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I just heard this over the news on TV. Sounds very odd. There's a measure (bill?) being looked at right now in French government to 'ban' the use of the word 'e-mail' in all government records, documents, websites, ect. Seems they don't want the 'English' word associated with them.
Sounds like Freedom Fries, and just as silly. Chances are the measure won't pass. Honestly though; isn't 'e-mail' too associated with everyday online lingo for anyone to effectively abolish it?
Hero, it's nothing at all like "Freedom Fries". The French have long been very protective about their language. They have an organisation set up to keep the language from having foreign influences and to try to keep the language free from foreign influences. It's nothing new. It's been done for many years and the French are quite well known internationally for protectiong their language in this fashion.
Many other countries have similar organisaitons too. Icelandic, for example, borrows absolutely no words from other langauge. Every time there is a new invenetion there is a counsil that means to decide or create a new word for it in Icelandic, usually based on parts of old outdated words.
I won't even mention the languange laws in Québec. ;)
ps. The strange thing is, the French have a word for email: "courriel". :wtf:
They have been doing this stuff for a while. There are some countries that have special commitees that sit around all day and do nothing but talk about what is officaly defined as their mainstream culture. In this case the French Academy or whatever they call themselfs; have banned the word "e-mail" because its not French. They did this two times before in my recent memory. The first one was banning "Le weekend" and instating an official French term for weekend; and the second time was when they actualy did outlaw "French Fries" and called them "Pomme Frites" (Fried potatoes). So honestly, it would be poetic justice or something to call French Fries "Freedom Fries"(although the whole thing is rather juvenile).
This seems especialy strange to us Americans cause we canabalize and assimilate other cultures all the time and no one realy makes a stink. We are a culture of immigrants and have lots in the way of outside influences in our everyday life. It just hasnt worked out that way in France I suppose.:lol:
Freedom Fries?? How fucking gay!
They're fries, let them stay that way.
But man, I really don't understand the french.
Still I'll blame it all on this guy. :D
http://www.unbillablehours.com/08-french-guard.jpg
"I fart in your general direction!"
I thought that the French called "French fries" just fries, or "frites". If they were called "French fries," then they would probably be something along the lines of "frites françaises" or something like that. "Pomme", at least to my knowledge, stands for apple, while pomme de terre means potato. Oh, and I've taken one year of French, so I'm most likely at error.
Don't they call them "chips"?Quote:
Originally posted by Tones
I thought that the French called "French fries" just fries, or "frites".
I'm pretty sure English call fries "chips". "Fish and chips"Quote:
Originally posted by Freeter
Don't they call them "chips"?
"French fries" are actually Belgian, which is why the French don't call them "french fries" or something similar. The Belgians don't call them "french fries" either, for that matter.
For the record, they are known simply as "frites" here (in Québec).
I don't think its a matter of defining what is mainstream culture. The whole point is that the French are trying to *protect* their language and culture. It's a matter of preservation. It only makes sense to preserve the language from the overbearing influence of English.Quote:
Originally posted by Gymkata
They have been doing this stuff for a while. There are some countries that have special commitees that sit around all day and do nothing but talk about what is officaly defined as their mainstream culture.
Anyways, the French aren't the only country to do this. It only seems strange to Americans perhaps because they are not exposed to (or don't care about) international linguistics or simply because it's just not an important issue to them. Québec has its own very special language police. Most European countries I think make some sort of effort to protect their respective languages. Iceland, Germany, Belgium, etc.
As for the issue of the thread: As mentioned, the French already have a word for e.mail (courriel). They're not banning the usage of the word e.mail from the language entirely. They're just replacing it in offical documents. I don't see the problem with that and I sincerely doubt that it's some sort of revenge for the whole "Freedom Fries" incident. Did anyone ever let France know about that? Um, did they care? :p
Stupid.