外交   Diplomatie   Diplomacy  

French has been the diplomatic language of modern times. The British ambassadress adressed the last empress of China in French (it was translated into mandarin and then into mandchu) and the official language of the League of Nations (Société des Nations) was French. Many treaties have been, and still are, written in French, which has a reputation of precision. In many contemporary treaties and conventions, the French version takes precedence over the English version. The following words and expressions are commonly used in the diplomatic circles.

agent provocateur ('professional agitator') ⇨ provocateur
attaché ⇨ Attacher: to Fasten
carte blanche ⇨ Blanc: White
chargé d'affaires ⇨ Charge: Load
corps diplomatique ⇨ Corps: Body
coup d'État ('government blow') ⇨ Coup: Strike
démarche (move to achieve some end) ⇨ Marcher: to Walk
dossier ('file') ⇨ Dos: Back
doyen ⇨ Dix: Ten
entente ⇨ entente
espionage (espionnage, spying)
étiquette ('tag', ceremonial)
fait accompli ⇨ Faire: to Do
faux pas ⇨ Faux: Wrong
force majeure ⇨ Fort: Strong
memoir (mémoire, 'memory', essay)
par excellence ('by excellence', preeminently)
rapprochement ('renewal of close relations') ⇨ Proche: Near
régime ('ruling system') ⇨ Roi: King
R.S.V.P. ⇨ Répondre: to Answer
savoir faire ('know-how', tact) ⇨ Savoir: to Know
volte-face ('turning around') ⇨ Voûter: to Bend

The word 'diplomatic' literally means 'pertaining to official documents' ⇨ diploma.
⇨ Société: Society

⇦ ⇨

外交 Diplomatie: Diplomacy
战戰 Guerre: War
邑 Cité: Town
王 Roi: King
天帝 Dieu: God
自由 Libre: Free
胜 勝 Vaincre: to Win

© Renaud Bouret