A CERTAIN JE NE SAIS QUOI WORDS WE STOLE FROM OTHER LANGUAGES CHLOE RHODES
A Certain je ne Sais Quoi : Words We Pinched from Other Languages
By:Rhodes, Chloe
Publisher:Michael O'Mara Books Ltd
Imprint:Michael O'Mara Books Ltd
ISBN/EAN:1782434321 / 9781782434320
Format:Paperback
Pagination:176 pages
Dimensions:198 x 129 mm
Country of Pub.:United Kingdom
Pub Date:25/06/2015
Availability:Published on25/06/2015
English as we know it today is enriched with many borrowings and influences from other languages. Aficionado, chutzpah, pro bono, hoi polloi, ketchup, nous, zeitgeist - we use these foreign words every day without thinking of their origins, but what do they actually mean? And just how and why did we English speakers absorb such exotic imports? Each phrase has a fascinating history; colonialism, foreign trade, invasion and immigration all have their role to play in the evolution of our language. Did you know, for example, that 'lingua franca' is Italian for 'Frankish language' - a name given to a mixed common language used by diplomats of different nationalities in medieval times? Or that the seemingly modern 'bandana' comes from the Sanskrit for the ancient Indian technique of tie-dying fabric? A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi is an accessible and entertaining treasury of information that 'connoisseurs' (French) of the English language will love!
