French-Identic Loanwords in Vandalon
When devising Vandalon back in 2013, I decided to have no words of Greek and Latin origin there. I figured, if I do it, my language will be barely distinguishable from the actual French - and conversely, seeking for Germanic alternatives will boost my learning of Proto-Germanic.
To make the absence of Greek and Latin loans believable, I decided that those languages should have never got prominence in the conworld where Vandalon resides. This became one of the foundations of Teh Roolz - an unwritten set of guidelines I use in creating my conlangs.
Yet as I kept looking up for Latin and Greek words e.g. to draw inspiration for those absent in Proto-Germanic, like "oxygen" or "radio", it occurred to me how many Greek and Latin everyday words were Pre-Indo-European loans, and many of them made their way French. I figured, that each of those rare words is a small treasure in itself - so why waste them? Thus, an exception - or, rather, a new "rool" - was made in Teh Roolz, stipulating:
French Latin-inherited words stemming from non-Indo-European loans in Latin are taken unaltered into Vandalon.
After a few further adjustments for other languages and a pinch of exceptions, here is how an ever growing list of those French/Vandalon verbatim loanwords:
aimant [ɛˈmɑ̃(.t)] - magnet, cf. L adamas, Sem?
ambre [ˈɑbʁ] - amber, from MPers ʾmbl
ancre [ˈɑ̃kʁ] - anchor, cf. L ancora MSub
ange [ˈɑ̃ʒ] - angel, cf. Gk ἄγγελος, PrGk
araignée [a.ʁɛˈɲe] - spider, ~ Gk ἀράχνη, PrGk.
âne [ˈan] - donkey, AM cf. L asinus.
autumne [oˈtɔn] - autumn, fall, ~ L autumnus, possibly from Etr 𐌀𐌕𐌖𐌍𐌄 (atume), though opposite direction is also proposed.
bain [ˈbɛ̃(.n)] - bath, cf. Gk βαλανεῖον, likely PrGk.
barge [ˈbaʁʒ] - barge, ~ Late L barca ← Gk βᾶρις /ˈβa.ris/ ← Eg bꜣjr.
barque [ˈbaʁk] - small boat, ~ Late L barca ← Gk βᾶρις /ˈβa.ris/ ← Eg bꜣjr.
baudrier [bɔ.dʁiˈje(.ʁ)] - sword belt, baldric; via PG baltijaz ~ L balteus ← Etr 𐌁𐌀𐌋𐌕𐌄𐌀 (baltea).
bésicles [beˈzikl] - glasses, spectacles, from Dravidian cf. Gr βήρυλλος ← Belur
bête [ˈbet] - beast, ~ L bestia, uncertain;
beurre [ˈbœʁ] - Scythian? loan cf. Gk βούτυρον.
boîte [ˈbwat] - ~ Gk πυξίς, MSub.
brilliant [bʁiˈjɑ̃(.t)] - brilliant, from Dravidian cf. Gr βήρυλλος ← Belur.
calibre [kaˈlibʁ] - caliber, a word with a windy history ultimately landing at PrGk κᾶλον, uo
canne [ˈkɑn] - cane, Sum 𒄀 cf. Akk. qanû
carte [ˈkɑʁt] - card, chart, map; cf. Gk χάρτης, presumably Sem.
carton [kɑʁˈtɔ̃(.n)] - cardboard, cf. Gk χάρτης, presumably Sem.
chameu M [ʃaˈmo] / chamelle F [ʃaˈmɛl] - camel ← Proto-(West)-Semitic *gamal-.
chanvre [ˈʃɑ̃vʁ] - hemp, ~ Gk κάνναβις, perhaps Scythian or Thracian.
charte [ˈʃaʁt] - charter; ~ Gk χάρτης presumably Sem.
