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{{French language infobox}}
{{French language}}

'''French''' (''français'', {{IPA-fr|fʁɑ̃sɛ}}) today is spoken around the world by 65 to 80 million people as a ] language, and by about 190 to 200 million people as a ] or third language,<ref>{{fr icon}} — Provides details from a report, (Rapport 1997–1998 du Haut Conseil de la Francophonie, "Etat de la francophonie dans le monde", La Documentation française, 1999, pp.612) which provides the following numbers: 112,666,000 with French as a ], second, or "adopted" language; 60,612,000 "]" for whom usage and mastery of French are limited only by circumstances or by expressive capability; 100–110 million "]", who have learned French for several years and have maintained limited mastery, or who have simply been required to learn enough to perform their job.</ref> with significant speakers in 54 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=fra |title=French: A language of France |accessdate=2008-08-29 |author=Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. |year=2005 |work=Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition |publisher=SIL International |quote=51,000,000 in France. Population total all countries: 64,858,311 }}</ref>, where the language originated. Most of the rest live in ], ], ], ], ], ], or in the ].

French is a descendant of the ] language of the ], as are languages such as ], ], ], ] and ]. Its development was also influenced by the native ] of Roman ] and by the ] language of the post-Roman ] invaders.

It is an ] in ], most of which form what is called in French ''La ]'', the community of French-speaking nations. It is an official language of all ] agencies and a ]. According to the ], 129 million (26% of the 497,198,740) people in 27 member states speak French, of which 59 million (12%) are native speakers and 69 million (14%) claim to speak it as a second language, which makes it the third most spoken second language in the Union, after English and German.

== Geographic distribution==
===Europe===
====Legal status in France====
{{seealso|Toubon Law|Languages of France}}

Per the ], French has been the official language since 1992<ref>{{fr icon}} — {{lang|fr|C'est à la loi constitutionnelle du 25 juin 1992, rédigée dans le cadre de l'intégration européenne, que l'on doit la première déclaration de principe sur le français, langue de la République.}}</ref> (although previous legal texts have made it official since 1539, see ]). ] mandates the use of French in official government publications, public ] outside of specific cases (though these dispositions are often ignored) and legal ]s; ]s must bear a translation of foreign words.

In addition to French, there are also a variety of regional languages. France has signed the European Charter for Regional Languages but has not ratified it since that would go against the 1958 Constitution.

====Switzerland====
{{see|Demographics of Switzerland|Swiss French}}
French is one of the four official languages of ] (along with ], ], and ]) and is spoken in the part of Switzerland called '']''. French is the native language of about 20% of the Swiss population.

====Belgium====
{{see|Languages of Belgium|Belgian French}}
]

In ], French is the official language of ] (excluding the ], which are ]) and one of the two official languages—along with ]—of the ] where it is spoken by the majority of the population, though often not as their primary language.<ref name=philippevanparijs>
{{cite journal
|title=Belgium's new linguistic challenge
|author=], Professor of economic and social ethics at the ], Visiting Professor at ] and the ]
|journal=KVS Express (supplement to newspaper ]) March–April 2007
|pages=Article from pages 34–36 republished by the Belgian Federal Government Service (ministry) of Economy — Directorate-general Statistics Belgium
|url=http://www.statbel.fgov.be/studies/ac699_en.pdf
|format=pdf <small>0.7&nbsp;MB</small>
|accessdate=2007-05-05}} — The linguistic situation in Belgium (and in particular various estimations of the population speaking French and Dutch in Brussels) is discussed in detail.</ref> French and German are not official languages nor recognised minority languages in the ], although along borders with the Walloon and Brussels-Capital regions, there are a dozen of ] for French-speakers; a mirroring situation exists for the Walloon Region with respect to the Dutch and German languages. In total, native French-speakers make up about 40% of the country's population, the remaining 60% speak Dutch. Of the latter, 59% claim to speak French as a second language.<ref>{{fr icon}}
{{cite journal
|coauthors=Victor Ginsburgh, Shlomo Weber
|title=La dynamique des langues en Belgique
|journal=Regards économiques, Publication préparée par les économistes de l']
|month=June
|year=2006
|issue=Numéro 42
|quote={{lang|fr|Les enquêtes montrent que la Flandre est bien plus multilingue, ce qui est sans doute un fait bien connu, mais la différence est
considérable&nbsp;: alors que 59&nbsp;% et 53&nbsp;% des Flamands connaissent le français ou l'anglais respectivement, seulement 19&nbsp;% et 17&nbsp;% des Wallons connaissent le néerlandais ou l'anglais. … 95 pour cent des Bruxellois déclarent parler le français, alors que ce pourcentage
tombe à 59 pour cent pour le néerlandais. Quant à l’anglais, il est connu par une proportion importante de la population à Bruxelles (41 pour cent)}}
|url=http://regards.ires.ucl.ac.be/Archives/RE042.pdf
|format=pdf
|accessmonthday=]
|accessyear=]}}</ref> French is thus known by an estimated 75% of all Belgians, either as a mother tongue, as second, or as third language.<ref>40%+60%*59%=75.4%</ref>

====Monaco and Andorra====
{{see|Languages of Monaco|Languages of Andorra}}

Although ] is the national language of the ], French is the only official language, and French nationals make up some 47% of the population.

] is the only official language of ]; however, French is commonly used due to the proximity to France. French nationals make up 7% of the population.

====Italy====
{{see|Languages of Italy}}

French is also an official language, along with ], in the province of ], ]. In addition, a number of ] dialects are spoken in the province, although they do not have official recognition.

