Latin, Greek, & French Word Origins
The importance of Latin, Greek and French to English
English is a rich and diverse language that has borrowed words from many other languages throughout its history. One of the most influential sources of English vocabulary is Latin, the language of ancient Rome and the Catholic Church. Another major source is Greek, the language of philosophy, science and literature in ancient and medieval times. A third important source is French, the language of culture, diplomacy and law in Europe for centuries.
But how much of English actually comes from these three languages? What percentage of English words derive from Latin, Greek and French? The answer is not straightforward, as different sources may give different estimates depending on how they count and classify words. However, one way to approach this question is to look at the etymology of words in a large and representative corpus of English texts, such as the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).
According to the OED, out of the 615,000 words in its latest edition, about 29% have Latin origins, 29% have French origins, and 6% have Greek origins. That means that almost two-thirds of English words can be traced back to these three languages. Of course, this does not mean that all these words are still recognizable as Latin, Greek or French words today. Many of them have changed their spelling, pronunciation and meaning over time due to various linguistic processes such as sound change, semantic shift and borrowing.
For example, the word "candle" comes from Latin candela, which means "a light or torch". The word "logic" comes from Greek logikē, which means "the art of reasoning". The word "beauty" comes from French beauté, which means "the quality of being beautiful". These words have retained their original meanings more or less, but they have also acquired new meanings and uses in modern English. For instance, "candle" can also refer to a unit of luminous intensity, "logic" can also refer to a system of formal rules or a branch of mathematics, and "beauty" can also refer to a person who is very attractive or a feature that is very pleasing.
The influence of Latin, Greek and French on English is not only evident in individual words, but also in word formation patterns, grammatical structures and stylistic choices. For instance, many English words are formed by adding prefixes and suffixes that come from Latin or Greek, such as "anti-", "pre-", "-tion", "-ity", etc. Many English sentences follow the subject-verb-object (SVO) word order that is typical of Latin and French, rather than the subject-object-verb (SOV) word order that is typical of Germanic languages. Many English writers and speakers use Latin or French expressions to convey authority, elegance or sophistication, such as "et cetera", "bon appétit", "coup d'état", etc.
In conclusion, Latin, Greek and French have played a significant role in shaping the English language over time. They have contributed to its vocabulary, morphology, syntax and style in various ways. They have enriched its expressive potential and cultural diversity. They have also posed challenges and opportunities for learners and users of English who need to master its complex and varied linguistic features.