Foreign Expressions in English
1. What Foreign Expressions Are
Foreign expressions = words/phrases borrowed from other languages (especially Latin, French, Greek) and used as is in English, often italicized, with specific meaning not fully translated.
2. Why They Exist in Technical/Academic English
- Precision: single foreign phrase captures concept (e.g., in vitro — in glass, a priori — from before).
- Tradition: law, science inherited Latin.
- Conciseness: shorter than English paraphrase.
3. Common Foreign Expressions (exam list — memorize 10 with meaning)
| Expression (Language) | Meaning in English | Use in Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| bona fide (Latin) | genuine, in good faith | bona fide invention |
| vice versa (Latin) | the other way around | A implies B and vice versa |
| in vitro / in vivo (Latin) | in glass (lab) / in living | in vitro test, in vivo study |
| a priori / a posteriori (Latin) | from before (deductive) / from after (inductive) | a priori assumption |
| de facto / de jure (Latin) | in fact / by law | de facto standard |
| ad hoc (Latin) | for this purpose | ad hoc network |
| per se (Latin) | by itself | not per se harmful |
| et cetera (etc.) (Latin) | and the rest | sensors, etc. |
| en masse / vis-à-vis (French) | as a whole / face to face | en masse production, vis-à-vis design |
| via (Latin) | by way of | via satellite |
Technical: in situ, ex situ, a priori algorithm, de facto protocol.
4. How to Use Correctly
- Italicize in formal writing (in vitro), pronounce approx.
- Do not overuse: prefer English if clearer.
5. Exam Points
- Define foreign expression/borrowing — 3 marks, frequent.
- List 5–8 with language + meaning + sentence — 5-7 marks, very frequent (the most common foreign expressions question).
- Distinguish in vitro vs in vivo — 3 marks, frequent.
- Give technical examples (ad hoc network, via) — 3 marks.