How to Learn the Basic Word List 239

ENGLISH WORDS DE-
RIVED THROUGH
FRENCH

conceit

constraint

couch

count

coy

dainty

defeat

dungeon

esteem

fashion

feat

frail

loyal

mayor

penance

poor

privy

royal

rule

Sir

strait

sure

trait

treason

ENGLISH WORDS
DIRECTLY DERIVED
FROM LATIN

concept

constriction

collocate

compute

quiet

dignity

defect

dominion

estimate

faction

fact

fragile

legal

major

penitence

pauper

private

regal

regulate

senior

strict

secure

tract

tradition

LATIN

conceptu

constnctione

collocare

computare

quieto

dignitate

defecto

dommio

aestimare

iactione

facto

fragili

legali

maj ore

poemtentia

paupen

pnvato

regali

regulare

seniore

stncto

secure

tractu

traditione

The spelling of many French loan-words is identical with that of the
corresponding words in modern French, e g figure^ front., fruit> gam^
grace,, grain> tabley torrent., torture, or does not deviate sufficiently to
make identification impossible,, eg chain (chaine), chanty (chante),
colour (couleur). Furthermore, words which look alike or similar in
French and English have usually an area of common meaning On the
other hand, there are many which betray the beginner* The reason for
this is that the meaning of words often changes m the course of cen-
turies through metaphorical usage, through specialization or thiough
generalization Even since the time of James I, such words as crafty
(originally skilled) and cunning (knowing* wise), have done so, and many
words such as homely (plain m America, domesticated in England) do
not mean the same thing on both sides of the Atlantic So it is not
surprising that French spirituel means witty or that figure refers to the
face alone.
If we were to ask for mutton (mouton) and mustard (moutarde),
onions (oignons) and vinegar (vmaigre) in a French inn, we should not