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

[Drake Tungsten]

I accept paypal!

Let me shop around first. I'll get back to you.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

the government making a decision of official language use for practical reasons

If you really believe this, then you're dumber than I thought you were.

Considering you don't have any evidence to the contrary other than your typical French-bashing, this is rich. If you want cultural chauvinism, I suggest you look in the mirror.

Tell me, do you speak French? Know anything about the technicalities of the language? No?

Didn't think so. Yet I'm the dumb one because I'm not making a knee-jerk assumption based on my own cultural prejudices.

[Sava]

Yet I'm the dumb one because I'm not making a knee-jerk assumption based on my own cultural prejudices.

DUH!

[Drake Tungsten]

Yet I'm the dumb one because I'm not making a knee-jerk assumption based on my own cultural prejudices.

You're dumb because it is obvious to all non-retards that this change was made for cultural reasons, not practical ones. The article says the change was made to help stem an influx of English words. The French commision on language would proudly admit to it. Yet, you latch onto some weak comment by Davout in an attempt to make all of us who actually see what the French are doing look like irrational anti-French zealots.

Nice try, but some of us can see right through you.

If you want cultural chauvinism, I suggest you look in the mirror.

I'm from Nebraska. We don't have any culture to be chauvinistic about, as you've told me on several occasions.

[Kuciwalker]

I have a few points:

a) the Freedom Fries thing is considered ridiculous in America as well. It's a few freaks. 99.9% of the time it's used, it's a joke (ie, ****, I have a freedom test today )

b) there is no problem with what they're doing, it's just intensely inane. They aren't saying "you must use french in government documents", they're REDEFINING the language. This is stupid because a language is defined by what people say, not the other way around.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
You're dumb because it is obvious to all non-retards that this change was made for cultural reasons, not practical ones. The article says the change was made to help stem an influx of English words. The French commision on language would proudly admit to it. Yet, you latch onto some weak comment by Davout in an attempt to make all of us who actually see what the French are doing look like irrational anti-French zealots.

Nice try, but some of us can see right through you.

Oh yeah, the article--from an American newspaper. I must point out how the Culture Ministry did not ban the use of "Spam" or "Chat," which were also given the alternative Frenchisms of "pourriel" and "clavardage." They didn't adopt them because they didn't think doing so was practical, as the English terms work fine. "E-mail" is not easy to say in French, that's just the way it is.

I'm from Nebraska. We don't have any culture to be chauvinistic about, as you've told me on several occasions.

I said there was no culture there? News to me!

[TCO]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
And TCO, how does this differ from US decisions to use terms they like more in official documents? It may be silly, but it's no sillier than any of the euphemisms you hear from the military...

To be comparably silly, you would have to have a Government document mandating Freedom Fries in all government documents.

Euphemisms are a lesser sin, than proclamations to change a word that is commonly word but comes from another language.

[Drake Tungsten]

They didn't adopt them because they didn't think doing so was practical, as the English terms work fine. "E-mail" is not easy to say in French, that's just the way it is.

If "e-mail" is so impractical, why did the lady in the article say she thought everyone would continue using it? Why have the French posters in this thread assured us that the vast majority of the French population will continue to use "e-mail", that this will only change the word in government documents? Sounds to me that the term "e-mail" is a perfectly practical addition to the French language.

This change was made for cultural reasons, plain and simple.

[Combat Ingrid]

Similar language-preserving activities are going on in Sweden too and presumably in many other countries as well. Yet it's apparently only the French that are the chauvinistic morons.

Being rather ignorant on this issue, I ask you to please explain to me why it's so bad only in the case of France and not other countries? I never heard anyone talking about "Sweden commits idiotic act to show it is superior to America blah blah blah"

[Sava]

Combat Ingrid: Because it's cool for the jingos if they bash France.

[GePap]

Having seen te entemology of the word, it is not in any way redefining the language. In French, as in Spanish, the adjective follows the noun instead of preceding it_ E stands for the adjective to mail in this case. Well, in French the word translates directly is courrier electronique, or courri er electronique, or courriel.

And on the notion that usgae should dictate what is used: goernments can seelct to use anyting they crae to: they ae not attempting to force the population to change usage, so there is nothing wrong with this, excep that it riles the French haters here.

[Drake Tungsten]

Being rather ignorant on this issue, I ask you to please explain to me why it's so bad only in the case of France and not other countries?

It's stupid when any country does it. Japan does the same thing (to a much lesser extent than France) and I don't approve of that either. However, France is the one being discussed because this particular article was about them and they are one of the most flagrant offenders in this area.

[TCO]

By the way, saying they are silly isn't bashing them. If I wanted to bash, I would be hitting them like Britney Spears hitting a wildebeest.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
If "e-mail" is so impractical, why did the lady in the article say she thought everyone would continue using it? Why have the French posters in this thread assured us that the vast majority of the French population will continue to use "e-mail", that this will only change the word in government documents? Sounds to me that the term "e-mail" is a perfectly practical addition to the French language.

This change was made for cultural reasons, plain and simple.

Gee, maybe she just has a different opinion on the matter than those who made the decision?

Just because "e-mail" is currently ubiquitous, due to its being around for so long, does not mean it is the most practical term they could use. From a purely linguistic perspecitve, "courriel" is much easier and natural-sounding in French than "e-mail."

Of course the change was made for cultural reasons--just not necessarily the one you're assuming out of your anti-gallic mindset. Anything decisions dealing with use of language are inheritly cultural in nature.

[Drake Tungsten]

Of course the change was made for cultural reasons

I rest my case.