# List of English words with dual French and Old English variations

Generally, words coming from French often retain a higher register than words of Old English origin, and they are considered by some to be more posh, elaborate, sophisticated, or pretentious. However, there are exceptions: weep, groom and stone (from Old English) occupy a slightly higher register than cry, brush and rock (from French). Words taken directly from Latin and Ancient Greek are generally perceived as colder, more technical, and more medical or scientific – compare life (Old English) with biology (classical compound – a modern coinage from Greek roots).

## List of English words with dual Old English/Old French variations

Foods:
| Old English origin words | Old French origin words |
| cow (OE cū) ox (OE oxa) | beef (AN beof; OF boef) |
| calf (OE cealf) | veal (AN vel; OF veel, veal) |
| swine (OE swīn) pig (OE picga) | pork (OF porc) |
| sheep (OE scēap) | mutton (OF moton) |
| hen (OE hen, henn) chicken (OE cicen) | poultry (OF pouletrie) pullet (OF poulet) |
| deer (OE dēor) hart (OE heorot) | venison (AN venesoun) |
| dove (OE dūfe) | pigeon (OF pijən) |
Other words:
| Old English origin words | Old French origin words |
| thinking, mindful | pensive |
| kingly | royal |
| almighty | omnipotent |
| brotherly | fraternal |
| motherly | maternal |
| fatherly | paternal |
| sisterly | sororal |
| ask, beseech | enquire |
| lord | liege |
| lovesome | amorous |
| bring, bear | carry |
| amaze, stun | astonish |
| wordbook | dictionary |
| fair, fair-haired | blond(e) |
| ghost | phantom, spirit |
| uphold, undergird, upstay | support |
| smell, stench | odour |
| hue, blee | colour |
| blossom | flower |
| help, bestand, bestead | aid, abet, assist |
| buy | purchase |
| belief | faith |
| beget | engender |
| wonder | ponder |
| selfhood | identity |
| sake, ground | reason, cause |
| weep, sob | cry |
| knowledge | science |
| lawyer | attorney |
| to flee | to escape |
| thrall | serf, captive |
| hearty | cordial |
| deem | consider, judge |
| harbour, haven | port |
| sunder | sever |
| sunstead | solstice |
| evennight | equinox |
| answer | reply, response |
| follow | ensue |
| fall, harvest | autumn |
| leave | permission |
| seethe, plaw | boil |
| hunt | chase |
| wisdom | prudence, sagacity |
| weird, fremd | strange |
| behaviour | manner |
| uncouth | rude |
| owndom, belongings | property |
| folk, lede (leod) | people |
| forgive | pardon |
| darling | favourite |
| worthy | valuable |
| to forsake | to abandon |
| drought, dearth | famine |
| wish, will, yearning, longing, want (verb) | desire (verb and noun) |
| span | distance |
| tumble | somersault |
| drink (noun + verb) | beverage, imbibe |
| deal | amount |
| everlasting | eternal |
| freedom | liberty |
| brittle | frail, fragile |
| weak | feeble, faint |
| wild | savage |
| betrothal | proposal |
| kingship | monarchy |
| forebear, forefather | ancestor |
| reckless | intrepid |
| awesome, unbelievable | incredible |
| erstwhile | previous |
| tough | difficult |
| homesickness | nostalgia |
| hopelessness | despair |
| wholesome, healthy, healthful | salutary, salubrious |
| aching | painful |
| daring, boldness | audacity |
| midday | noon |
| to withstand | to resist |
| overlive | survive |
| hearsay | rumour |
| unwilling, loath | reluctant |
| wilful | deliberate |
| wont | accustomed |
| lovely, fair | beautiful |
| anger, wrath | ire, rage |
| angry, wrathful | irate |
| bloodthirsty | sanguinary |
| windpipe | trachea |
| woodwork | carpentry |
| beset | surround |
| warmongering | belligerent |
| deathly | lethal, mortal |
| forgiving | indulgent |
| forespeech | preface |
| abide, acknowledge | comply, obey, observe |
| stern | severe |
| foe | enemy |
| friendly | amicable |
| downtrodden | oppressed |
| inn | tavern |
| woodland, woods | forest |
| to rue | to lament, to regret |
| rueful | regretful |
| ruthless | remorseless |
| weapon | arm |
| lithe | gentle |