====Luxembourg====
{{see|Languages of Luxembourg|Multilingualism in Luxembourg}}
French is one of three official languages of ] ;<br />
the other official languages of Luxembourg are <br />
*]
*].
Luxemburgish is the natively-spoken language of Luxembourg ;<br />
Luxembourg's education system is trilingual: the first years of primary school are in Luxembourgish, before changing to German, while secondary school, the language of instruction changes to French.

<ref name=test>, The more educated the inhabitants are, the more likely they are to use French in oral communication</ref>

====The Channel Islands====
{{see|Languages of Jersey|Languages of Guernsey}}

French is an official language in ] and ], the two bailiwicks collectively referred to as the ], although they are separate entities. Both use French to some degree, mostly in an administrative capacity. ] is the standardized variety used in Jersey. However, ] is the historical ] ] of the islands.

===The Americas===
====Legal status in Canada====
{{see also|French language in Canada|Spoken languages of Canada|Official bilingualism in Canada}}

] on ] in ]. An example of bilingualism at the federal government level in ].]]

About 7 million ]s are native French-speakers, of whom 6 million live in ],<ref></ref> and French is one of ]'s two official languages (the other being ]). Various provisions of the ] deal with Canadians' right to access services in both languages, including the right to a publicly funded education in the minority language of each province, where numbers warrant in a given locality. By ], the federal government must operate and provide services in both English and French, proceedings of the ] must be translated into both these languages, and most products sold in Canada must have labeling in both languages.

Overall, about 13% of Canadians have knowledge of French only, while 18% have knowledge of both English and French. In contrast, over 82% of the population of Quebec speaks French natively, and almost 96% speak it as either their first or second language. It has been the sole official language of Quebec since 1974. The legal status of French was further strengthened with the 1977 adoption of the ] (popularly known as ''Bill 101''), which guarantees that every person has a right to have the civil administration, the health and social services, corporations, and enterprises in Quebec communicate with him in French. While the Charter mandates that certain provincial government services, such as those relating to health and education, be offered to the English minority in its language, where numbers warrant, its primary purpose is to cement the role of French as the primary language used in the public sphere.

, data for EU25, published before 2007 enlargement.</ref>]]
The provision of the Charter that has arguably had the most significant impact mandates French-language ] unless a child's parents or siblings have received the majority of their own primary education in English within Canada, with minor exceptions. This measure has reversed a historical trend whereby a large number of immigrant children would attend English schools. In so doing, the Charter has greatly contributed to the "visage français" (French face) of Montreal in spite of its growing immigrant population. Other provisions of the Charter have been ruled unconstitutional over the years, including those mandating French-only commercial signs, court proceedings, and debates in the legislature. Though none of these provisions are still in effect today, some continued to be on the books for a time even after courts had ruled them unconstitutional as a result of the government's decision to invoke the so-called ] of the Canadian constitution to override constitutional requirements. In 1993, the Charter was rewritten to allow signage in other languages so long as French was markedly "predominant." Another section of the Charter guarantees every person the right to work in French, meaning the right to have all communications with one's superiors and coworkers in French, as well as the right not to be required to know another language as a condition of hiring, unless this is warranted by the nature of one's duties, such as by reason of extensive interaction with people located outside the province or similar reasons. This section has not been as effective as had originally been hoped, and has faded somewhat from public consciousness. As of 2006, approximately 65% of the workforce on the island of Montreal predominantly used French in the workplace.

The only other province that recognizes French as an official language is ], which is officially bilingual, like the nation as a whole. Outside of ], the highest number of Francophones in Canada, 485,000, excluding those who claim multiple mother tongues, reside in ], whereas ], home to the vast majority of ], has the highest ''percentage'' of Francophones after ], 33%, or 237,000. In ], ], ], and ], French does not have full official status, although the provincial governments do provide some French-language services in all communities where significant numbers of Francophones live. Canada's three northern territories (], ], and ]) all recognize French as an official language as well.

All provinces make some effort to accommodate the needs of their Francophone ]s, although the level and quality of French-language service vary significantly from province to province. The Ontario ], adopted in 1986, guarantees French language services in that province in regions where the Francophone population exceeds 10% of the total population, as well as communities with Francophone populations exceeding 5,000, and certain other designated areas; this has the most effect in the north and east of the province, as well as in other larger centres such as ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. However, the French Language Services Act does not confer the status of "official bilingualism" on these cities, as that designation carries with it implications which go beyond the provision of services in both languages. In March 2005, Ontario amended the City of Ottawa Act to recognize the bilingual nature of the city and to require bilingualism in the city's provision of services and its administration. The City's language policy (by-law 2001-170) allows employees to work in their official language of choice and be supervised in the language of choice.

Canada has the status of member state in the Francophonie, while the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick are recognized as participating governments. Ontario is currently seeking to become a full member on its own.

====Haiti====
French is an official language of ], although it is mostly spoken by the ], while ] (a ]) is more widely spoken as a ].

====French overseas territories====
French is also the official language in France's overseas territories of ], ], ], ], ] and ].

====The United States====
{{main|French in the United States}}

] are not included.]]
Although it has no official recognition on a federal level, French is the third<ref> — Languages Spoken in the U.S.</ref><ref> — Language Spoken at Home: 2000</ref> most-spoken language in the United States, after ] and ], and the second most-spoken in the states of ], ], ] and ]. Louisiana is home to two distinct dialects, ] and ]. An estimated 500,000 Louisianans are fluent in the language. {{Fact|date=August 2008}}

===Africa===
{{main|African French|Maghreb French}}
], ].]]
]|format=PDF|accessdate=2007-08-16}}</ref> Their population is projected to reach 733 million in 2050.<ref name=2007datasheet/>}}
{{legend|#00AAE2|Countries sometimes considered as Francophone Africa}}]]

A majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa. According to the 2007 report by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, an estimated 115 million African people spread across 31 francophone African countries can speak French either as a ] or ].<ref name=2007_report>{{fr_icon}} published by the ]. ], ], 2007</ref>

French is mostly a second language in Africa, but in some areas it has become a first language, such as in the region of ], ]<ref>{{fr_icon}} by Katja Ploog, ], ], 2002</ref> and in ], ].<ref>{{fr_icon}} </ref> It is impossible to speak of a single form of ], but rather of diverse forms of African French which have developed due to the contact with many indigenous ].<ref>{{fr icon}} </ref>

In the territories of the ], the French language is often spoken alongside French-derived creole languages, the major exception being ]. There, a Malayo-Polynesian language (]) is spoken alongside French. The French language has also met competition with English since English has been the official language in ] and the ] for a long time and has recently become an official language of Madagascar.

] is the region where the French language is most likely to expand due to the expansion of education and it is also there the language has evolved most in recent years.<ref>{{fr icon}} http://www.cecif.com/?page=la_francophonie "Le français, langue en évolution
Dans beaucoup de pays Francophones, surtout sur le continent africain, une proportion importante de la population ne parle pas couramment le français (même s'il est souvent la langue officielle du pays). Ce qui signifie qu'au fur et à mesure que les nouvelles générations vont à l'école, le nombre de Francophones augmente: on estime qu'en 2015, ceux-ci seront deux fois plus nombreux qu'aujourd'hui."</ref><ref>{{fr icon}} : {{lang|fr|"C'est la variété du français la plus fluctuante. Le sabir franco-africain est instable et hétérogène sous toutes ses formes. Il existe des énoncés où les mots sont français mais leur ordre reste celui de la langue africaine. En somme, autant les langues africaines sont envahies par les structures et les mots français, autant la langue française se métamorphose en Afrique, donnant naissance à plusieurs variétés."}}</ref> Some vernacular forms of French in Africa can be difficult to understand for French speakers from other countries<ref>{{fr icon}} : {{lang|fr|Il existe une autre variété de français, beaucoup plus répandu et plus permissive: le français local. C'est un français très influencé par les langues centrafricaines, surtout par le sango. Cette variété est parlée par les classes non instruites, qui n'ont pu terminer leur scolarité. Ils utilisent ce qu'ils connaissent du français avec des emprunts massifs aux langues locales. Cette variété peut causer des problèmes de compréhension avec les Francophones des autres pays, car les interférences linguistiques, d'ordre lexical et sémantique, sont très importantes.}} (''One example of a variety of African French that is difficult to understand for European French speakers'').</ref> but written forms of the language are very closely related to those of the rest of the French-speaking world.

French is an official language of many African countries, most of them former French or ]:
<div style="-moz-column-count:3; column-count:3;">
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*] (former colony of ])
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
:*]
</div>
In addition, French is an administrative language and commonly used though not on an official basis in ] and in the ] states:
:* ]
:* ]
:*]
:*].

Various reforms have been implemented in recent decades in Algeria to improve the status of ] relative to French, especially in education.

While the predominant European language in ] is ], French is considered to be a more sophisticated language by some elements of the Egyptian upper and upper-middle classes{{Fact|date=November 2007}}; for this reason, a typical educated Egyptian will learn French in addition to English at some point in his or her education. The perception of sophistication may be related to the use of French as the ] language of Egypt during the nineteenth century. Egypt participates in ].

French is also the official language of ] and ], two ] of France located in the ], as well as an administrative and educational language in ], along with ].

===Asia===
====Lebanon ====

] French was the official language in ], along with ], until 1941, when the country declared independence from ]. French is still considered an official language by the ]{{Fact|date=July 2008}} and is used on bank notes (along with Arabic) and on official buildings. French is widely used by the Lebanese, especially for administrative purposes, and is taught in schools as a primary language along with ]{{Fact|date=July 2008}}.

====Southeast Asia====
French is an administrative language in ] and ].<ref>, '']'', ] ]: "In both Cambodia and Laos, French remains the official second language of government."</ref> In colonial ], the elites spoke French and many who worked for the French spoke a French creole known as "]" (now extinct). The language was also spoken by the elite in the leased territory ] in southern ].

In ], the top 10% of ] graduates may choose to opt for French as a second or third language in secondary school, however this language is not an official language in ], and is hardly spoken among locals.

====India====
French has ] official status in the Indian ] of ], along with the regional languages ], ] and ]. few students of Tamil Nadu also opt French as their third or fourth language (usually behind ], Tamil, ]).

French is also commonly taught as a third language in secondary schools in most cities of ], including ], as part of the preparation for the secondary school (X-SSC) and higher secondary school (XII-HSC) certificate examinations. Certain high-profile schools affilated with the ] in the ] also offer French as an option as early as grade 4. In grade 9 the students are asked to drop either French or ], which is their native language.

===Oceania===
French is also a second official language of the ] nation of ], along with France's territories of ], ] and ].

==Dialects==
{{main|Dialects of the French language}}
<div style="-moz-column-count:4; column-count:4;">
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*Guyana French (see ])
*]
*]
*]
*] (most commonly referred to as Lebanese French, very similar to ])
*]
*]
*] (see also North African French)
*]
*]
*]
*]
*Oceanic French
*]
*]
*]
*]
*West Indian French
</div>

==History==
{{main|History of French}}

==Sounds==
{{main|French phonology}}
{{IPA notice}}

Although there are many French regional accents, only one version of the language is normally chosen as a model for foreign learners, which has no commonly used special name.

