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Are half the words in English from French?

We ask whether almost half the words in the English language are of French origin.

Are almost half the words in the English language of French origin? It’s a claim one of our loyal listeners found surprising. Tim Harford talks to Dr Beth Malory, lecturer in English Linguistics at University College London, who explains why so many words derived from French have ended up in English.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Daniel Gordon
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Editor: Richard Vadon
Sound Engineer: Graham Puddifoot

(Picture: A French dictionary showing the entry 'Dictionnaire'
Credit: NSA Digital Archive / iStock / Getty Images Plus)

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9 minutes

Last on

Sun 8 Oct 202323:50GMT
BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa & BBC Afghan Radio

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  • Sat 7 Oct 202304:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
  • Sat 7 Oct 202310:50GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & Europe and the Middle East only
  • Sun 8 Oct 202308:50GMT
    BBC World Service West and Central Africa
  • Sun 8 Oct 202310:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
  • Sun 8 Oct 202322:50GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Sun 8 Oct 202323:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa & BBC Afghan Radio

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