From the "The French are bored again" file, France has voted to ban the use of the word "e-mail" because, well, they just don't like it anymore. In its place they've chosen to use the term "courriel," a combination of "courrier electronique" in an effort to apparently sound even snottier than they already do. Yes, that's right, the government, specifically the "Culture Ministry," actually put forth an initiative to remove the filthy, foul, and, most importantly, foreign-tongue derived "e-mail" from the entire French language.
And they say Americans are bored.
Article comments
1 - Michelle
I'm mostly reading in your post that you don't like the French. Well, so be it. But at the momentary political situation that sounds as if the French who didn't support the US in their war against Iraq, go on now being the thorn in America's side.
However, France keeps its language free of influences from other languages - mainly English. So everything there has funny names. As a native speaker you might not be aware what an inflation of English there is in other languages (I'm German). Some countries react in the way like France (which I think can't be the solution) giving everything a French expression. Others just discuss the problem (Germany). I think it's ok to give a new item an English name (like computer or email). But to use English words for normal words like "kids" or "fun" (which are very common now in German), makes the original language seem inferior and that personally I don't like either (though I love the English language).
Just my two cents;-)
2 - mike
The French are just gloating because they've been proved right on Iraq and their international prestige has risen accordingly. Why not a purge of the language to keep it free of U.S. cultural imperialism? To the victors belong the spoils!
I hear French TV will soon be featuring live video shots of Cheney, Wolfowitz, and Bush eating crow on the White House lawn. The chickens have come home to roost, you prowars!
3 - Murphy Horner
Is that a noun or a verb?
4 - Michelle
My French is really rusty, but I'm pretty sure it's a noun. There has been no news yet what the proper verb would be;-) Perhaps "ecrire un courriel" - a bit long, I admit?
@Mike: Perhaps I wasn't clear enough in my other comment. Current international affairs generally wouldn't have to do anything with it. English words are always banned from French. It's the same with Lithuania (for at least partially other reasons), but I guess nobody's interested in that.
5 - mike
Well, I know. I was just goofin' around.
6 - Tom Johnson
Jeez, folks, it was a joke. Lighten up. There's a serious lack of humor on Blogcritics lately . . .
7 - The Theory
double-oh ditto
peace.
8 - Michelle
I'm German. We are a nation completely without humour. And now I excuse myself to try my serious face;-) G'night (it's late on the other side of the globe).
9 - visualsimplicity
I actually like the sound of "courriel." Sounds way cooler than "e-mail."
10 - Rodney Welch
Can't wait to see what they do with "spam," "pornsurf," "cookies," YMMV, OIC, and WYSIWYG.
11 - Sarah e.g.
I think France's insular language policies are odd. Language is a living, moving, constantly changing creature. Why halt evolution? I don't think there's anything to be gained by entangling it in bureaucracy.
If my government said anything about my multikulti English, I'd become apoplectic.