Commonly Used Foreign Words and Phrases Word Definitions Example of Use Parts of Speech Word Origins

Why should we study foreign words? Foreign words are what created our present day English language. In order to better understand our spoken and written language we need to understand some foreign words and phrases. These foreign words and phrases help us to better understand our English language, express ourselves more clearly, and comprehend the meaning behind some expressions.

Directions for Use To use this power point, click on the word you are studying from the table of contents . That will take you to the slide with the pronunciation of the word, the definition of the word, the origin of the word, the part of speech to which the word belongs, and an example of the word used in a sentence. To hear the word pronounced, click on the word in blue at the top of the slide. A pronunciation window will pop up and the word should be pronounced. If this does not happen, just click on the link in the window that says, “to hear the word again.” The word should be pronounced.

Table of Contents-1 9th Grade (these words are included in 10th, 11th, & 12th grades as well) RSVP alma mater status quo déjà vu cum laude joie de vivre faux pas femme fatale carte blanche du jour esprit de corps caveat emptor bon voyage verbatim alpha and omega E pluribus unum tabula rasa prima donna hoi polloi avant-garde ad nauseam

Table of Contents-2 10th Grade (11th & 12th also) 11th Grade (12th also) 12th Grade Carpe diem enfant terrible ad hoc raison d’etre tempus fugit terra firma cause celebre laissez faire C’est la vie vox populi magnum opus bete noire bona fide persona non grata en masse savoir faire quid pro quo in absentia non sequitur je ne sais quoi sub rosa Id est modus operandi schadenfreude nom de plume noblesse oblige haute couture sine qua non mea culpa deus ex machina doppelganger coup d’etat

RSVP Used on an invitation to indicate that the favor of a reply is requested Part of Speech - Verb (used without object) – to reply to an invitation: Don’t forget to RSVP before Thursday. or Noun (a reply to an invitation) – He sent a lovely bouquet of flowers with his RSVP. Word Origin - from the French phrase “repondez s’il vous plait”

déjà vu Psychology; the illusion of having previously experienced something actually being encountered for the first time; disagreeable familiarity or sameness The new television season had a sense of déjà vu about it—the same old plots and characters with new names. Part of Speech - Noun Word Origin - French

faux pas A slip or blunder in etiquette, manners, or conduct; an embarrassing social blunder or indiscretion He committed a social faux pas when he called her Mrs. Instead of Miss. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

du jour As prepared on the particular day; of the kind being served today: du = of, jour = day The soup du jour is split pea. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

bon voyage Have a pleasant trip! Bon voyage, mom! Part of Speech – Interjection Word Origin - French

alma mater a school, college, or university at which one has studied and, usually, from which one has graduated I went a football game at my alma mater, UTK. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Latin

cum laude An academic honor given at graduation (Magna cum laude: with high honors) (Summa cum laude: the highest academic distinction) She graduated magna cum laude from Georgia Tech. Part of Speech – Adverb Word Origin - Latin

femme fatale An irresistibly attractive woman, especially one who leads men into difficult, dangerous, or disastrous situations; a siren Angelina Jolie is a true femme fatale. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

esprit de corps a sense of unity and of common interests and responsibilities, as developed among a group of persons closely associated in a task, cause, or enterprise, etc. Participation in community service improves the group’s esprit de corps. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

verbatim in exactly the same words; word for word “to repeat something verbatim” – Adverb corresponding word for word to the original - Adjective James mother told him to tell the principal about the argument he had with his teacher. Adv. This is a verbatim recording of the proceedings. Adj. Part of Speech – Adjective or adverb Word Origin - Latin

E pluribus unum out of many, one (motto of the United States) E pluribus unum was adopted as the national motto for the United States in 1776. Part of Speech – Phrase Word Origin - Latin

prima donna a first or principal female singer of an opera company; a temperamental person; a person who takes adulation and privileged treatment as a right and reacts with petulance to criticism or inconvenience Valerie is the prima donna of our school’s senior play this year. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Italian

avant-garde the advance group in any field, especially in the visual, literary, or musical arts, whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods Apple computers are the avant-garde in technology. Noun She is very avant-garde in her fashion sense. Adj. Parts of Speech – Noun or adjective Word Origin - French

status quo the existing state or condition People with money are often satisfied with the status quo. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Latin

joie de vivre a delight in being alive; keen, carefree enjoyment of living She displays a true joie de vivre. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

carte blanche Unconditional authority; full discretionary power He exercises his carte blanche frequently. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

caveat emptor Let the buyer beware: the principle that the seller of a product cannot be held responsible for its quality unless it is guaranteed in a warranty On the web, the advice “caveat emptor” has never been more apt. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Latin

alpha and omega the beginning and the end of something (Revelation 1:8); the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet God is the alpha and the omega. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Greek

tabula rasa a mind not yet affected by experiences, impressions, etc…, anything existing undisturbed in its original, pure state John Locke believed that a child’s mind was a tabula rasa. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Latin

hoi polloi the common people; the masses; (often preceded by the) The hoi polloi think that Fitzgerald is a great screen director. Part of Speech - Noun Word Origin - Greek

ad nauseam to a sickening or disgusting degree We have heard about all the budget cuts ad nauseam. Part of Speech – Adverb Word Origin - Latin

carpe diem Seize the day; enjoy the present, as opposed to placing all hope in the future It’s a beautiful day, so forget tomorrow’s tests; Carpe diem! Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Latin

tempus fugit Time flies Tempus fugit when you’re having fun. Part of Speech – phrase Word Origin - Latin

c’ est la vie express philosophical acceptance of the way things are: “That’s Life” Suzanne’s response to her job loss was, “C’est la vie.” Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

bona fide made, done, presented, etc…, in good faith; Without deception or fraud; Authentic; True The museum has a bona fide sample of Lincoln’s handwriting. Part of Speech – Adjective Word Origin - Latin

savoir faire knowledge of just what to do in any situation; tact At the fancy restaurant, I realized that I lacked the savior-faire to use all of the silverware correctly. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

non sequitur an inference or a conclusion that does not follow from the premises; a statement containing an illogical conclusion We had been discussing plumbing, so her remark about astrology was a real non sequitur. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin – Latin

id est that is to say; in other words I’m going to the place where I work best, i.e., the coffee shop. Part of Speech – Adverb Word Origin - Latin

enfant terrible An incorrigible child, as one whose behavior is embarrassing An outrageously outspoken or bold person who says and does indiscreet or irresponsible things A person whose work, thought, or lifestyle is so unconventional or avant-garde as to appear revolutionary or shocking The spoiled child was enfant terrible. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

terra firma Firm or solid earth or Dry land (as opposed to water or air) After our stormy voyage, we were relieved to set foot on terra firma. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Latin

vox populi the voice of the people; popular opinion The speaker’s address got barely a whisper from the vox populi. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Latin

ad hoc For the present purpose or end presently under consideration – adverb concerned or dealing with a specific subject, purpose, or end – adjective After a tornado swept through the school, an ad hoc group of parents was formed to assist in the repairs. Part of Speech – Adverb or Adjective Word Origin - Latin

cause celebre Any controversy that attracts public attention The question of the draft was a cause célèbre in the 1960s. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

magnum opus a great work Moby Dick was Melville's magnum opus. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Latin

persona non grata an unwelcome or unacceptable person He has become persona non grata in our club. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Latin

quid pro quo One thing in return for another The Chinese may make some concessions on trade, but they will no doubt demand a quid pro quo, so we must be prepared to make concessions too. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Latin

je ne sais quoi an indefinable quality that makes somebody or something more attractive or interesting She has a certain je ne sais quoi that charms everybody. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

modus operandi a method or way of doing of something Her modus operandi in buying a new car always included a month of research. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Latin

noun de plume noun de plume a naming word; a word or group of words used as the name of a class or people, places, or things, or of a specific person, place, or thing Samuel Clemens noun de plume is Mark Twain. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

haute couture top fashion; exclusive and expensive clothing made for an individual customer by a fashion designer, or the industry that produces such clothing The new I-Phone is a god send to techies everywhere – hot technology meets haute couture. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

mea culpa expressing guilt or fault; used to express an admission of your own guilt I gave you the wrong directions to my house – mea culpa. Part of Speech – Interjection Word Origin - Latin

raison d’etre the reason for being; underlying principle Professor Naylor argues that in the nuclear age, infantry forces have lost their raison d'être. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

laissez faire principle of no regulation of industry; principle that the economy works best if private industry is not regulated and markets are free People who support a laissez faire system are against minimum wages, duties, and any other trade restrictions. Part of Speech - Noun Word Origin - French

bete noire somebody or something that is particularly disliked Tax shelters have long been the bête noire of reformers. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

en masse in a group; as a body The protesters marched en masse to the capitol. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

in absentia while absent; in the absence of the person or persons concerned The man was tried and convicted in absentia. Part of Speech - Adverb Word Origin - Latin

sub rosa Confidentially; secretly; privately The meeting was held sub rosa, due to the sensitive nature of its content. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Latin

schadenfreude gloating at somebody else’s bad luck; smug or malicious pleasure taken in somebody else’s misfortune To feel envy is human, to savor schadenfreude is devilish. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - German

noblesse oblige notion of aristocratic responsibilities; the idea that people born into the nobility or upper social classes must behave in an honorable and generous way toward those less privileged In the Robinson family’s circles, public service had long been common; it connoted not personal ambition so much as noblisse oblige. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French

sine qua non an essential condition or prerequisite Her presence was the sine qua non of every social event. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Latin

deus ex machina god who resolves plot; in ancient Greek and Roman theater, a god introduced to resolve a complicated plot Only a deus ex machina could resolve the novel’s thorny crisis. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin – New Latin

doppelganger double or mirror image Doppelganger experiences have led many people to believe that they were part of a set of twins that had been separated at birth. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - Greek

coup d’etat seizure of political power; the sudden violent overthrow of a government and seizure of political power, especially by the military The SPD once swore to defend the Republic against any coup d’etat from the right or the left. Part of Speech – Noun Word Origin - French