ПАЛЬТО́ — from French paletot
[pal'tó]
The word entered Russian in the 19th century, especially in the second quarter of the century. French paletot referred to a type of outer garment. Its deeper history is often connected with Spanish palletoque, “a hooded cloak,” and Latin palla, “cloak” or “outer garment.” In Russian, пальто́ became the standard word for a European-style coat. It is also notable because it remains indeclinable in Russian.

БРАСЛЕ́Т — from French bracelet
[braslét]
The word entered Russian around the 18th century. French bracelet is connected with bras, meaning “arm,” and ultimately with Latin bracchium. The object itself is much older than the word: bracelets have existed since prehistoric times and have served as ornaments, amulets, and symbols of status.

МАКИЯ́Ж — from French maquillage
[makiyáž]
This is a later borrowing connected with fashion, cosmetics, photography, and modern beauty culture. French maquillage comes from maquiller, “to apply makeup” or “to alter appearance.” In Russian, макия́ж means both the process of applying cosmetics and the finished look. It differs from грим, which is more strongly associated with theatre and stage performance.

БУКЕ́Т — from French bouquet
[bukét]
The word appeared in Russian in the first half of the 18th century. In French, bouquet meant a bunch or arranged group of flowers. Russian preserved this meaning, but the word later developed figurative uses: буке́т ароматов “a bouquet of aromas,” буке́т вкуса “a bouquet of flavor,” and similar expressions in wine, perfume, and gastronomy.

ЖАЛЮЗИ́ — from French jalousie
[zhalyuzí]
The word became widely used in Russian in the 19th century. French jalousie literally means “jealousy.” The name is often explained through slatted shutters: they allow a person inside to look out while remaining hidden from outside view. In Russian, жалюзи́ means window blinds made of slats or lamellae. The word is indeclinable.

МЕНЮ́ — from French menu
[menyú]
The word entered Russian in the late 19th century. French menu is connected with the meaning “small” or “detailed,” from Latin minutus. In restaurant culture, menu came to mean a detailed list of dishes. In Russian, меню́ first meant a list or card of dishes, and later expanded into technology: меню́ программы, главное меню́, “program menu,” “main menu.”

БУЛЬО́Н — from French bouillon
[bul'yón]
The word entered Russian in the 18th century. French bouillon comes from bouillir, “to boil.” Its original sense is close to “something boiled.” In Russian, бульо́н means a broth or stock made by boiling meat, fish, mushrooms, vegetables, or bones. The borrowing reflects the influence of French culinary vocabulary on Russian aristocratic and restaurant culture.

ДЕСЕ́РТ — from French dessert
[desért]
French dessert comes from desservir, “to clear the table.” The original idea was that dessert was served after the main dishes had been removed. In Russian, десе́рт came to mean the final course of a meal, usually something sweet: cake, fruit, ice cream, pastry, cream, or similar dishes. The word is tied to European dining etiquette and restaurant culture.

ОМЛЕ́Т — from French omelette
[omlét]
The word entered Russian in the 19th century. French omelette is often linked to words meaning “thin plate” or “thin layer,” from lame, “blade” or “plate.” This probably refers to the shape of the dish: a thin layer of cooked beaten egg. In Russian, омле́т became the common word for a dish made from beaten eggs, often with milk, herbs, cheese, vegetables, or meat.

БУФЕ́Т — from French buffet
[bufét]
The word entered Russian in the 18th century. French buffet originally referred to a table, sideboard, or place where dishes and food were displayed. In Russian, буфе́т developed several meanings: a sideboard for dishes, a snack counter, and a small food service area in a theatre, school, institution, or railway station. Later, it also became associated with a self-service style of serving food.

ГАРА́Ж — from French garage
[garáž]
This is a relatively late borrowing, connected with the automobile age. It entered Russian in the early 20th century. French garage comes from garer, “to shelter,” “to protect,” or “to park safely.” With the spread of automobiles, the word came to mean a place for keeping or repairing cars. In Russian, гара́ж became a key word of 20th-century urban and car culture.

БАГА́Ж — from French bagage
[bagáž]
The word appeared in Russian in the 18th century, with early attestations from the beginning of the 1700s. French bagage meant travel belongings or luggage and is connected with older words meaning “bundle” or “pack.” In Russian, бага́ж became the standard word for things taken on a journey. It later developed figurative meanings such as бага́ж знаний, “a store of knowledge,” or “intellectual baggage.”

БИЛЕ́Т — from French billet
[bilét]
The word came into Russian during the Petrine era, in the early 18th century. French billet meant a note, small document, or written slip. It may have entered Russian through Polish or German mediation. The meaning developed naturally from “small written note” to “document giving the right to something”: entry to a theatre, travel on transport, participation in an exam, or a lottery ticket.

ТРОТУА́Р — from French trottoir
[trotuár]
The word entered Russian in the 18th century. French trottoir comes from trotter, “to walk,” “to move quickly,” or “to trot.” Literally, it means a place for walking. In Russian, тротуáр became the word for the pedestrian part of a street. The borrowing is connected with European-style urban planning: paved streets, walking zones, and organized city infrastructure.

БАЛКО́Н — from French balcon, ultimately from Italian balcone
[balkón]
The word is recorded in Russian from the 18th century, especially from the 1720s. Italian balcone is connected with the idea of a beam or projecting structure; the word then spread through European languages, including French and German. In Russian, балко́н came to mean a projecting platform with a railing on the outside of a building. Over time it became both an architectural and everyday domestic word.

ЖУРНА́Л — from French journal
[zhurnál]
The word is connected with French jour, “day.” Originally, journal meant a daily record, diary, or day-by-day document. In Russian, журна́л entered during the period of strong European cultural influence, especially in the 18th century. At first it could mean a diary, log, or official record; later it became the standard word for a periodical publication, a magazine, or a journal.

ПОРТФЕ́ЛЬ — from French portefeuille
[portfél']
The word entered Russian in the 19th century. French portefeuille is made from porter, “to carry,” and feuille, “sheet of paper.” Literally, it means “something for carrying papers.” In Russian, портфе́ль first referred to a folder or case for documents, then to a school or business bag. It later developed figurative meanings: портфе́ль заказов, “order portfolio,” инвестицио́нный портфе́ль, “investment portfolio,” and министе́рский портфе́ль, “ministerial post.”

ШОФЁР — from French chauffeur
[shofyór].
The word entered Russian in the early 20th century with the spread of automobiles. French chauffeur originally meant “stoker” or “fireman” and comes from chauffer, “to heat.” This made sense for early machines, especially steam-powered ones, where a person had to manage heat or fuel. Later the word shifted to mean the driver of a motor vehicle. In Russian, шофёр became the usual word for a professional driver.

АВАНГА́РД — from French avant-garde
[avangárd]
French avant-garde literally means “front guard” or “advance guard.” It was originally a military term for the unit moving ahead of the main army. Later it developed a figurative meaning: a leading or pioneering group in politics, society, or art. In Russian, аванга́рд became especially important in cultural history, where it refers to experimental artistic movements that challenged tradition and created new visual and literary languages.

ПАРТЕ́Р — from French parterre
[partér]
French parterre literally means “on the ground” or “on the earth,” from par terre. In Russian, парте́р developed several related meanings. In theatre, it means the lower part of the auditorium in front of the stage. In garden design, it refers to a decorative ground-level layout with lawns, flowerbeds, and symmetrical patterns. In wrestling, it means a position on the mat — literally, “on the ground.”