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

Vesayen · July 18, 2003, 11:58

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...056EDT0544.DTL

In latest language defense, France bans term 'e-mail'

JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press Writer Friday, July 18, 2003

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(07-18) 07:56 PDT PARIS (AP) --

Goodbye "e-mail," the French government says, and hello "courriel" -- the term that linguistically sensitive France is now using to refer to electronic mail in official documents.

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.

The ministry's General Commission on Terminology and Neology insists Internet surfers in France are broadly using the term "courrier electronique" (electronic mail) instead of e-mail -- a claim some industry experts dispute. "Courriel" is a fusion of the two words.

"Evocative, with a very French sound, the word 'courriel' is broadly used in the press and competes advantageously with the borrowed 'mail' in English," the commission has ruled.

The move to ban "e-mail" was announced last week after the decision was published in the official government register on June 20. Courriel is a term that has often been used in French-speaking Quebec, the commission said.

The 7-year-old commission has links to the Academie Francaise, the prestigious institution that has been one of the top opponents of allowing English terms to seep into French.

Some Internet industry experts say the decision is artificial and doesn't reflect reality.

"The word 'courriel' is not at all actively used," Marie-Christine Levet, president of French Internet service provider Club Internet, said Friday. "E-mail has sunk in to our values."

She said Club Internet wasn't changing the words it uses.

"Protecting the language is normal, but e-mail's so assimilated now that no one thinks of it as American," she said. "Courriel would just be a new word to launch."

This is a blatent retailiation of our replacement of the term "French Fries" with "Freedom Fries".

Pekka · July 18, 2003, 12:00

This is as smart as those freedom fries

MikeH · July 18, 2003, 12:02

Don't be retarded. It's got nothing to do with America.

France is very proud and protective of it's language and culture. It's very strict about how it's language changes. It's always developing French words for English words that slip into the language. They have a special center that works on it and it's been around a lot longer than the ridiculous "freedom fries" thing.

DarthVeda · July 18, 2003, 12:20

Perhaps you would like a little whine with your cheese?

Sava · July 18, 2003, 12:20

I agree this is stupid, but it has little to do with America. The French are snobbish when it comes to their language.

Velociryx · July 18, 2003, 12:22

Way to stem the tide of American Cultural Imperialism! WhoooHoooo!

-=Vel=-

BeBro · July 18, 2003, 12:24

Quote:

Originally posted by MikeH
Don't be retarded. It's got nothing to do with America.

France is very proud and protective of it's language and culture. It's very strict about how it's language changes. It's always developing French words for English words that slip into the language. They have a special center that works on it and it's been around a lot longer than the ridiculous "freedom fries" thing.

Maybe, but it is a stupid move anyway....if the French terms are so widely used, why then ban the English word

Oerdin · July 18, 2003, 12:24

I don't know anyone nor any restaurant which ever used the term "Freedom Fries". One idiot does it, it makes the news, and the next thing you know half of Europe believes everyone in America has banished the word "French" from common usage.

KrazyHorse · July 18, 2003, 12:25

Quote:

Originally posted by Vesayen
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...056EDT0544.DTL

In latest language defense, France bans term 'e-mail'

JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press Writer Friday, July 18, 2003

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(07-18) 07:56 PDT PARIS (AP) --

Goodbye "e-mail," the French government says, and hello "courriel" -- the term that linguistically sensitive France is now using to refer to electronic mail in official documents.

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.

The ministry's General Commission on Terminology and Neology insists Internet surfers in France are broadly using the term "courrier electronique" (electronic mail) instead of e-mail -- a claim some industry experts dispute. "Courriel" is a fusion of the two words.

"Evocative, with a very French sound, the word 'courriel' is broadly used in the press and competes advantageously with the borrowed 'mail' in English," the commission has ruled.

The move to ban "e-mail" was announced last week after the decision was published in the official government register on June 20. Courriel is a term that has often been used in French-speaking Quebec, the commission said.

The 7-year-old commission has links to the Academie Francaise, the prestigious institution that has been one of the top opponents of allowing English terms to seep into French.

Some Internet industry experts say the decision is artificial and doesn't reflect reality.

"The word 'courriel' is not at all actively used," Marie-Christine Levet, president of French Internet service provider Club Internet, said Friday. "E-mail has sunk in to our values."

She said Club Internet wasn't changing the words it uses.

"Protecting the language is normal, but e-mail's so assimilated now that no one thinks of it as American," she said. "Courriel would just be a new word to launch."

This is a blatent retailiation of our replacement of the term "French Fries" with "Freedom Fries".

Not likely. In Quebec the officially approved term from the Office de la Langue Francaise has been courriel for ages.

DarthVeda · July 18, 2003, 12:25

This is the way of the French. Strict anti-foreign culture. Got to preserve the French culture.

That is distinctly anti-american since we try to absorb anything and everything. The great melting pot.

But France will never be anything but a nation of xenophobes.

KrazyHorse · July 18, 2003, 12:27

Quote:

Originally posted by Oerdin
I don't know anyone nor any restaurant which ever used the term "Freedom Fries". One idiot does it, it makes the news, and the next thing you know half of Europe believes everyone in America has banished the word "French" from common usage.

It might have something to do with the fact that one of the restaurants to do it was a cafeteria catering to congressmen and senators...

Japher · July 18, 2003, 12:27

It's like changing the name of Candelstick Park to 3Com... Nobody ever called it 3Com, and poor John Madden never figured out what to call it

Renaming stuff is stupid.