* Voiced stops (i.e. {{IPA|/b d g/}}) are typically produced fully voiced throughout.
* Voiceless stops (i.e. {{IPA|/p t k/}}) are unaspirated.
* Nasals: The velar nasal {{IPA|/ŋ/}} occurs only in final position in borrowed (usually English) words: parking, camping, swing. The palatal nasal {{IPA|/ɲ/}}can occur in word initial position (e.g. gnon), but it is most frequently found in intervocalic, onset position or word-finally (e.g. montagne).
* Fricatives: French has three pairs of homorganic fricatives distinguished by voicing, i.e. labiodental {{IPA|/f/–/v/}}, dental {{IPA|/s/–/z/}}, and palato-alveolar {{IPA|/ʃ/–/ʒ/}}. Notice that {{IPA|/s/–/z/}} are dental, like the plosives {{IPA|/t/–/d/}}, and the nasal {{IPA|/n/}}.
* French has one rhotic whose pronunciation varies considerably among speakers and phonetic contexts. In general it is described as a ] as in {{IPA|}} roue "wheel" . Vowels are often lengthened before this segment. It can be reduced to an approximant, particularly in final position (e.g. "fort") or reduced to zero in some word-final positions. For other speakers, a uvular trill is also fairly common, and an apical trill {{IPA|}} occurs in some dialects.
* Lateral and central approximants: The lateral approximant {{IPA|/l/}} is unvelarised in both onset (''lire'') and coda position (''il''). In the onset, the central approximants {{IPA|}}, {{IPA|}}, and {{IPA|}} each correspond to a high vowel, {{IPA|/u/}}, {{IPA|/y/}}, and {{IPA|/i/}} respectively. There are a few minimal pairs where the approximant and corresponding vowel contrast, but there are also many cases where they are in free variation. Contrasts between {{IPA|/j/}} and {{IPA|/i/}} occur in final position as in {{IPA|/pɛj/}} ''paye'' "pay" vs. {{IPA|/pɛi/}} ''pays'' "country".

French pronunciation follows strict rules based on spelling, but French spelling is often based more on history than phonology. The rules for pronunciation vary between dialects, but the standard rules are:
* final consonants: Final single consonants, in particular ''s'', ''x'', ''z'', ''t'', ''d'', ''n'' and ''m'', are normally silent. (The final letters ''c'', ''r'', ''f'' and ''l'', however, are normally pronounced.)
**When the following word begins with a vowel, though, a silent consonant ''may'' once again be pronounced, to provide a '']'' or "link" between the two words. Some liaisons are ''mandatory'', for example the ''s'' in ''les amants'' or ''vous avez''; some are ''optional'', depending on ] and ], for example the first ''s'' in ''deux cents euros'' or ''euros irlandais''; and some are ''forbidden'', for example the ''s'' in ''beaucoup d'hommes aiment''. The ''t'' of ''et'' is never pronounced and the silent final consonant of a noun is only pronounced in the plural and in ]s like ''pied-à-terre''. Note that in the case of a word ending ''d'' as in ''pied-à-terre'', the consonant ''t'' is pronounced instead.
** Doubling a final ''n'' and adding a silent ''e'' at the end of a word (e.g. ''chien'' → ''chienne'') makes it clearly pronounced. Doubling a final ''l'' and adding a silent ''e'' (e.g. ''gentil'' → ''gentille'') adds a sound.
* ] or vowel dropping: Some monosyllabic function words ending in ''a'' or ''e'', such as ''je'' and ''que'', drop their final vowel when placed before a word that begins with a vowel sound (thus avoiding a ]). The missing vowel is replaced by an apostrophe. (e.g. ''je ai'' is instead pronounced and spelt → ''j'ai''). This gives for example the same pronunciation for ''l'homme qu'il a vu'' ("the man whom he saw") and ''l'homme qui l'a vu'' ("the man who saw him").

==Orthography==
{{Main|French orthography}}

* ]: '']'' and '']''. When ''n'' or ''m'' follows a vowel or diphthong, the ''n'' or ''m'' becomes silent and causes the preceding vowel to become nasalized (i.e. pronounced with the soft palate extended downward so as to allow part of the air to leave through the nostrils). Exceptions are when the ''n'' or ''m'' is doubled, or immediately followed by a vowel. The prefixes ''en-'' and ''em-'' are always nasalized. The rules get more complex than this but may vary between dialects.
* ]: French does not only introduce ]s to specify its large range of vowel sounds and ], but also uses specific combinations of vowels, sometimes with following consonants, to show which sound is intended.
* ]: Within words, double consonants are generally not pronounced as geminates in modern French (but geminates can be heard in the cinema or TV news from as recently as the 1970s, and in very refined elocution they may still occur). For example, ''illusion'' is pronounced {{IPA|}} and not {{IPA|}}. But gemination does occur between words. For example, ''une info'' ("a news") is pronounced {{IPA|}}, whereas ''une nympho'' ("a nympho") is pronounced {{IPA|}}.
* ] are used sometimes for pronunciation, sometimes to distinguish similar words, and sometimes for etymology alone.
**Accents that affect pronunciation
***The ] (''l'accent aigu''), ''é'' (e.g. ''école''—school), means that the vowel is pronounced {{IPA|/e/}} instead of the default {{IPA|/ə/}}.
***The ] (''l'accent grave''), ''è'' (e.g. ''élève''—pupil) means that the vowel is pronounced {{IPA|/ɛ/}} instead of the default {{IPA|/ə/}}.
***The ] (''l'accent circonflexe'') ''ê'' (e.g. ''forêt''—forest) shows that an ''e'' is pronounced {{IPA|/ɛ/}} and that an ''o'' is pronounced {{IPA|/o/}}. In standard French it also signifies a pronunciation of {{IPA|/ɑ/}} for the letter ''a'', but this differentiation is disappearing. In the late 19th century, the circumflex was used in place of ''s'' where that letter was not to be pronounced. Thus, ''forest'' became ''forêt'' and ''hospital'' became'' hôpital''.
***The ] (''le tréma'') (e.g. ''naïf''—foolish, ''Noël''—Christmas) as in English, specifies that this vowel is pronounced separately from the preceding one, not combined and is not a ].
***The ] (''la cédille'') ''ç'' (e.g. ''garçon''—boy) means that the letter ''c'' is pronounced {{IPA|/s/}} in front of the hard vowels ''a'', ''o'' and ''u'' (''c'' is otherwise {{IPA|/k/}} before a hard vowel). ''C'' is always pronounced {{IPA|/s/}} in front of the soft vowels ''e'', ''i'', and ''y'', thus ''ç'' is never found in front of soft vowels.
**Accents with no pronunciation effect
***The circumflex does not affect the pronunciation of the letters ''i'' or ''u'', and in most dialects, ''a'' as well. It usually indicates that an ''s'' came after it long ago, as in ''île'' (''island'', compare with english ''isle'')<!-- -->.
***All other accents are used only to distinguish similar words, as in the case of distinguishing the adverbs ''là'' and ''où'' ("there", "where") from the article ''la'' and the conjunction ''ou'' ("the" fem. sing., "or") respectively.

