Iranian leader bans usage of foreign words

[SlowwHand]

This jackass would go stark raving mad in the States.
Anyone feel like revisiting an old discussion about English as USA's official language?

8 minutes ago

TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ordered government and cultural bodies to use modified Persian words to replace foreign words that have crept into the language, such as "pizzas" which will now be known as "elastic loaves," state media reported Saturday.

The presidential decree, issued earlier this week, orders all governmental agencies, newspapers and publications to use words deemed more appropriate by the official language watchdog, the Farhangestan Zaban e Farsi, or Persian Academy, the Irna official news agency reported.

The academy has introduced more than 2,000 words as alternatives for some of the foreign words that have become commonly used in
Iran, mostly from Western languages. The government is less sensitive about Arabic words, because the Quran is written in Arabic.

Among other changes, a "chat" will become a "short talk" and a "cabin" will be renamed a "small room," according to official Web site of the academy.

[BeBMan]

The guy never ceases to amaze us with his stupidity

I bet "pizza" has an evil infidel touch, so he couldn't let this stand

[Harovan]

Keeping language clean.

And he can order his government whatever he wants. He's boss, and an elected one at that.

By the way, do they still sell Freedom fries in the White house cafeteria?

[BeBMan]

Those who are against pizza are just wrong

What next, renaming beer?

[germanos]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph
By the way, do they still sell Freedom fries in the White house cafeteria?

[SlowwHand]

It's simply "fries" now.

[Winston]

Re: Iranian leader bans usage of foreign words

The French have been doing this for years..

[Al B. Sure!]

yeah didn't they re-name 'internet' and 'email'?

[alva]

Yup, they did...to internets.

Don't clog them tubes now, you hear!

[Tattila the Hun]

Originally posted by Albert Speer
yeah didn't they re-name 'internet' and 'email'?

L'Internet and le'mail.

[Proteus_MST]

Isn´t it courrier électronique instead of eMail and ordinateur instead of Computer?

[Harovan]

And if it were so, how would that be bad?

I'm used to the German word Rechner instead of Computer too, mainly because it's shorter and my profession makes me use it a lot. Of course I wouldn't think of saying Elektronische Post instead of email, even though that comparison is unfair as email is an abbreviation.

[BeBMan]

People using it like they want is all fine IMO, just regulating it officially is nuts.

[Harovan]

True, but Ahmadinejad isn't forcing his whole people to use his words, but merely officials of his government. This is his good right. Regulations about official terminology exist everywhere, including Germany (and even moreso Europe), and aren't to be confused with a "ban", even though the OP tries to suggest this. A ban would it be, if it would concern all Iranians.

[DaShi]

This is double bad.