Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·French ·1750s
Ensemble
from ensemble
- Meaning
- A group of performers; a coordinated outfit.
- Source word
- ensemble
- Route into English
- French *ensemble* (together) → English in music and fashion contexts. The fashion sense ("a lovely ensemble") is Edwardian department-store language; the musical sense predates it.
- Arrived
- 1750s
From French
Beyond the Norman conquest's Old French foundation, English kept borrowing from French for art, cuisine, fashion, and diplomacy throughout the modern period.
English borrows.
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