==Grammar==
{{main|French grammar}}

French grammar shares several notable features with most other Romance languages, including:
* the loss of Latin's ]s
* only two ]s
* the development of grammatical ]s from Latin ]s
* new ]s formed from auxiliaries

French word order is ], except when the object is a pronoun, in which case the word order is ]. Some rare archaisms allow for different word orders.

==Vocabulary==
The majority of French words derive from ] or were constructed from Latin or Greek roots. There are often pairs of words, one form being "popular" (noun) and the other one "savant" (adjective), both originating from Latin. Example:
* brother: ''frère'' / ''fraternel'' < from Latin ''frater''
* finger: ''doigt'' / ''digital'' < from Latin ''digitus''
* faith: ''foi'' / ''fidèle'' < from Latin ''fides''
* cold: ''froid'' / ''frigide'' < from Latin ''frigidus''
* eye: ''œil'' / ''oculaire'' < from Latin ''oculus''

In some examples there is a common word from Vulgar Latin and a more savant word borrowed directly from ] or even ].
* '''Cheval'''—Concours '''équestre'''—'''Hippo'''drome

The French words which have developed from Latin are usually less recognisable than ] words of Latin origin because as French evolved from ], the unstressed final ] of many words was dropped or elided into the following word.

It is estimated that 12% (4,200) of common French words found in a typical ] such as the ''Petit Larousse'' or ''Micro-Robert Plus'' (35,000 words) are of foreign origin. About 25% (1,054) of these foreign words come from ] and are fairly recent borrowings. The others are some 707 words from ], 550 from ancient ], 481 from ancient ], 215 from ], 164 from ], 160 from ], 159 from ], 153 from ], 112 from ] and ], 101 from ], 89 from other ], 56 from other ], 55 from ] and ], 10 for ] and 144 — about three percent — from other languages.<ref>Walter & Walter 1998</ref>

===Numerals===
The French counting system is partially ]: ] (''{{lang|fr|vingt}}'') is used as a base number in the names of numbers from 60–99. The French word for ''eighty'', for example, is ''{{lang|fr|quatre-vingts}}'', which literally means "four twenties", and ''{{lang|fr|soixante-quinze}}'' (literally "sixty-fifteen") means 75. This reform arose after the ] to unify the different counting system (mostly vigesimal near the coast, due to Celtic (via ]) and Viking influence). This system is comparable to the archaic English use of ''score'', as in "fourscore and seven" (87), or "threescore and ten" (70).

] and ] are different in this respect. In Belgium and Switzerland 70 and 90 are ''{{lang|fr|septante}}'' and ''{{lang|fr|nonante}}''. In Switzerland, depending on the local dialect, 80 can be ''{{lang|fr|quatre-vingts}}'' (Geneva, Neuchâtel, Jura) or ''{{lang|fr|huitante}}'' (Vaud, Valais, Fribourg). ''Octante'' had been used in Switzerland in the past, but is now considered archaic.<ref>{{fr icon}} {{cite web|url=http://www.langue-fr.net/index/S/septante.htm|title=Septante, octante, huitante, nonante|work=langue-fr.net}}. See also the English Misplaced Pages article on ], especially the section "Counting system" and its note on the influence of Celtic in the French counting system. </ref> In Belgium, however, ''quatre-vingts'' is universally used.

It should also be noted that French uses a period or a space to separate thousands where English uses a comma. The comma is used in French numbers as a decimal point: 2,5 = ''deux virgule cinq''.

