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Gallicism

American  
[gal-uh-siz-uhm] / ˈgæl əˌsɪz əm /
Or gallicism

noun

  1. a French idiom or expression used in another language, as Je ne sais quoi when used in English.

  2. a feature that is characteristic of or peculiar to the French language.

  3. a custom or trait considered to be characteristically French.


Gallicism British  
/ ˈɡælɪˌsɪzəm /

noun

  1. a word or idiom borrowed from French

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Gallicism

First recorded in 1650–60; from French gallicisme; see Gallic, -ism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If, however, there were Anglicism on one side, so there was quite as much Gallicism, if not a good deal more, on the other.

From James Madison by Gay, Sydney Howard

And this opens a curious question as to how long this Gallicism maintained itself in England.

From The Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell by Lowell, James Russell

English he seemed to write as readily as French, although a strong Gallicism would every now and then slip from his pen, as it slipped from his tongue.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 08, No. 50, December, 1861 by Various

After the death of Holberg, the affectation of Gallicism had reappeared in Denmark; and the tragedies of Voltaire, with their stilted rhetoric, were the most popular dramas of the day.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 2 "Demijohn" to "Destructor" by Various

"Another forfeit for a Gallicism," said a Russian writer who was present.

From War and Peace by Tolstoy, Leo, graf

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