I
n this chapter, you will practice using these “foreign” words and learn the meaning and spelling of each one
by completing the exercises. You may recognize many of these words when you hear them, but they may appear
foreign to you when you see them written. This is because the pronunciation of each word follows the rules
of the original language it is from and not necessarily traditional English pronunciation. Practice saying each word
out loud as you read through the list.
CHAPTER
Vocabulary List 5:
Foreign Language
Terms Used in
English
CHAPTER SUMMARY
In this chapter, you will learn words from other languages, such as
French and Italian, that are used in everyday English. Many of these
words have been adopted into the English language because there is
not an English word that means exactly the same thing. For example,
the word naïve is used frequently to describe someone who is young,
innocent, simple, and sometimes gullible. In English, we would have to
use three or four words to express the same thing that the word naïve
does. Some of these words are used frequently in articles about the
arts. Others are used in writing about history or politics. All of these
words are used frequently in everyday speech and writing so it is
important to be familiar with them.
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VOCABULARY LIST 5: FOREIGN LANGUAGE TERMS USED IN ENGLISH
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89
Choose the word from the Vocabulary List that best fits into the crossword puzzle. You can check your answers

imbroglio
ingénue
laissez-faire
malaise
naïve
non sequitur
rendezvous
vendetta
vignette
Across
4 a complicated or embarrassing
situation
7 animation, spirit, life
9 a naïve young woman
11 unsophisticated and gullible
12 a short, descriptive piece of
writing
14 grudge, feud
17 something finished and
irreversible
18 quintessence
19 vague feeling of illness
20 first appearance
Down
1 an overly familiar, overused
phrase
2 middle class
3 apathetic, uninterested
5 bumbling, crude
6 cutting edge

(adj.)
apathetic to pleasure or excitement as a result of
excessive indulgence in something
Because Jon works in the music industry, going to
concerts has become , as they are no
longer a novelty.
bourgeois (bu˙rzh·wa)
(adj.)
having the attributes and beliefs of the middle class,
marked by materialistic concerns
Pete has never succumbed to values—he
is comfortable living a simple life.
cliché (kle¯ ·sha¯)
(noun)
a phrase or saying which has been overused and, as a
result, has little significance or meaning
Try to avoid using in your writing, as
they are not as powerful as vivid, fresh
language.
debut (da¯ ·byu)
(noun)
a first appearance
The tennis player was nervous about her
as a professional.
élan (a¯ ·lan)
(noun)
spirit, enthusiasm, or excitement
The medical resident showed great for
medicine; she was always prepared and asked a
lot of questions.