Most English words come from French or Old English

 Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, French became the language used by the nobility in Britain. Meanwhile, the peasants and lower classes continued to use Old English, which was made up of Germanic vocabulary.

Eventually, inter-marriage brought about a mixing of the two languages, and Middle English—which is much closer to today’s English—was born.

Why’s this matter to English learners?

Well, this history can help you figure out when to use certain words. The words that came from French are often considered more formal or sophisticated, while words that came from Old English are more informal.

Take the words commence and begin, which both mean “to start.” Commence is a much fancier word. Native English speakers would only use it in more formal settings.

For example, you could use it while discussing business affairs: “The marketing team commenced work on the project.”

On the other hand, begin is a more casual word that native speakers use frequently.

Can you guess which word comes from French and which one comes from Old English?

Commence is basically the same word that the French currently use: commencer (to start). The word begin comes from the (now unused) Germanic word beginnan, which also meant “to start.”