Journal FortKnox's Journal: You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese...? 59
France, in a move to keep their language genuine, has renamed the term 'email' to 'la royale with spam.'
Submitted, but I doubt it'll be chosen.
Submitted, but I doubt it'll be chosen.
The whole schpeel: (Score:2)
Jules: They don't call it an email?
Vincent: No man, they got the surrendering system. They wouldn't know what the fark an email is.
Jules: Then what do they call it?
Vincent: They call it a "Royale" with spam.
Jules: A "Royale" with spam! What do they call a Big Mac?
Vincent: A Big Mac's a Big Mac, but they call it "le Big-Mac".
Jules: "Le Big-Mac"! Ha ha ha ha! What do they call a Whopper?
Vincent: I dunno, I didn't go into Burger King.
Re:The whole schpeel: (Score:2)
Re:The whole schpeel: (Score:2)
Vincent: But you know what they put on instant messages in Holland instead of buddy icons?
Jules: What?
Vincent: Mayonnaise.
Jules: Damn!
Vincent: I seen 'em do it. And I don't mean a little bit on the side of the window, they frellin' drown 'em in it.
Wow. (Score:2)
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
Why? Because they want to preserve their language (and part of their culture) and not let it crumble into some Frenglish hybrid? I don't think this all that funny (though I did get the Pulp Fiction ref!), but it is a bit amusing that they waited this long. They probably would look more respectable if they incorporated the new term several years ago.
Quebec bans the use of English names on storefronts and businesses (and more) for this very reason.
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
Uhm, yes. Exactly that. What's the point of not using an English word that has manifested itself through-out the entire world? Pretention. It's absolutely absurd to try to invent a new word, just because you don't happen to like it's origin.
I don't think this all that funny (though I did get the Pulp Fiction ref!), but it is a bit amusing that they waited this long. They pr
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
Re:Wow. (Score:1)
To whoever the AC is, why don't you write non-AC? I am somewhat multi-lingual. I think that preservation of the purity of languages is idiotic. I have studied linguistics, and I know that every language becomes tainted. Trying to stop the "taint" is impossible. I'll rant about the i
Re:Wow. (Score:1)
Stopping the evolution of a language is impossible, but influencing the "taint" is certainly not impossible. It can and often does work. Will this replacement of the word "email" work? Who knows. It is a matter of opinion, however, whether or not this should be done. One of the major complaints people who learn English as a 2nd language have is the fact that English is so inconsistent,
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
Any major language (French isn't a major language.) has great influence from other languages so it becomes more powerful and familiar. Yes, English
Re:Wow. (Score:1)
Oh lord, this "debate" has no chance of going anywhere. Just study up on languages. If you honestly believe these two things then there is no point to continuing.
And of course, continuing the line of "inventing a word" in regards to "courriel" shows you are ignoring the fact
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
French speaking people account for 3.5 percent of people on the internet. English is 36.5 percent. Japanese is 9.7 percent, and I would just barely count that as a major language. Chinese is 10.8 percent. Spanish has over twice as many as French, at 7.4%
If you also are trying to dispute that language is a creation to enable communication between two people, than you have some serious issues.
So
Re:Wow. (Score:1)
I'm not talking about raw percentages here, which is what I figured you were going by. But I wasn't about to argue your "French is not a major language" where you just mention it in a parenthetical side-comment. Being a "major" language h
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
Uhm, what? Care to back that up with some facts?
And French is the major language of a diverse number of countries on five continents.
Ok, name them.
French is the official language of the UN, the Olympics, the Council of Europe, etc. It is one of the official languages of international post (par avion?).
And so is Air Mail. Just because they have "Por Avion" on there, doesn't mean it's an official language. I can also write it in J
Re:Wow. (Score:1)
Here [intstudy.com] and here [about.com].
Jeez, I thought you said you knew what you were talking about!
Here [swarthmore.edu] and here [vt.edu].
Japanese is a maj
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
The
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
Perhaps this is due to the fact that France throws a major 'effing tantrum when French isn't chosen as the 'official' language of an international organization. They think it is still 1703 when French was considered the language of diplomacy.
Problem is almost anyone who isn't French will tend to use English nowdays when operating in a multi-lingual co
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
Big difference is most other language committees don't have the force of law. The Neue Rechtschreibung may reccommend a more "German" term for someth
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
No, pretention is forcing your term on other cultures or encouraging them to come up with their own non-English word. Preserving your culture is not pretentious.
They didn't do this because the word was American, they did it because it was not French.
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
Sorry, I don't seem to recall any English-based push for everybody to use e-mail. For that matter, the guy who created it called it e-mail. Do the French call Fords or Chevrolets some made-up word as well?
Preserving your culture by inventing a new word. Right.
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
There wasn't one, but that doesn't matter. The French are simply providing their own word for something.
Courrier has always been the French word for "mail". The guy who created e-mail didn't invent a new word either (it's still "electronic mail"), he just applied the appropriate pre-existing words to it, like the French are doing now.
