List of English words with dual French and Old English variations

This list of English words with dual French and Old English variations lists various English words with redundant loanwords. After the Norman invasion of England in 1066 many of the more refined English (Old English) words describing finished products were replaced with words borrowed from Anglo-Norman (such as "beef," a prepared food). In contrast, common unfinished equivalents continued to use the native English term (such as "cow," a living animal). This replacement can be explained by the fact that meat was an expensive product at the time and that the lord and nobleman of Norman origin were eating it more often than the commoners, who were raising the livestock. This duality is also mirrored in French, where "beef" is bœuf, but "cow" is vache. These dual words later formed the basis of the Middle English wordstock, and were eventually passed into the modern language.

In some cases, these dual variations are distant etymological twins, as in cow/beef, both from Proto-Indo-European *gʷōus, but in other cases, such as calf/veal, they come from distinct PIE roots.

Generally, words coming from French often retain a higher register than words of Old English origin, and they are considered by some to be more posh, elaborate, sophisticated, or pretentious. However, there are exceptions: weep, groom and stone (from Old English) occupy a slightly higher register than cry, brush and rock (from French). Words taken directly from Latin and Ancient Greek are generally perceived as colder, more technical, and more medical or scientific – compare life (Old English) with biology (classical compound – a modern coinage from Greek roots).

List of English words with dual Old English/Old French variations

Foods:

Old English origin words	Old French origin words	Notes
cow (OE cū) ox (OE oxa)	beef (AN beof; OF boef)
calf (OE cealf)	veal (AN vel; OF veel, veal)
swine (OE swīn) pig (OE picga)	pork (OF porc)
sheep (OE scēap)	mutton (OF moton)
hen (OE hen, henn) chicken (OE cicen)	poultry (OF pouletrie) pullet (OF poulet)
deer (OE dēor) hart (OE heorot)	venison (AN venesoun)
dove (OE dūfe)	pigeon (OF pijən)

Other words:

Old English origin words	Old French origin words	notes
thinking, mindful	pensive
kingly	royal
almighty	omnipotent
brotherly	fraternal
motherly	maternal
fatherly	paternal
sisterly	sororal
ask, beseech	enquire
lord	liege
lovesome	amorous
bring, bear	carry
amaze, stun	astonish
wordbook	dictionary
fair, fair-haired	blond(e)
ghost	phantom, spirit
uphold, undergird, upstay	support
smell, stench	odour
hue, blee	colour
blossom	flower
help, bestand, bestead	aid, abet, assist
buy	purchase
belief	faith
beget	engender
wonder	ponder
selfhood	identity
sake, ground	reason, cause
weep, sob	cry
knowledge	science
lawyer	attorney
to flee	to escape
thrall	serf, captive
hearty	cordial
deem	consider, judge
harbour, haven	port
sunder	sever
sunstead	solstice
evennight	equinox
answer	reply, response
follow	ensue
fall, harvest	autumn
leave	permission
seethe, plaw	boil
hunt	chase
wisdom	prudence, sagacity
weird, fremd	strange
behaviour	manner
uncouth	rude
owndom, belongings	property
folk, lede (leod)	people
forgive	pardon
darling	favourite
worthy	valuable
to forsake	to abandon
drought, dearth	famine
wish, will, yearning, longing, want (verb)	desire (verb and noun)
span	distance
tumble	somersault
drink (noun + verb)	beverage, imbibe
deal	amount
everlasting	eternal
freedom	liberty
brittle	frail, fragile
weak	feeble, faint
wild	savage
betrothal	proposal
kingship	monarchy
forebear, forefather	ancestor
reckless	intrepid
awesome, unbelievable	incredible
erstwhile	previous
tough	difficult
homesickness	nostalgia
hopelessness	despair
wholesome, healthy, healthful	salutary, salubrious
aching	painful
daring, boldness	audacity
midday	noon
to withstand	to resist
overlive	survive
hearsay	rumour
unwilling, loath	reluctant
wilful	deliberate
wont	accustomed
lovely, fair	beautiful
anger, wrath	ire, rage
angry, wrathful	irate
bloodthirsty	sanguinary
windpipe	trachea
woodwork	carpentry
beset	surround
warmongering	belligerent
deathly	lethal, mortal
forgiving	indulgent
forespeech	preface
abide, acknowledge	comply, obey, observe
stern	severe
foe	enemy
friendly	amicable
downtrodden	oppressed
inn	tavern
woodland, woods	forest
to rue	to lament, to regret
rueful	regretful
ruthless	remorseless
weapon	arm
lithe	gentle
grave	tomb
graveyard	cemetery
outspoken, straightforward	honest, frank
green	verdant
snake	serpent
fire	flame
clattering	noise
cook (noun)	chef
house	mansion
nought	zero
offspring	progeny
live, abide, dwell	reside
think	conceive
bookcraft	literature
twin	double
foretell	predict
foreshadow	presage
forechoice	preference
leave	egress, exit, depart
belly	stomach
upbringing	nurture
understand	comprehend
laughable	ridiculous
foreguess	assume
needs	requirements
adder	viper
behead	decapitate
forbid, ban	prohibit
forelook	preview
forbearance	patience
gift	present
thoughts	ideas
wed	marry
wedlock	marriage
withtake	receive
flawless	perfect
maim	mutilate
end	finish
room	chamber
stone	rock
smother	suffocate
mar	spoil
beam	ray
milt	spleen
heed	attention
groom	brush
hanging	pendant
bodily	corporal
handbook	manual
come	arrive
womb	uterus
dog	canine
maidenhood	virginity
win (noun)	victory
stronghold	fort, fortress
earl	count

