When you say 'mirage' are you speaking French?

'Mirage' is a word borrowed from French 'mirage'. The word entered the English language some time around 1803.

mirage [noun] [1803]

• an optical effect that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, that may have the appearance of...
• something illusory and unattainable like a mirage

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note: From the French verb mirer meaning to look at which is a borrowing from the Latin mirari to wonder at. This root is also the origin of English words like admire miracle and marvel.
Etymology: French, from 'mirer' to look at, from Latin 'mirari'

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Do you speak a little Japanese when you say 'origami'?

'Origami' is a word borrowed from Japanese 'orikami'. The word entered the English language some time around 1956.

origami [noun] [1956]

The Japanese art or process of folding squares of paper into representational shapes

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Etymology: Japanese, from 'ori' fold + 'kami' paper

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Is 'muesli' English, or is it actually German (Swiss)?

'Muesli' is a word borrowed from German (Swiss) 'Müesli'. The word entered the English language some time around 1939.

muesli [noun] [1939]

A breakfast cereal of Swiss origin consisting of rolled oats, nuts, and fruit

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Etymology: German dialect (Swiss) 'Müsli' diminutive of German 'Mus' soft food, mush, from Old High German 'muos;' akin to Old English 'mōs' food and probably to Old English 'mete' food

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How the Latin language influenced English with the word 'cognate'

'Cognate' is a word borrowed from Latin 'cognatus'. The word entered the English language some time around 1645.

cognate [adjective] [circa 1645]

• of the same or similar nature
• generically alike
• related by blood
• related on the mother's side
• related by descent from the same ancestral language

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note: Cognate (from Latin cognatus meaning blood-related) refers to words in different languages that share a common etymological (word origin) ancesto
Etymology: Latin 'cognatus' from 'co-' + 'gnatus, natus' past participle of 'nasci' to be born; akin to Latin 'gignere' to beget

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How the French language influenced English with the word 'pommel'

'Pommel' is a word borrowed from French 'pomel'. The word entered the English language some time around the 14th century.

pommel [noun] [14th century]

• the knob on the hilt of a sword or saber
• the protuberance at the front and top of a saddle
• either of a pair of removable rounded or U-shaped handles used on the top of a pommel horse

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Etymology: Middle English 'pomel' from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin '*pomellum' ball, knob, from diminutive of Latin 'pomum' fruit

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The word 'gigolo' is a loan word from French 'gigole'

'Gigolo' is a word borrowed from French 'gigole'. The word entered the English language some time around 1922.

gigolo [noun] [1922]

• a man supported by a woman usually in return for his attentions
• a professional dancing partner or male escort

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Etymology: French

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Is 'motet' English, or is it actually French?

'Motet' is a word borrowed from French 'motet'. The word entered the English language some time around the 14th century.

motet [noun] [14th century]

A polyphonic choral composition on a sacred text usually without instrumental accompaniment

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Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, diminutive of 'mot'

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French 'cocombre' in the English language

'Cucumber' is a word borrowed from French 'cocombre'. The word entered the English language some time around the 14th century.

cucumber [noun] [14th century]

• the fruit of a vine (Cucumis sativus) of the gourd family cultivated as a garden vegetable
• this vine

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note: Cucumber derives from the Middle English cucumer (14th century) originating from the Old French cocombre and the Latin cucumis (or cucumerem) possibly rooted in a pre-Italic Mediterranean language. It replaced the Old English term eorþæppla (earth-apples) and was influenced by a 17th-century shift toward the Latinate spelling.
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French 'cucumbre' from Latin 'cucumer-, cucumis'

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The word 'aleatory' originally came from Latin as 'aleatorius'

'Aleatory' is a word borrowed from Latin 'aleatorius'. The word entered the English language some time around 1693.

aleatory [adjective] [1693]

• depending on an uncertain event or contingency as to both profit and loss
• relating to luck and especially to bad luck
• aleatoric

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Etymology: Latin 'aleatorius' of a gambler, from 'aleator' gambler, from 'alea' a dice game

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When you hear 'mallard' are you hearing English or French?

'Mallard' is a word borrowed from French 'mallard'. The word entered the English language some time around the 14th century.

mallard [noun] [14th century]

A common and widely distributed wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) of the northern hemisphere the males of which have a g...

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Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French 'mallart'

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The word 'acme' originally came from Greek as 'akmē'

'Acme' is a word borrowed from Greek 'akmē'. The word entered the English language some time around 1620.

acme [noun] [1620]

• the highest point or stage
• one that represents perfection of the thing expressed

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note: Acme comes from the Ancient Greek word akmē (ἀκμή) meaning peak highest point zenith or prime derived from a root meaning sharp or pointed and entered English in the 1560s to signify the pinnacle of something often used for perfect success or the prime of life later becoming a popular generic business name due to alphabetization famously parodied in Looney Tunes.
Etymology: Greek 'akmē' point, highest point

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Greek 'akakia' in the English language

'Acacia' is a word borrowed from Greek 'akakia'. The word entered the English language some time around the 14th century.

acacia [noun] [14th century]

• gum arabic
• any of a large genus (Acacia) of leguminous shrubs and trees of warm regions with leaves pinnate or reduced to phyllo...

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Etymology: New Latin, genus name, from Latin, acacia tree, from Greek 'akakia'

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The word 'agony' originally came from Greek as 'agōn'

'Agony' is a word borrowed from Greek 'agōn'. The word entered the English language some time around the 14th century.

agony [noun] [14th century]

• intense pain of mind or body
• anguish
• the struggle that precedes death
• a violent struggle or contest
• a strong sudden display (as of joy or delight)
• outburst

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Etymology: Middle English 'agonie' from Late Latin 'agonia' from Greek 'agōnia' struggle, anguish, from 'agōn' gathering, contest for a prize, from 'agein' to lead, celebrate

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