Cardinal numbers in French from 0 to 20 are as follows:
*One: ''un'' {{IPA|/'œ̃/}}
*Two: ''deux'' {{IPA|/'dø/}}
*Three: ''trois'' {{IPA|/'tʁwa/}}
*Four: ''quatre'' {{IPA|/'katʁ/}}
*Five: ''cinq'' {{IPA|/'sɛ̃k/}}
*Six: ''six'' {{IPA|/'sis/}}
*Seven: ''sept'' {{IPA|/'sɛt/}}
*Eight: ''huit'' {{IPA|/'ʔɥɪt/}}
*Nine: ''neuf'' {{IPA|/'nœf/}}
*Ten: ''dix'' {{IPA|/'dis/}}
*Eleven: ''onze'' {{IPA|/'ʔɔ̃z/}}
*Twelve: ''douze'' {{IPA|/'duz/}}
*Thirteen: ''treize'' {{IPA|/'tʁɛz/}}
*Fourteen: ''quatorze'' {{IPA|/'ka.tɔʁz/}}
*Fifteen: ''quinze'' {{IPA|/'kɛ̃z/}}
*Sixteen: ''seize'' {{IPA|/'sɛz/}}
*Seventeen: ''dix-sept'' {{IPA|/'dis.sɛt/}}
*Eighteen: ''dix-huit'' {{IPA|/'di.z‿ɥit/}}
*Nineteen: ''dix-neuf'' {{IPA|/'diz.nœf/}}
*Twenty: ''vingt'' {{IPA|/'vɛ̃/}}

==Writing system==
{{Main|French alphabet}}

French is written using the 26 letters of the ], plus five diacritics (the ] accent, ], ], ], and ]) and the two ] (œ) and (æ).

French spelling, like English spelling, tends to preserve obsolete pronunciation rules. This is mainly due to extreme phonetic changes since the Old French period, without a corresponding change in spelling. Moreover, some conscious changes were made to restore Latin orthography:
* Old French ''doit'' > French ''doigt'' "finger" (Latin ''digitus'')
* Old French ''pie'' > French ''pied'' "foot" (Latin ''pes'' (stem: ''ped-'')

As a result, it is difficult to predict the spelling on the basis of the sound alone. Final consonants are generally silent, except when the following word begins with a vowel. For example, all of these words end in a vowel sound: ''pied'', ''aller'', ''les'', ''finit'', ''beaux''. The same words followed by a vowel, however, may sound the consonants, as they do in these examples: ''beaux-arts'', ''les amis'', ''pied-à-terre''.

On the other hand, a given spelling will almost always lead to a predictable sound, and the ] works hard to enforce and update this correspondence. In particular, a given vowel combination or diacritic predictably leads to one phoneme.

The diacritics have '''phonetic''', '''semantic''', and '''etymological''' significance.
* ] (''é''): Over an ''e'', indicates the sound of a short ''ai'' in English, with no ]. An ''é'' in modern French is often used where a combination of ''e'' and a consonant, usually ''s,'' would have been used formerly: ''écouter'' < ''escouter''. This type of accent mark is called ''accent aigu'' in French.
* ] (''à'', ''è'', ''ù''): Over ''a'' or ''u'', used only to distinguish homophones: ''à'' ("to") vs. ''a'' ("has"), ''ou'' ("or") vs. ''où'' ("where"). Over an ''e'', indicates the sound {{IPA|/ɛ/}}.
* ] (''â'', ''ê'', ''î'', ''ô'', ''û''): Over an ''a'', ''e'' or ''o'', indicates the sound {{IPA|/ɑ/}}, {{IPA|/ɛ/}} or {{IPA|/o/}}, respectively (the distinction ''a'' {{IPA|/a/}} vs. ''â'' {{IPA|/ɑ/}} tends to disappear in many dialects). Most often indicates the historical deletion of an adjacent letter (usually an ''s'' or a vowel): ''château'' < ''castel'', ''fête'' < ''feste'', ''sûr'' < ''seur'', ''dîner'' < ''disner''. It has also come to be used to distinguish homophones: ''du'' ("of the") vs. ''dû'' (past participle of ''devoir'' "to have to do something (pertaining to an act)"; note that ''dû'' is in fact written thus because of a dropped ''e'': ''deu''). (''See ]'')
* ] or ''tréma'' (''ë'', ''ï'', ''ü'', ''ÿ''): Indicates that a vowel is to be pronounced separately from the preceding one: ''naïve'', ''Noël''. A diaeresis on ''y'' only occurs in some proper names and in modern editions of old French texts. Some proper names in which ''ÿ'' appears include ''Aÿ'' (commune in ''canton de la Marne'' formerly ''Aÿ-Champagne''), ''Rue des Cloÿs'' (alley in the 18th arrondisement of Paris), ''Croÿ'' (family name and hotel on the Boulevard Raspail, Paris), '']'' (near Joigny), ''Ghÿs'' (name of Flemish origin spelt ''Ghijs'' where ''ij'' in handwriting looked like ''ÿ'' to French clerks), ''l'Haÿ-les-Roses'' (commune between Paris and Orly airport), Pierre Louÿs (author), Moÿ (place in ''commune de l'Aisne'' and family name), and ''Le Blanc de Nicolaÿ'' (an insurance company in eastern France). The diaresis on ''u'' appears only in the biblical proper names ''Archélaüs'', ''Capharnaüm'', ''Emmaüs'', ''Ésaü'' and ''Saül''. Nevertheless, since the 1990 orthographic rectifications (which are not applied at all by most French people), the diaeresis in words containing ''guë'' (such as ''aiguë'' or ''ciguë'') may be moved onto the ''u'': ''aigüe'', ''cigüe''.
* ]: Words coming from German retain the old Umlaut (''ä'', ''ö'' and ''ü'') if applicable but use French pronunciation, such as ''kärcher'' (trade mark of a pressure washer).
* ] (''ç''): Indicates that an etymological ''c'' is pronounced {{IPA|/s/}} when it would otherwise be pronounced /k/. Thus ''je lance'' "I throw" (with ''c'' = {{IPA|}} before ''e''), ''je lan'''ç'''ais'' "I was throwing" (''c'' would be pronounced {{IPA|}} before ''a'' without the cedilla). The c cedilla (ç) softens the hard /k/ sound to /s/ before the vowels '''a''', '''o''' or '''u''', for example '''ça''' /sa/. C cedilla is never used before the vowels '''e''' or '''i''' since these two vowels always produce a soft /s/ sound ('''ce''', '''ci''').

