swampyankee
Chief Master Sergeant
- 4,022
- Jun 25, 2013
France, Germany, and a number of other countries have quangos that control their languages, sort of like the U.S. has the Fed to control it's money supply.
Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
People who invent things have to invent words or names for their inventions, then the French have to invent another word to prevent the Anglicisation of their language.
I speak French and worked in France for years, you are correct, but there is a certain nationalism about the language. They complain about "English" words like "le parking" (a car park) and "le washing" (a laundomat/self service washing centre) however they are surprised to hear that in English they are a car park and laundrette, the French have merely chosen a new word that happens to be "English" and then complain about the English invading their language. The most bizarre experience I had was concerning metal testing. The industry standard test of impact strength is the "Charpy" test, invented by a French metallurgist. However it was the Americans and British that made this test universal, in WW2 it was introduced to get over the problems with the Liberty ships. The French see Charpy as an American test and an English word. In French it is "essai de resilience" while in English it is "Charpy test". For Germans it is kerbschlagbeigeversuch which makes perfect sense if you speak German, literally "p-hit-bend-test" a short description of what is done. A similar test on a larger sample is called a "Battelle Drop weight tear test", while Battelle is also a French name the test is named after the Battelle memorial institute, which is still a big organisation in USA.As a speaker of French as a second language I would just like to point out that in the case of France the Academie Francaise does not control the language. It does publish the 'official' dictionary of the French language, but as far as usage goes it has no legal powers and acts in a purely advisory capacity. People, including French people, often tell me that in, for example, official publications, unauthorised words cannot be used, but this is not the case.
This has always been the case, words come and go. Much of military English language was formed by the British Commonwealth and USA forces being in France words like sortie and "toodleoo" (from a tout a l'heure) were youth culture in ww1.The British have the Oxford dictionary to refer to, but it has recently resorted to adding 'here today, gone tomorrow' words (often associated with technology or 'yoof' culture) that don't do much to enhance its reputation.
I agree language is and must be a living breathing thing (Latin anyone?) to survive. However some innovations and usages are less than optimal. I recall the "Valley Speak" period in the late 80's and have to admit to being sorely tempted to commit homicide several times.
"....
Cockney rhyming slang, anyone ..?
"Apples and pears"
"Bristol cities"
Yes, you dont want to look like a berk.'Bristols' is another case in point.... "Nice pair of Bristols on that!"
I hope no Cockneys read this! they are the Bow bells, from St Mary le BowMy wife's father was born and raised within the sound of the Beau Bells, and when he tied one on I could never understand a word he said. Well I could understand the words but not the combinations!
Street and place names in UK can be very strangeBelieve it or not thats what I typed! Then looked at it and said no that can't be right.
Street and place names in UK can be very strangeBelieve it or not thats what I typed! Then looked at it and said no that can't be right.
.... so ... back to bombing ....