Voilà Your Audience With These 4 Non-English Words
I remember coming across a restaurant along Chun Tin Road named “Vis-à-Vis” when mobile surfing was non-existent. It piqued my curiosity and I had to ask around what it means – face-to-face.
“What an apt name for a romantic restaurant," I thought.
From time to time, we come across these non-English or foreign words. These words are often printed in italics and now, finding their meanings is a breeze.
If it makes you wonder how such words had made it to the English dictionary, it is because they are used often, and dictionaries are updated to serve a living language.
Curious? Watch the YouTube video “How Do Words Get Added to the Dictionary” by BrainStuff – HowStuffWorks. (the link is shared at the end of the article)
In the meantime, here are four commonly used non-English words that had found their way into the English lexicon.
(1) Al fresco or Alfresco
Origin – Italian
[Pronounce it like: Al-fres-co]
What it means
Outdoors or out in the open.
How to use it
- (In a restaurant) "We would like seats for four. Al fresco, please."
- A bright and sunny day will make a perfect alfresco playdate for children.
Alfresco
Sann Choo
(2) Déjà vu
Origin - French
[Pronounce it like: Dae-jar-voo]
What it means
Having a familiar feeling that you experienced something similar before when you are actually experiencing it now.
How to use it
- As our tour guide led us into the Sung Sot Cave in Halong Bay, I was taken aback by the déjà vu feeling as the scenery of the cave unfolded exactly like what I had in my mind.
Deja vu
Sann Choo
(3) Carpe Diem
Origin - Latin
[Pronounce it like: Kar-peh-dee-am]
What it means
Live for the moment! Seize the day and enjoy the present.
How to use it
- Taking my friends’ advice to live a life attuned to the belief of carpe diem, I bungee jumped and experienced what it meant to live for the moment. I would not be doing it again.
Carpe Diem
Sann Choo
(4) Tête-à-tête
Origin - French
[Pronounce it like: tat-a-tat]
What it means
Engage in a private conversation between two people.
How to use it
- It made us feel uncomfortable when Roland ended spending most of his time in a Facebook tête-à-tête with God-knows-who during dinner.
tete-a-tete
Sann Choo
Here is the YouTube video mentioned earlier about “How Do Words Get Added to the Dictionary”, by BrainStuff – HowStuffWorks.
How Do Words Get Added To The Dictionary?
This article was first published for GRAM'S Learning Centre's blog in July 2017
© 2017 Yvonne Teo
Comments
Yvonne Teo (author) from Singapore on July 14, 2017:
:) Thanks Ms Dora
Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on July 14, 2017:
Thanks for the explanations on these phrases. They can come in very handy.