There are two ], which have various origins.

* The ligature '']'' is a mandatory contraction of ''oe'' in certain words. Some of these are native French words, with the pronunciation {{IPA|/œ/}} or {{IPA|/ø/}}, e.g. ''sœur'' "sister" {{IPA|/sœʁ/}}, ''œuvre'' "work (of art)" {{IPA|/œvʁ/}}. Note that it usually appears in the combination ''œu''; ''œil'' is an exception. Many of these words were originally written with the ] ''eu''; the ''o'' in the ligature represents a sometimes artificial attempt to imitate the Latin spelling: Latin ''bovem'' > Old French ''buef''/''beuf'' > Modern French ''bœuf''. ''Œ'' is also used in words of Greek origin, as the Latin rendering of the Greek diphthong ''οι'', e.g. ''cœlacanthe'' "coelacanth". These words used to be pronounced with the vowel {{IPA|/e/}}, but in recent years a spelling pronunciation with {{IPA|/ø/}} has taken hold, e.g. ''œsophage'' {{IPA|/ezɔfaʒ/}} or {{IPA|/øzɔfaʒ/}}. The pronunciation with {{IPA|/e/}} is often seen to be more correct. The ligature œ is not used in some occurrences of the letter combination ''oe'', for example, when ''o'' is part of a prefix (''coexister'').
* The ligature '']'' is rare and appears in some words of Latin and Greek origin like ''ægosome'', ''ægyrine'', ''æschne'', ''cæcum'', ''nævus'' or ''uræus''.<ref>{{fr icon}} </ref> The vowel quality is identical to é {{IPA|/e/}}.

French writing, as with any language, is affected by the spoken language. In Old French, the plural for ''animal'' was ''animals''. Common speakers pronounced a ''u'' before a word ending in ''l'' as the plural. This resulted in ''animauls''. As the French language evolved this vanished and the form ''animaux'' (''aux'' pronounced {{IPA|/o/}}) was admitted. The same is true for ''cheval'' pluralized as ''chevaux'' and many others. Also ''castel'' pl. ''castels'' became ''château'' pl. ''châteaux''.