chaux [ˈʃo(.z)] - limestone, ~ Gk χάλιξ, unkonwn
chemin [ʃəˈmɛ̃(.n)] - road, ~ Vulgar Latin camminus ← Gaulish kamman ← PCelt *kanxsman
cheminée [ʃə.miˈne] - chimney, ~ Gk κάμῑνος, of unknown origin with possible relation to Proto-Slavic * kamy: 'stone';
céramique [se.ʁaˈmik] - ceramics, cf. Gk κέραμος
cerise [səˈʁiz] - cherry fruit, ~ Gk κέρᾰσος, of Anatolian origin;
cigale [siˈgal] - cicada, ~ L cicada, perhaps of substrate origin, ultimately onomatopoetic.
cigare [siˈgaʁ] - cigar, perhaps form cigale, or Yukatek siyar "smoke tobacco leaves", see cf. Q'eqchi sikʼar .
concombre [kɔ̃ˈkɔ̃bʁ] - cucumber, MSub?, cf. L cucumerem.
courge [ˈkuʁʒ] - marrow (plant), MSub, cf. L cucurbita
craie [ˈkʁɛ] - chalk, ~ L creta, uo.
crayon [kʁɛˈjɔ̃(.n)] - pencil, ~ L creta, uo.
crocodile [kʁo.koˈdil] - crocodile, cf. Gk κροκόδειλος, uo.
diamant [djaˈmɑ̃(.t)] - diamond, Wanderwort? cf. Gk ἀδάμας id., Akkadian 𒀀𒁕𒈬 (adamu) - red, important, amber?;
électricité [e.lɛk.tʁi.siˈte] - electricity, ~ Gk ἠλέκτωρ, uncertain.
élément [e.leˈmɑ̃(.t)] - element, L elementum, probably of Semitic origin.
éléphant [e.leˈfɑ̃(.t)] - elephant, unknown with (possible) cognates in Hittite, Egyptian, Berber, Sanskrit and Mycenaean Greek.
émeraude [e.meˈʁod] - emerald, ultimately from PSem *baraḳ- "shining" or *waraḳ- "yellow/green", cf. Gk σμάραγδος
éponge [eˈpɔ̃ʒ] - sponge, ~ Gk σπόγγος, of Pontic substrate, with cognates in various languages around Mediterranean and Black Seas.
fenêtre [feˈnetʁ] - window, L fenestra, from Etr.
fer [ˈfɛʁ] - iron, L ferrum, uncertain, Sem via Etr?
fiole [ˈfjol] - vial, ~ Ancient Greek φιάλη, MSub.
fonge [ˈfɔ̃ʒ] - mushroom, fungus, see Midde French fonge, from L fungus ~ Gk σπόγγος, see éponge
géant [ʒeˈɑ̃(.t)] - giant ~ Gk Γίγᾱς, PrGk.
gemme [ˈʒɛm] - gem, gemstone cf. L gemma
gomme [ˈgɔm] - rubber, from Eg *qmy
gourde [ˈɡuʁd] - gourd, MSub cf. L cucurbita
gouverner [ɡu.vɛʁˈne(.ʁ)] - govern, cf. κυβερνάω, of uncertain origin
gouverner [ɡu.vɛʁˈnœʁ] - governor, cf. κυβερνήτης, of uncertain origin
huile [ˈɥil] - oil, cf. Gk ἐλαίϝα, possibly IE, likely PrGk.
harpon [aʁˈpɔ̃(.n)] - harpoon, cf. Gk ἁρπάγη, PrGk?
ivore [iˈwvaʁ] - ivory, cf. Eg ꜣbw - 'elephant'
joyau [ʒwaˈjo] - jewel, assumed PIr cf. MPers ghwl
lézard [leˈzaʁ(.d)] - lizard, ~ L lacertus, uo.
lion [ˈljɔ̃(.n)] - lion, ~ Greek λέων, either Sem cf. PSem *labiʾ- or common substrate.
lis [ˈlis] - lily, MSub cf. Gk λείριον.
litre [ˈlitʁ] - litre, medium measure of volume, cf. L libra, MSub (Sicilian?), s.a livre
livre [ˈlivʁ] - pound, medium measure of weight,cf. L libra, s.a litre.
machine [maˈʃin] - machine, ~ Gk μηχανή, Doric μᾱχᾰνᾱ́, PrGk?.
marbre [ˈmɑʁbʁ] - marble, ~ Gk μάρμαρος, PrGk?
