" (UTC) : I originally assumed that the version of the story I heard (that in the passage from ""we shall fight on the beaches"" to ""we shall never surrender"", all the words are from Old English roots, except 'surrender' which is from French) was a joke (someone having a poke at the French) - but it's absolutely correct! : I checked this all out in the Online Etymological Dictionary, and every word in that clip is from Old English - with the exception of 'surrender' which is indeed from Old French! (And apologies to anyone with French ancestry/links - I have not forgotten Verdun). : Since this is an interesting factoid (well,
" (UTC) : I originally assumed that the version of the story I heard (that in the passage from ""we shall fight on the beaches"" to ""we shall never surrender"", all the words are from Old English roots, except'surrender' which is from French) was a joke (someone having a poke at the French) - but it's absolutely correct! : I checked this all out in the Online Etymological Dictionary, and every word in that clip is from Old English - with the exception of'surrender' which is indeed from Old French! (And apologies to anyone with French ancestry/links - I have not forgotten Verdun). : Since this is an interesting factoid (well, I