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
Ok, well then... I'll just go ahead and start calling email "E-French-is-a-stupid-language" and it's no big deal then. I'm just providing my own word for it. See, it's dumb. It's idiotic.
Courrier has always been the French word for "mail". The guy who created e-mail didn't invent a new word either (it's still "electronic mail"), he just applied the appropriate pre-existing words to it, like the Fr
Re:Wow. (Score:1)
Now I know you're pulling my leg. The french elitist? Say it isn't so!
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
Franko will eventually have to use English words, but in the meantime "latrine" and "rendezvous" will be joined by other Frency imports.
Add spices to taste, stir thoroughly, simmer. Eat when done.
Re:Wow. (Score:1)
No it is not. They have not translated the word because they hate some country, they have translated it because the word is not French.
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
They didn't translate it! They made up a new word that is like "courrier." If it was translated I wouldn't find it retarded. Since they just invented a new word, it is retarded.
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
It would have been better to call it courriel 5-7 years ago. Now it is just petty and stupid, as everybody knows what the term "email" means.
Re:Wow. (Score:1)
Actually, they did... I have hear that word at least three years ago. It's not because Yahoo picks up this news right now that it is really news. And for the matter: it did not stick with the population. They still use the word "mail" for "email".. So, often if you hear a european saying "send me a mail" he means "send me an email". We just dropped the "e" and use your word for classic mail to indicate electronic mail. So, we are alr
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
If your entire populatio
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
I noticed an odd thing while in Brazil. There is a League of Lusophone Countries and they occasionally make changes to the "official" portuguese language. Coming from the USA and never hanving heard of an english language equivalent, I found this concept to be rather shocking. One of the memorable changes around 1995 was to change how some obscure acce
Re:Wow. (Score:2)
While in the same vein, but slightly different is a typical thing in Japan. They update the kanjis (and even some hiragana) and the proper stroke order. While I learned some one way, my girlfriend would tell me I was wrong,
Re:Wow. (Score:1)
And why not? The English had to deal with the French making an awful mess out of THEIR native language, why should we Americans get back at the French for, in the end, sticking us with this confusing language?
Royale with spam? (Score:1)
Anyway, in Hebrew it's similar. The half-official word for email is "doal" (mail=doar and the "l" for electronic), and it's used mostly on written communication. People still prefer saying "email" when speaking.
Re:Royale with spam? (Score:2)
Apropos... (Score:2)
Since I'm also learning Hebrew, I'm going to remember that word for e-mail. Thanks!
Re:Apropos... (Score:1)
(I'm talking about the normal, secular audience. Yiddish is still in use among the orthodox ashkenazim)
(After reading your journal) Damn, you have a fiance? No shiksa for me, I guess.
Re:Apropos... (Score:1)
Hamentaschen. I think it means "Haman's ears" also.
I agree about your larger point. There are many more Yiddish words in general use in American English than are used in Israel, especially among Sephardim. It's probably comparable to the level of usage of Arabic words in Hebrew.
Can I ban the hyphen? (Score:2)
Way to piss of the French. If they really did ban "e-mail" feel free to write of "email" all you want. :)
Re: (Score:2)
Perfect (Score:1)
This is nice.
Reminds me of a linguistical version of the Nazi Party. That's right, I just equated the french language to Nazis.
Em Rulz. U R teh suck.
Uh...yeah. Go Bears!
Re:Perfect (Score:2)
how to get it accepted.... (Score:2)
Set it to a YRO story on Censorship. Twist the write-up into how French government is restricting people from using the word email in all respects. Make comment on how you'll never visit France or drink French wine ever again because of it.
That should work.
Re:how to get it accepted.... (Score:1)
Re:how to get it accepted.... (Score:2)
Bizarrely enough, it was finally posted [slashdot.org] by Taco of all people. Just not from FK's submission...
This is why English as a language rocks (Score:2)
Compare that to this crap. Damn, this just sounds like xenophobia to me. I wonder what the Algerians and Haitians think of this? I assume that they
Bah (Score:1)
As for the french renaming things, they always do... doesn't always work. They are inherently wary of introducing foreign words in their language, which is understandable because they want to keep a cultural identity (and cultural idenitity implies language)
Re:Bah (Score:2)
Re:Bah (Score:1)
But seeing that smilie, I just will assume you know the correct word.
Don't want messages, eh? (Score:2)
Me too!! (Score:2)
(I've always been one of the obnoxious ones!)
Re:Don't want messages, eh? (Score:1)
Can't you just leave the poor guy alone?! He doesn't want to keep getting messages from a journal he left long ago. He has important things he has to do, like take showers with the newly re-acquired power at his house, and read about football division re-alignments. Oooh - I like dashes - d-a-s-h-e-s - wow - I'm going to replace all my .'s with -'s - How fun -
Oy, what's that? Oh, sorry Josh, I'll try and keep the noise to a minimum