marché [maʁˈʃe] - market, L merx, Etr?; cf. Mercurius, with several proposed IE reconstructions.
melon [meˈlɔ̃(.n)] - melon, cf. μῆλον, PrGk.
métal [meˈtal] - metal, ~ Gk μέταλλον, PrGk.
morse [ˈmɔʁz] - walrus, from Proto-Saamic *moršë, Paleo-European?
musique [myˈzik] - music, cf. Gk Μοῦσᾰ, uncertain origin
nappe [ˈnap] - tablecloth, ~ L mappa, ← Sem.
natte [ˈnat] - plait, mat, ~ L matta ← Sem.
océan [ɔ.seˈɑ̃(.n)] - ocean; cf. Gk Ὠκεανός, PrGk.
panne [ˈpɑn] - pan, ultimately from Gk πᾰτᾰ́νη, PrGk.
papier [paˈpje] - paper, ~ Gk πάπυρος ← Eg, perhaps p3-n-pr-ˁ3 - 'of the Pharaoh'
peuple [ˈpœpl] - people, population; via L populus ← Etr.
personne [pɛʁˈsɔn] - person, ~ L persona ← Etr.
pétrole [peˈtʁɔl] - petrol, neologism from existing sources, πέτρα + ἐλαίϝα
pierre [ˈpjɛʁ] - stone, rock, ~ Gk πέτρα, uo.
plastique [plɑsˈtik] - plastic, adj. and n., cf. Gk πλαστικός, possibly non-IE
poêle [ˈpwal], [ˈpwɑl], [ˈpwɛl] - frying pan, ultimately from Gk πᾰτᾰ́νη, PrGk.
poire [ˈpwaʁ] - pear; L pirum, MSub.
poivre [ˈpwavʁ] - from Skt. पिप्पलि (cf. Gk πέπερι) of Dravidian(?) origin.
pomme [ˈpɔm] - fruit, apple; PIt poomos; Teh Roolz were violated, because the first source claimed MSub origin; kept, because having a rare PIt substrate loan, like Celtic ones in German, adds depth to the world.
prune [ˈpʁyn] - plum, ~ Gk προῦμνον, AM.
rhum [ˈʁɔm] - rum, uo cf. rum
raisin [ʁɛˈzɛ̃(.n)] - raisin, of substrate origin(?), cf. L racemus, Gr ῥάξ /raks/, MPers رز /raz/; cf. French raisin
sac [ˈsak] - sack, cf. Gk σάκκος, of Sem origin.
seringue [səˈʁɛ̃ɡ] - syringe, cf. Gk. σῦριγξ
singe [ˈsɛ̃ʒ] - monkey cf. Gk. σιμός
siréne [siˈʁɛn] - siren, cf. Gk Σειρήν, PrGk?.
socque [ˈsɔk] - clog (wooden shoe), ~ L soccus, Gk σύκχος, cf. E sock, AM
sphère [ˈsfɛʁ] - sphere, uo, cf. Gk σφαῖρα
sucre [ˈsykʁ] - sugar, from Sanskrit शर्क॑रा (śárkarā)
tambour [tɑ̃ˈbuʁ] - drum, cf. Persian تنبور
titre [ˈtitʁ] - title, L titulis, Etr?.
tombe [ˈtɔ̃b] - tomb, cf. Gk τύμβος, of uncertain origin.
tortue [tɔʁˈty] - turtle; ultimately from Gk Τάρταρος, uo.
tour [ˈtuʁ] - tower, ~ Gk τύρρις, uo.
trône [ˈtʁon] - throne cf. Gk θρόνος, uo
vin [ˈvɛ̃(.n)] - wine, ~ Gk ὑιήν, MSub?
AM - Asia Minor Substrate
F - French
E - English
Eg - Egyptian
Etr - Etruscan
(P)IE - (Proto-)Indo-European
Gk - Ancient Greek
MSub - Mediterranean Substrate
L - Latin
PIt - Proto-Italic
PIr - Proto-Iranic
PrGk - Pre-Greek
Sem - Semitic
Skt - Sanskrit