==Samples==
{{Inline audio|section}}
{| class="wikitable"
!English || French || IPA pronunciation (Canadian accent) ||IPA pronunciation (French accent)
|-
||French|| ''français'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|francais.ogg|/fʀɑ̃sɛ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|françaisF.ogg|/fʁɑ̃sɛ/}}
|-
||English || ''anglais'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|anglais.ogg|/ɑ̃glɛ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|AnglaisF.ogg|/ɑ̃glɛ/}}
|-
||Yes || ''Oui'', except when responding to a negatively posed question, in which case ''Si'' is used preferentially over ''Oui'' (like German "doch") || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|oui.ogg|/wi/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|ouiF.ogg|/wi/}}
|-
||No || ''Non'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|non.ogg|/nɔ̃/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|nonF.ogg|/nɔ̃/}}
|-
||Hello! || ''Bonjour !'' (formal) or ''Salut !'' (informal) || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonjour.ogg|/bɔ̃ʒuːʀ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonjourF.ogg|/bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/}}
|-
||Good evening! || ''Bonsoir !'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonsoir.ogg|/bɔ̃swɑ:ʁ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonsoirF.ogg|/bɔ̃.swaʁ/}}
|-
||Good night! || ''Bonne nuit !'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonne_nuit.ogg|/bɔnnɥi/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|Bonne_nuitF.ogg|/bɔn nɥi/}}
|-
||Goodbye! || ''Au revoir !'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|au_revoir.ogg|/ɔʁvwɑːʁ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|au_revoirF.ogg|/o ʁəvwaʁ/}}
|-
||Have a nice day! || ''Bonne journée !'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonne_journee.ogg|/bɔnʒuʀne/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|bonne_journéeF.ogg|/bɔnʒuʁne/}} ||
|-
||Please || ''S'il vous plaît'' (formal) or ''S'il te plaît'' (informal) || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|s_il_vous_plait.ogg|/sɪlvuplɛ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|s'il_vous_plaitF.ogg|/sil vu plɛ/}}
|-
||Thank you || ''Merci'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|merci.ogg|/mɛʀsi/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|merciF.ogg|/mɛʁsi/}}
|-
||You're welcome || ''De rien'' ("it is nothing") or ''Je vous en prie'' (formal) / ''Je t'en&nbsp;prie'' (informal) ||
|-
||I'm sorry || ''Pardon'' or ''Je suis désolé'' (if male) / ''Je suis désolée'' (if female) || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|pardon.ogg|/paʀdɔ̃/}} / {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|desole.ogg|/dezɔle/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|pardonF.ogg|/paʁdɔ̃/}} / {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|désoléF.ogg|/dezɔle/}}
|-
||Who? || ''Qui ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|qui.ogg|/ki/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|quiF.ogg|/ki/}}
|-
||What? || ''Quoi ?'' (←informal {Used as "What?" in English) or ''Comment?'' (←formal {Used the same as "Pardon Me?" in English)|| {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|quoi.ogg|/kwa/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|quoiF.ogg|/kwa/}}
|-
||When? || ''Quand ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|quand.ogg|/kɑ̃/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|quandF.ogg|/kɑ̃/}}
|-
||Where? || ''Où ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|ou_french.ogg|/u/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|où.ogg|/u/}}
|-
||Why? || ''Pourquoi ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|pourquoi.ogg|/puʀkwa/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|pourquoiF.ogg|/puʁ.kwa/}}
|-
||What's your name? || ''Comment vous appelez-vous ?'' (formal) or ''Comment t'appelles-tu ?'' (informal) ||
|-
||Because || ''Parce que'' / "À cause de" — literally "because of" or "due to" || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|parce_que.ogg|/paʁs(ə)kə/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|parcequeF.ogg|/paʁ.sǝ kǝ/}}
|-
||For (when used as "because") || ''Car'' ||
|-
||Therefore || ''Donc'' || ||
|-
||How? || ''Comment ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|comment.ogg|/kɔmɑ̃/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|commentF.ogg|/kɔmɑ̃/}}
|-
||How much? || ''Combien ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|combien.ogg|/kɔ̃bjɛ̃/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|combienF.ogg|/kɔ̃.bjɛ̃/}}
|-
||I do not understand. || ''Je ne comprends pas.'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|je_ne_comprends_pas.ogg|/ʒə nə kɔ̃pʀɑ̃ pɑ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|je_ne_comprends_pasF.ogg|/ʒə nə kɔ̃.pʁɑ̃ pɑ/}}
|-
||Yes, I understand. || ''Oui, je comprends.'' Except when responding to a negatively posed question, in which case ''Si'' is used preferentially over ''Oui'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|oui_je_comprends.ogg|/wi ʒə kɔ̃pʀɑ̃/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|oui,_je_comprendF.ogg|/wi, ʒə kɔ̃.pʁɑ̃/}}
|-
||Help!|| ''Au secours !! (à l'aide !)'' || /o səkuʀ/ ||
|-
||Can you help me please ?|| ''Pouvez-vous m'aider s'il vous plaît ?'' / ''Pourriez-vous m'aider s'il vous plaît ?'' (formal) or ''Peux-tu m'aider s'il te plaît ?'' / ''Pourrais-tu m'aider s'il te plaît'' (informal) ||
|-
||Where are the bathrooms?|| ''Où sont les toilettes ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|ou_sont_les_toilettes.ogg|/u sɔ̃ le twalɛt/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|où_sont_les_toilettes.ogg|/u sɔ̃ le twa.lɛt/}}
|-
||Do you speak English? || ''Parlez-vous anglais ?'' || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|parlez-vous_anglais.ogg|/paʀlevu ɑ̃glɛ/}} || {{Audio-IPA-nohelp|parlez-vous_anglaisF.ogg|/paʁlevu ɑ̃glɛ/}}
|-
||I do not speak French. || ''Je ne parle pas français.'' || {{IPA|/ʒə nə paʀlə pɑ fʀɑ̃sɛ/}} || {{IPA|/ʒə nə paʁl pa fʁɑ̃.sɛ/}}
|-
||I don't know. || ''Je ne sais pas.'' || || {{IPA|/ʒə nə sɛ pa/}}
|-
||I know. || ''Je sais.'' || || {{IPA|/ʒə /}}
|-
||I am thirsty. || ''J'ai soif.'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||I am hungry. || ''J'ai faim.'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||How are you? / How are things going? / How's everything? || ''Comment allez-vous?'' (formal) or ''Ça va?'' / ''Comment ça va ?'' (informal) || ||
|-
||I am (very) well / Things are going (very) well // Everything is (very) well || ''Je vais (très) bien'' (formal) or ''Ça va (très) bien.'' / ''Tout va (très) bien'' (informal) || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||I am (very) bad / Things are (very) bad / Everything is (very) bad || ''Je vais (très) mal'' (formal) or ''Ça va (très) mal'' / ''Tout va (très) mal'' (informal) || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||I am ok/so-so / Everything is ok/so-so || ''Ça va comme ci, comme ça.'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||I am fine. || ''Ça va.'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||January || ''janvier'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||February|| ''février'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||March|| ''mars'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||April|| ''avril'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||May|| ''mai'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||June|| ''juin'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||July|| ''juillet'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||August|| ''août'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||September|| ''septembre'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||October|| ''octobre'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||November|| ''novembre'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||December|| ''décembre'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||Monday|| ''lundi'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||Tuesday|| ''mardi'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||Wednesday|| ''mercredi'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||Thursday|| ''jeudi'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||Friday|| ''vendredi'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||Saturday|| ''samedi'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|-
||Sunday|| ''dimanche'' || || {{IPA|/ʒɛ /}}
|}

==See also==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:5; column-count:5;">
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

* ]
* ]
* ]
* ] — French pronunciation
* ]
* ]
</div>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{linkfarm|date=September 2007}}

{{FixBunching|beg}}

{{Wikiversity}}

{{FixBunching|mid}}

{{Wiktionarylang|code=fr}}

{{FixBunching|mid}}

{{InterWiki|code=fr}}

{{FixBunching|mid}}

{{Commonscat|French}}

{{FixBunching|end}}

===Courses and tutorials===
*
* '']''
* (including French gestures)
* (easy tables)
* (extensive)
*

=== Online dictionaries ===
{{for|unilingual dictionaries|fr:Dictionnaire}}
*
*
*
*
*
*

===Vocabulary===
*, with audio
*
*

====Audio====
*
*

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{{Official UN languages}}
{{Official CA languages}}
{{Official EU languages}}
{{Languages of Quebec}}
{{Working languages of the African Union}}
{{Official languages of South America}}
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}}

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Revision as of 21:37, 18 September 2008

La Queer.