You may know all about French grammar and have an extensive French vocabulary, but you might not be aware of some fun (and just plain interesting) facts about the French language itself. Here are four fun facts, some you may be aware of and some that might surprise you:

The Flag of France

1.The French Language May Become The Most Spoken Language in the World By 2050

According to a recent study by the investment bank Natixis, French will become the most widely spoken language in the world by 2050. Currently, about 220 million people speak French worldwide, making it the sixth most widely spoken language. French is one of the rare languages (including English, Spanish, and Arabic) that are spoken all around the world and not just in its native country. The study bases its analysis on the growth of many former French colonies in Africa, where large growth is expected to take place in the next thirty years or so. But there have been critics of this study as well, most of whom say the study ignores the fact that French is an official language in these countries but that most people are more likely to speak indigenous languages or a mixture of languages, rather than the official language.

2.About 30 percent of the English Language is Composed of French Words

While French is a romantic language and English is a Germanic one, English adopted many French words into its vocabulary beginning in the eleventh century, with the Norman invasion of England. The flow of French words into English continued particularly through the age of the Renaissance, when English thinkers and royalty alike shared their affinity of French words. Some English words that originally came from French include conquer, pride, staunch, surf, view, and war.

3.Kinshasha—Not Paris—is the World’s Largest French-Speaking City

Kinshasha, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has around 11 million residents and is one of the largest cities in the world. Recently, it surpassed Paris in population and became the largest francophone urban area in the world. French is used as the official language and is mostly used in schools and the government, while Lingala, a Bantu language, is mostly spoken on the streets of the city.

4.At the Time of the French Revolution, 75 Percent of the Population Did Not Speak French as a Mother Tongue

During the eighteenth century, many people in France spoke distinct dialects of French depending on their geographical location. It was only in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that a federal program to standardize the French language was implemented, largely through education reform—the dialect that was used for standardization was Parisian French. French Revolutionary thinkers originally declared a liberty of languages—meaning that French citizens could speak whatever dialect or language they liked—however, this policy was changed due to Enlightenment values of sharing knowledge through a common language for all.