Bernard Cerquiglini.
Is it not all the same abusive to believe, along the way, that all the borrowings in Quebec are the result of the maintenance of an ancient language which would have lasted from generation to generation? “The thesis of maintaining an ancient French language is beautiful, but it is certain that the fact of living under direct pressure from an English-speaking continent plays a big role in Quebec. I have stayed in Quebec very often. When I hear “we’re going to take a walk”, I know that it doesn’t come from old French! »
Neighbor’s Anglicism
Mr. Cerquiglini does not hide his enthusiastic approval of Quebec’s language policies. “I love Quebec’s language policies, Bill 101, all that. I find it astonishing. »
The intrusions of English in France are disturbing, he says. “When Quebecers arrive in Paris, they are struck by the place that English takes. » They are right to be worried, he says, while adding that we always see better what is wrong with others than with ourselves.
“We see each other’s anglicisms and we don’t see our own. I’m not saying that there are a lot of anglicisms in Quebec French. I don’t allow myself. But there are still some! A mechanic repairs your brakes ! Everyone has their anglicisms. When a Quebecer arrives in Paris, he is legitimately shocked to hear President Macron stop a meeting by saying that he is sorry but that he has a call. »
What did Bernard Cerquiglini want to do by asserting in a lively and joyful book that “the English language does not exist”? “Behind the provocation of this book, I try to think about the French-speaking world. I do it in a bold way. I believe in the French-speaking world. And I basically say this: “be proud of your language”. »