| grave | tomb |
| graveyard | cemetery |
| outspoken, straightforward | honest, frank |
| green | verdant |
| snake | serpent |
| fire | flame |
| clattering | noise |
| cook (noun) | chef |
| house | mansion |
| nought | zero |
| offspring | progeny |
| live, abide, dwell | reside |
| think | conceive |
| bookcraft | literature |
| twin | double |
| foretell | predict |
| foreshadow | presage |
| forechoice | preference |
| leave | egress, exit, depart |
| belly | stomach |
| upbringing | nurture |
| understand | comprehend |
| laughable | ridiculous |
| foreguess | assume |
| needs | requirements |
| adder | viper |
| behead | decapitate |
| forbid, ban | prohibit |
| forelook | preview |
| forbearance | patience |
| gift | present |
| thoughts | ideas |
| wed | marry |
| wedlock | marriage |
| withtake | receive |
| flawless | perfect |
| maim | mutilate |
| end | finish |
| room | chamber |
| stone | rock |
| smother | suffocate |
| mar | spoil |
| beam | ray |
| milt | spleen |
| heed | attention |
| groom | brush |
| hanging | pendant |
| bodily | corporal |
| handbook | manual |
| come | arrive |
| womb | uterus |
| dog | canine |
| maidenhood | virginity |
| win (noun) | victory |
| stronghold | fort, fortress |
| earl | count |
Words now obsolete, archaic or dialectal:
| Old English origin words | Old French origin words | Obsolete, archaic or dialectal words | Notes |
| eld | age | eld | elder, elderly |
| hosen, britches | pants | hosen, britches | |
| atter | venom, poison | atter | |
| athel | noble | athel | |
| atheling, drighten | prince | atheling, drighten | |
| aset | appoint | aset | |
| bilewit | innocent | bilewit | |
| chevese | concubine | chevese | |
| edder | vein, artery | edder | |
| stound | hour | stound | |
| wanderstar | planet | wanderstar | |
| wort | plant | wort | Survives in the names of certain plants and fungi. |
| burn | broil | broil | |
| note | use, utility | note | Survives with a changed meaning, today meaning a short record or explanation. |
| bookstaff, bookstave | letter | bookstaff, bookstave | |
| steven, reard | voice | steven, reard | |
| barrow | mountain, burial mound | barrow | |
| dwimmer | magic | dwimmer | |
| thorp | village | thorp | Survives in many place names, such as Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire, England. And in Norfolk England , e.g. Burnham Thorpe |
| ettin | giant | ettin | |
| forhold | detain | forhold | |
| forthgang | progress | forthgang | |
| forthfare | departure | forthfare | |
| frith | peace | frith | |
| gavel | rent | gavel | |
| grith | asylum, sanctuary | grith | |
| glim | candle | glim | Glim was an 18th century back-formation from "Glimmer", and doesn't predate "Candle". |
| handfast | contract, pledge | handfast | |
| leech | physician | leech | The meaning of the small bloodsucking creature coexisted with the meaning of physician. The former is still used today. |
| lich | corpse | lich | |
| liss | relief | liss | |
| reave | rob | reave | Today found mostly in "Reaver", meaning robber or highwayman. |
| rime | number | rime | |
| ruth | pity | ruth | Usage persists to a greater degree in "Ruthless" and to a lesser degree "Ruthful". |
| arm, wantsome | poor | arm, wantsome | |
| armth | poverty | armth | |
| ord | point | ord | ?coordinates |
| overgive | surrender | overgive | |
| sooth | reality | sooth | |
| norn | complain | norn | |
| firen | crime | firen | |
| mensk | honour | mensk | |
| eam | uncle | eam |
| quethe | declare | quethe | |
| roo | calmness, tranquility | roo | |
| sheen | beautiful | sheen | |
| shild | fault | shild | |
| weasand | oesophagus | weasand | |
| woning | residence | woning | |
| wight | creature | wight | |
| wayfare | journey | wayfare | |
| waterstuff | hydrogen | waterstuff | Calque of a German of the French term |
| sourstuff | oxygen | sourstuff | Calque of a German translation of the French term |
| umbe | around | umbe | |
| yeartide | season | yeartide | Yuletide |