How many French words can you think of that have come into common English usage?
There is no way anyone could make a list here. There are too many words. When the Normans took over England, their dialect of French became the official language of the ruling and wealthy classes (pretty much the same set). “During the Norman occupation, about 10,000 French words were adopted into English, some three-fourths of which are still in use today…. More than a third of all English words are derived directly or indirectly from French, and it’s estimated that English speakers who have never studied French already know 15,000 French words.” The web site below has a great deal of information: http://french.about.com/library/bl-frenchinenglish.htm The languages coexisted for many years and then blended together to eventually become the language we know today as English. While they were coexisting, an interesting thing happened. “High Class” cultural items took on the French names,
