Did you know that according to the calculations of lexicographers, about 9% of the words in the Ukrainian language are common with the French language? Borrowings from the French language often entered Ukrainian in various ways: through an intermediary language (Polish, Russian), directly through literature, art, and direct contacts.
Words of French origin have a wide scope of use. They are used in everyday life, describe various areas, including socio-political relations, economy and finance, cooking, art, modern trends in fashion and cosmetology, etc.
To the vocabulary of the French language started coming actively into Ukrainian beginning from around the 17th century. Ukrainianisms also penetrated the French langueage, in particular, such words as: ataman, bandoura, borsch, boulava, haidamak, houra, cosaque, bandouriste, kourène, porog, slobode, staroste, sotnia, oukase, khoutor, starchine, etc. Among the words in the French language of Ukrainian origins there are also Ukrainianized Turkicisms. Also, several literal translations of Ukrainian words have been used in the French language: le dizainier (cossac leader of a combat group of 10 persons), le centainer (Cossac leader of 100 warriors), etc.
And now we offer you to familiarise yourself with French words in the Ukrainian language. They can be divided into the following groups:
1) socio-political terminology: absolutism, adventure, aggressive, alternative, assembly, attache, banquet, bourgeois, bulletin, bureau, bureaucrat, visit, guarantee, debate, debut, motto, demarche, demonstration, department, dispatch, egoism, expropriation , jury, idealist, imperialism, initiator, initiative, intrigue, intriguer, career, careerism, communique, moralist, morality, nationalism, opportunism, boarding house, parliament, politics, prime minister, regime, sabotage, banner, tourism , tour, blackmail, boss; / absolutisme, aventure, agressif, alternative, assemblée, attaché, banquet, bourgeois, bureau, bureaucrat, visite, garantie, débat, débuts, devise, démarche, demonstration, département, dépêche, égoïsme, expropriation, jury, idéaliste, impérialisme, initiator , initiative, intrigue, intrigent, carrière, carriérisme, communiqué, moraliste, moralité, nationalisme, opportunisme, pension, parlement, politique, premier ministre, régime, sabotage, banderole, tourism, tournée, blackmail, patron ;
2) words related to art and literature: accompaniment, actor, album, role, announcement, ensemble, intermission, artist, poster, ballet, bas-relief, flat, bravura, buffoonade, bust, vase, vignette, vaudeville, engraving, makeup, dissonance, sketch, genre, frame, pun, clarinet, motif, still life, palette, play, role, romance, piano, silhouette, prompter, plot, suite, timbre, overture, masterpiece; / accompaniement, acteur, album, rôle, annonce, ensemble, entracte, artiste, affiche, ballet, bas-relief, plat, bravoure, bouffonnerie, buste, vase, vignette, vaudeville, gravure, maquillage , dissonance, esquisse, genre, cadre , calembour, clarinette, motif, nature morte, palette, jeu, rôle, romance, piano, silhouette, souffleur, intrigue, suite, timbre, ouverture, chef-d'œuvre ;
3) military and naval vocabulary: boarding, vanguard, rearguard, outpost, aviator, embrasure, hangar, army, arsenal, base, barge, barricade, battery, bivouac, bomb, brigade, garrison, guard, deserter, demarcation, demobilisation , landing party, division, airship, deployment, echelon, quartermaster, cavalry, caliber, cannonade, captain, team, mine, miner, parachute, guerrilla, fleet, flotilla, front; / embarquement, avant-garde, arrière-garde, avant-poste, aviateur, embrasure, hangar, armée, arsenal, base, péniche, barricade, batterie, bivouac, bombe, brigade, garrison, gardien, déserteur, démarcation, démobilisation, débarquement , division, dirigeable, deployment , échelon, quartier-maître, cavalerie, calibre, cannonnade, capitaine, command, mine, mineur, parachute, guérilla, flotte, flottille, front ;
4) financial and economic terminology: advance, excise, shareholder, share, balance sheet, bank, tariff; / avance, excise, actionnaire, part, solde, banque, tarif;
5) technical terminology: car, crew, cabin, carburetor, installation, spring, taxi, headlight, chassis, highway; / automobile, équipage, cabine, carburetor, installation, ressort, taxi, phare, chassis, autoroute;
6) vocabulary related to construction, architecture, town planning, etc.: avenue, alley, first floor, boulevard, vestibule, viaduct, greenhouse, panel, vestibule, terrace, sidewalk, facade, foyer; / avenue, alée, premier étage, boulevard, vestibule, viaduc, serre, panneau, vestibule, terrasse, trottoir, façade, foyer;
7) names of clothes and fabrics: blouse, burgundy, veil, velor, gabardine, drape, hood, kashne, suit, coat, knitwear, felt, flannel; / blouse, bordeaux, voile, velours, gabardine, drapé, capuche, cache-nez, costume, manteau, tricot, feutre, flanelle;
8) names of household items, luxury items, etc.: lampshade, bracelet, diamond, sideboard, couch, masquerade, chandelier, cologne, curtain, powder, ridicule, service, toilet, bottle; / abat-jour, bracelet, diamant, buffet, canapé, mascarade, lustre, eau de Cologne, rideau, poudre, ridicule, service, toilette, bouteille ;
9) culinary vocabulary: entrecote, vinaigrette, side dish, dessert, delicacy, gelatin, filet / entrecôte, vinaigrette, accompaniment, dessert, gourmandise, gélatine, filet.
The following phonetic and morphological features are common for words borrowed from the French language in Ukrainian:
a) sound combination "oi": amploi, exploitation, voile ;
b) softening of labials and "k" before "u": gravure, capuche, fuselage, curie, cuvette;
c) sound combinations "am", "en" before consonants: tampon, pension, aventure, genre;
d) suffixes -age, -ant, -ans, -eur, -on: équipage, fourrage, regisseur, révérence, directeur, compagnon;
e) unchangeable nouns with final stressed vowels -e, -i, -o: tourné, resumé, jury, planteur, chapiteau.
