Arabic Influence on French Language Celebrated on World Arabic Language Day

The French language is full of Arabic words, explained the lexicologist, emeritus professor and author of "Our Arab Ancestors, What Our Language Owes Them", published by JC Lattès, Jean Pruvost. Coffee, cup, with or without sugar, orange juice or others, how many Arabic words! Thus, in the interviewee’s opinion, Arabic is the third language of borrowing, after English and Italian, and continues from the 9th century to the present day to enrich French, he declares to France Inter.

At the beginning, it was notably Al Andalus, Muslim Spain, which gave several common and scholarly words to French in the 13th century. Then, colonization and decolonization brought a new series of words, especially in the food sector, explained the lexicologist. Giving examples of common words coming from the Arabic language, Mr. Pruvost cited the words spinach, tarragon, pumpkin, artichoke... in gastronomy, but also skirt, cotton, vest, pea jacket, all Arabic words in the field of clothing.

Words like "bled", "bledard", "seum", "chouf" or "kiffer", "toubab" and many others all come from the Arabic language, he noted. Today, the French speak Arabic much more than Gaulish, which has barely a hundred words compared to more than 500 for Arabic, if we add the scholarly words on the side of fauna and flora. Moreover, a child who goes to do algebra and chemistry in his middle school is in the Arab world, he concluded.

Jean Pruvost discusses his book "Our Arab Ancestors" on the show La Grande Librairie: