French to English… and Back Again: When Words Come Home with a New Accent

Have you ever been surprised to hear French people say shopping, challenge, or feedback? It might sound like they’re borrowing from English—but the real story is even more interesting.

Some of these words didn’t start in English at all. In fact, they’re French words that went abroad, changed their form or meaning in English, and then came back—looking a little different, sounding a little cooler, and often replacing the original French term.

Whether you're just curious or taking one of my English courses with CPF, this story reveals how languages—like travelers—bring back souvenirs from their journeys.

Let’s take a little linguistic road trip. 🧳🇫🇷🇬🇧

🛍️ 1. Shopping

You might think shopping is a modern English word—but it actually traces its roots back to Old French. The word eschoppe referred to a small stall or shop. From this came the English word shop, and later, the verb to shop and the noun shopping.

French had long used phrases like faire des achats or faire les magasins. But over time, the English word shopping came back—now used in phrases like faire du shopping and le shopping in everyday conversation. It sounds modern, international, and fun—even if it's technically just a round-trip.

🧭 Origin: eschoppe (FR) → shop (EN) → shopping → le shopping (FR)

🎯 2. Challenge

This one goes way back. In Old French, chalenge meant an accusation or a dispute—often a legal one. English took the word and changed it: challenge now means a test, an obstacle, or a motivational goal.

Modern French re-imported this new sense of the word. Today, un challenge often means a fitness goal, a startup milestone, or a personal growth target. It replaced the more traditional défi in many contexts—especially in business and marketing.

If you’ve taken private tutoring in English with me, chances are you’ve seen challenge used in exactly this modern sense during lessons focused on motivation or goal-setting.

🧭 Origin: chalenge (FR) → challenge (EN) → un challenge (FR)

💼 3. Budget

The word budget comes from the Old French bougette, a small pouch or purse. In English, it became a way to describe how money is planned or spent.

French re-imported this meaning—and now le budget is everywhere: in politics, business, even household spending. The original word bougette? Long gone.

If you're managing your finances while following one of my English courses with CPF in Vincennes, you’ll definitely encounter budget as one of the essential words.

🧭 Origin: bougette (FR) → budget (EN) → le budget (FR)

🚀 4. Entrepreneur

You might be surprised to learn that this classic French word became globally popular thanks to English. While French has always had entreprendre, English created entrepreneur as a specific term for someone who launches a business or project.

That word—entrepreneur—returned to French as a more modern, dynamic version. It’s now used widely in business and startup culture, often with a sense of innovation and self-made success.

If you’re enrolled in an English course in Vincennes with me, especially one focused on professional goals, this word will definitely sound familiar.

🧭 Origin: entreprendre (FR) → entrepreneur (EN) → un entrepreneur (FR, again)

🧠 5. Realize / Réaliser

This one’s tricky. The French verb réaliser used to mean to make real, like a dream or a project. English took the word realize and changed the meaning: now it means to become aware of something.

Guess what? French speakers—especially younger ones—now say things like je réalise que… to mean I’m realizing that…, even though this wasn’t a traditional French usage.

That meaning has started to creep back in, influenced by English.

🧭 Origin: réaliser (FR) → realize (EN) → réaliser que (FR, new meaning)

🌍 Languages Are Travelers

Languages are never still. They move, evolve, and adapt—just like people. A word can start in one country, change shape in another, and come back sounding new, even if it's just an echo of its former self.

Whether you’re working with me through online education or following a personalized E-learning program, you’re participating in a global story of language evolution.

So next time you hear le shopping or un challenge, don’t roll your eyes. Smile! You’re hearing French—but with a twist, a history, and a passport full of stamps. 🧳