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).
Foods:
| Old English origin words | Old French origin words | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| cow ( cū) ox ( oxa) | beef ( beof; boef) | [1] |
| calf ( cealf) | veal ( vel; veel, veal) | |
| swine ( swīn) pig ( picga) | pork ( porc) | |
| sheep ( scēap) | mutton ( moton) | |
| hen ( hen, henn) chicken ( cicen) | poultry ( pouletrie) pullet ( poulet) | |
| deer ( dēor) hart ( heorot) | venison ( venesoun) | |
| dove ( dūfe) | pigeon ( pijən) | |
Other words:
| Old English origin words | Old French origin words | class=unsortable | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| thinking, mindful | pensive | [2] | |
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| sever | |||
| 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 | class=unsortable | 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, burial mound | 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 |