Language is organic and changes over time. New words, sometimes from a foreign language,  account for changes in language as they are absorbed into everyday speech. Some of them even make it into the dictionary! I recently took a look at some newly listed words in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). .

One particular word that caught my eye is Aperol, (and not just because I have enjoyed drinking it on holiday!) It is listed as a noun:

Aperol, n.: “A proprietary name for: an orange-coloured Italian aperitif flavoured with gentian, rhubarb, and a variety of herbs and roots. Also: a drink of this.”

Source: OED

Another Italian word that you see frequently in written English, is ‘panini’. It sounds so much more exotic than sandwich, doesn’t it? And now everyone now knows the Italian word for a sandwich. Or do they?

As a matter of fact, in Italian, one sandwich is a panino. Panini is the plural form of the noun, meaning sandwiches. So, when you see signs outside cafés advertising ‘paninis’, there is really no need for the ‘s’. Panini is already the plural form of the noun.

I think that this example demonstrates an interesting way in which foreign words are absorbed into our native language. But, at the same time, we try to anglicise them. In this case, by the addition of the ‘s’.

Of course café is a French word, and we use quite a few French words and phrases in everyday speech. Here are a few more:

  • table d’hote
  • à la carte
  • concierge
  • fait accompli
  • haute couture
  • née e.g. Mrs. Jones née Smith

There are lots more foreign words and phrase used in English. How many can you think of?

You can read more about my endless fascination with words here.