What is the most interesting thing youâÄôve learned so far this year, in or out of class? Sam Parks , a senior English major, said he learned in his British literature class that the English language mostly comes from French and German, and that the implications of word selection relate to the language the words originated from. âÄúWe use the romantic side, the French side, to say things that sound smart,âÄù and we associate words that come from the German language with being simpler and more âÄúto the point,âÄù he said. For example, he said, compare the French âÄúcordial invitationâÄù with the German âÄúhearty welcome.âÄù Or, he added, look at the difference in the way we interpret âÄúhouse,âÄù which is German, and âÄúmansion,âÄù which comes from the French âÄúmaison.âÄù