Words now obsolete, archaic or dialectal:

Old English origin words	Old French origin words	Obsolete, archaic or dialectal words	Notes
eld	age	eld
hosen, britches	pants	hosen, britches
atter	venom, poison	atter
athel	noble	athel
atheling, drighten	prince	atheling, drighten
aset	appoint	aset
bilewit	innocent	bilewit
chevese	concubine	chevese
edder	vein, artery	edder
stound	hour	stound
wanderstar	planet	wanderstar
wort	plant	wort	Survives in the names of certain plants and fungi.
burn	broil	broil
note	use, utility	note	Survives with a changed meaning, today meaning a short record or explanation.
bookstaff, bookstave	letter	bookstaff, bookstave
steven, reard	voice	steven, reard
barrow	mountain	barrow
dwimmer	magic	dwimmer
thorp	village	thorp	Survives in many place names, such as Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire, England.
ettin	giant	ettin
forhold	detain	forhold
forthgang	progress	forthgang
forthfare	departure	forthfare
frith	peace	frith
gavel	rent	gavel
grith	asylum, sanctuary	grith
glim	candle	glim	Glim was an 18th century back-formation from "Glimmer", and doesn't predate "Candle".
handfast	contract, pledge	handfast
leech	physician	leech	The meaning of the small bloodsucking creature coexisted with the meaning of physician. The former is still used today.
lich	corpse	lich
liss	relief	liss
reave	rob	reave	Today found mostly in "Reaver", meaning robber or highwayman.
rime	number	rime
ruth	pity	ruth	Usage persists to a greater degree in "Ruthless" and to a lesser degree "Ruthful".
arm, wantsome	poor	arm, wantsome
armth	poverty	armth
ord	point	ord
overgive	surrender	overgive
sooth	reality	sooth
norn	complain	norn
firen	crime	firen
mensk	honour	mensk
eam	uncle	eam
quethe	declare	quethe
roo	calmness, tranquility	roo
sheen	beautiful	sheen
shild	fault	shild
weasand	oesophagus	weasand
woning	residence	woning
wight	creature	wight
wayfare	journey	wayfare
waterstuff	hydrogen	waterstuff	Calque of a German translation of the French term
sourstuff	oxygen	sourstuff	Calque of a German translation of the French term
umbe	around	umbe
yeartide	season	yeartide

See also

• Lists of English loanwords by country or language of origin
• List of English words of French origin
• Changes to Old English vocabulary
• List of Germanic and Latinate equivalents in English
• Linguistic purism in English