France commits idiotic act to try to show it is superior to America... bans "e-mail"

[D' Artagnan]

Drake Tungsten, you DO like generalizations don't you ?


The ban concerns only written governmental official documents not the whole population.

Actually, it wasn't even in the news and no one seems to care about it.
Everyone still uses email so what will it change ? Nothing.

Do I have to say : "America is stupid" every time your government makes a stupid move ??

[Drake Tungsten]

I didn't bother reading all of it, since it's more bias then news.

I figured as much. Guess we don't have anything else to talk about.

Do I have to say : "America is stupid" every time your government makes a stupid move ??

This isn't the first time the French government has done this; they have a whole commision set up to protect the French language from outside influence, for god's sake.

And let's not even get started on France's horrible linguistic arrogance when it comes time to choosing the leaders of international bodies.

[TCO]

I like ti when we pikc up new words. the French are just ewaseily about stuff like that. I know. There was this ski instructor at Mont Trempblant who wouldn't date me becasue I was English.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

I didn't bother reading all of it, since it's more bias then news.

I figured as much. Guess we don't have anything else to talk about.

The actual news stops at "The Culture Ministry has announced a ban on the use of "e-mail" in all government ministries, documents, publications or Web sites, the latest step to stem an incursion of English words into the French lexicon." from there on it's just bull **** and bias.

I'm still waiting for an explanation of how having the government use the state language is some sort of linguistic imperialism. Or are you just going to look for another dodge?

[TCO]

Give me a frigging break. It's hillarious. WE have all kinds of words ocoming into our language from other plac3es and don't get excited about it.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by TCO
Give me a frigging break. It's hillarious. WE have all kinds of words ocoming into our language from other plac3es and don't get excited about it.

But all government documents are required to be in English, no? (which is kind of odd, since I thought spanish is supposed to be a state language aswell - or do they write things in both spanish and english?)


EDIT: Actually, I misunderstood the post at first. English does have alot of words from other languages. So does French. All languages do. But courriel is, I am told, a litteral translation of e-mail in french. It is how you would abbreviate the french equivelant of "electronic mail".

[Drake Tungsten]

I'm still waiting for an explanation of how having the government use the state language is some sort of linguistic imperialism. Or are you just going to look for another dodge?

If you'd read the article you would see that "courriel" is in no way a part of the "state language." It's a word taken from Quebec and adopted by the government to replace the widely used, but offensive, "e-mail."

Now, would you please stop wasting my time with your moronic questions?

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

I'm still waiting for an explanation of how having the government use the state language is some sort of linguistic imperialism. Or are you just going to look for another dodge?

If you'd read the article you would see that "courriel" is in no way a part of the "state language." It's a word taken from Quebec and adopted by the government to replace the widely used, but offensive, "e-mail."

Now, would you please stop wasting my time with your moronic questions?

Like I said, it's all bull**** and bias. They didn't create a new word, niether did Quebec. It is a litteral translation, the french abbreviation of "courrier electronique".

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by Sava
It's not as if they are invading other countries trying to spread their VALUES! You don't see French missionaries trying to convert "heathens" to become French.

It's not because they don't want to Sava, it's because they can't do it anymore. Don't apply some virtue to a country just because it can't do the things it did so many times in the past.

[Sprayber]

BTW. If the French don't want to mingle with other languages then let them stand in their corner while English forincates with every known language to man.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Osweld


But all government documents are required to be in English, no? (which is kind of odd, since I thought spanish is supposed to be a state language aswell - or do they write things in both spanish and english?)


EDIT: Actually, I misunderstood the post at first. English does have alot of words from other languages. So does French. All languages do. But courriel is, I am told, a litteral translation of e-mail in french. It is how you would abbreviate the french equivelant of "electronic mail".

!. Spanish is not a state language.

2. We still put a lot of documents in Spanish anyway, cause what the ****. We've got a lot of Mexicans over here. An analog would be the French putting stuff in ARabic.

3. We don't get excited if some foreign word comes into our language and gets into government documents.

4. We don't have baords, beuareus, acadmeis and such worrying about the purity of our language.

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Tassadar5000


DarthVeda (2)
Vesayen
Vel (2)
Sava
Oerdin
Japher
Plato

I love it when I am in good company.


In any event and however you look at it, when government starts "banning" words so that the people will maintain the proper "culture", then you have a problem. Is the degree of this transgression great? No, of course not. It is only being reported because of the recent rift in relations. Nonetheless, government should not mandate politically or culturally correct speech to its people (its the government only you say? Well are they not a government of the people?). To do so is an afront to the principle of free speech.

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by PLATO1003


I love it when I am in good company.


In any event and however you look at it, when government starts "banning" words so that the people will maintain the proper "culture", then you have a problem. Is the degree of this transgression great? No, of course not. It is only being reported because of the recent rift in relations. Nonetheless, government should not mandate politically or culturally correct speech to its people (its the government only you say? Well are they not a government of the people?). To do so is an afront to the principle of free speech.

Yes, they are a government of the people, and if the people wish to reverse this decision then so be it. However, if they do not then let it be. The people are not being FORCED to accept the change.

Why is everyone making such a big deal about this?

[PLATO]

IMO Tass, it is a matter of principle. This particular issue is no big deal. It is the larger principle involved.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Zulu Elephant
As Brits, Americans, Canadians, Australians and the like, it is easy for us to act as if we are morally superior for excepting a VERY FEW foreign terms into our language (can anyone think of more than a handfull over the last decade).

What the hell are you talking about? English is the language equivilant of the Borg when it comes to assimilating new words.