Our ancestors the Arabs (What our language owes them), by Jean Pruvost

Our ancestors the Arabs (What our language owes them), by Jean Pruvost

The Arabic language offers the French language many words, without anyone suspecting it. That the Arabic language comes in third position after English and Italian is surprising.
In food, for example, a watermelon , artichokes , aubergines , spinach with tarragon , a mousseline , a sorbet drizzled with syrup , while drinking lemonade or an orangeade , to finish with a coffee , without sugar , and an alcohol , all of this comes from the Arab world. For fashion, a cotton skirt , a satin vest , a caban or a gabardine … For the scientist, algebra , algorithms , figures …
All areas of existence are thus listed to recall the Arabic words we use, whether it be flora, fauna, perfumes and jewelry, habitat, transport, war, colors, festivals, music, letters and arts, religions, etc. Without forgetting the effects on our language of colonization, the Algerian war, rap…
For Lavisse, "Our ancestors the Gauls" were above all barbarians and without the Romans and the Arab civilization, which irrigated all the Middle Ages, the Renaissance would have been delayed.
Jean Pruvost once again offers us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the great journey of words in the French language.

About the author: Jean Pruvost

Jean Pruvost is professor emeritus of lexicology and history of the French language at the University of Cergy-Pontoise. He is now Chairman of the Evaluation Committee at the CNRS. He gives three language radio programs every morning: on France Bleu Île de France; on RCF and on Mouv' , he is Doc Dico with the chronicle “Les mots du rap”.