I am going to generate a petition so that the word stupid can no longer be used. Instead, we will use the word French.

We are The Knights Who Say Nee... nuuuuu

KrazyHorse · July 18, 2003, 12:29

Quote:

Originally posted by DarthVeda
This is the way of the French. Strict anti-foreign culture. Got to preserve the French culture.

That is distinctly anti-american since we try to absorb anything and everything. The great melting pot.

But France will never be anything but a nation of xenophobes.

Talk about whining.

I'll remember this the next time I see some jackass knownothing spouting off about immigrants threatening America...

PLATO · July 18, 2003, 12:31

Quote:

The ministry's General Commission on Terminology and Neology

Nothing like a free country letting their people decide how to speak. "banned" the term e-mail? So much for freedom of speech in France.

The diplomat · July 18, 2003, 12:31

I think the French government should worry about more important things like the state of the French economy, instead of stupid things like banning words you don't like.

Starchild · July 18, 2003, 12:32

Quote:

Originally posted by DarthVeda
This is the way of the French. Strict anti-foreign culture. Got to preserve the French culture.

That is distinctly anti-american since we try to absorb anything and everything. The great melting pot.

But France will never be anything but a nation of xenophobes.

When was the last time you were in France? I've seen diversity and merging of cultures in Paris that rivals any American city.

Chez Zhong is the coolest name for a Franco-Chinese resturant ever.

Sava · July 18, 2003, 12:34

Quote:

Originally posted by The diplomat
I think the French government should worry about more important things like the state of the French economy, instead of stupid things like banning words you don't like.

I think a Democratic nation has the right to worry about whatever they like. Some people have a cultural identity that they value. This is hard to understand for Americans who don't really have a culture. The French value their culture. And they take measures to preserve it. There's nothing wrong with that. 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. Why are people so combative towards the French, but seem to think Christian missionaries are good. I don't get it.

Velociryx · July 18, 2003, 12:34

Are you kiddin'? That IS the answer to the country's economic woes! A few expanded (or entirely new) government programs to create some jobs, and voila!

And free speech is for wusses....just listen to the head honcho over there, and never miss a good opportunity to shut up....

-=Vel=-

Drake Tungsten · July 18, 2003, 12:57

Quote:

I agree this is stupid, but it has little to do with America. The French are snobbish when it comes to their language.

Sava is ... exactly right?

st_swithin · July 18, 2003, 13:24

Do you know why we have an April Fool's Day?

The French refused to use the same calendar as the rest of the world, so up until a few centuries ago, they'd have been complaining of this crappy Thermidore weather (instead of July).

How many Americans have heard of Bastille Day? How many Americans have heard of April Fool's Day?

I rest my qedA55.

Boris Godunov · July 18, 2003, 19:24

I suggest we remove all words of French origin from the English language.

Of course, now we will be speaking German, but still...

Nubclear · July 18, 2003, 19:46

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
Of course, now we will be speaking German, but still...

Deustch!

This is a pretty stupid move

But I commend them for successfully trolling the Americans on this board

Zulu Elephant · July 18, 2003, 19:47

If the majority of the French people (the article doesn't mention numbers) want to protect their language then how dare anyone sit here and call the decision stupid?

If they feel their language - part of their culture - is being eroded then why shouldn't the government attempt to reverse it if the people feel strongly about the subject - It's not like they're banning the word from common usage. They are simply insructing their own civil service to use French rather than English. What could be wrong with that?

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). Non-English speaking nations are living in an age when virtually ALL new technological developments come with a new English addition to their vocabulary - every day a higher percentage of their language is of english origin.

We may say "What difference does it make where a word comes from" but that is an easy view to take when, unlike the english speaking world, the main pull on their cultural direction is from a single source (American or, more broadly, Anglo-Saxon nations) and not from a hundred different, diverse, new and interesting small sources as in America.

Sandman · July 18, 2003, 19:53

Doesn't take much to set off the raving French-bashers these days. They're the real xenophobes.

Nubclear · July 18, 2003, 19:59

Quote:

Originally posted by Sandman
Doesn't take much to set off the raving French-bashers these days. They're the real xenophobes.

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

Velociryx · July 18, 2003, 20:01

I'm not sure my posts can be construed as "French-bashing" but...okay....

-=Vel=-

Velociryx · July 18, 2003, 20:02

Non-English speaking nations are living in an age when virtually ALL new technological developments come with a new English addition to their vocabulary

Hmmm....what does this suggest about where those technological developments come from? I don't really think the English-speaking world should apologize for their innovation, nor for using the English language to term said innovation.

-=Vel=-

GePap · July 18, 2003, 20:20

The sillyness of the decisions is that it is highly unlikely the French people will actually use this word, and the government won't do much to enforce it from private groups, thought they will change public records, which is ther right to do.

Why not just the French words for mail after E-? That would be just as French, no? That is the other problem, that the academy has to find some way to make the new word exciting or sexy, or at least, not just a direct French translation, but what is wrong with just a direct French translation?

Zulu Elephant · July 18, 2003, 20:23

Quote:

Originally posted by Velociryx
Hmmm....what does this suggest about where those technological developments come from?

I think i implied in my post that the new technological innovations had english names because they were being developed in english speaking countries. i would hope that was obvious to most people here.

Quote:

I don't really think the English-speaking world should apologize for their innovation, nor for using the English language to term said innovation

i never said and never meant that "the English-speaking world should apologize for their innovation".
They should be proud of their innovation but not seek to impose their language upon the rest of their world bacause of it.
"Telephone", "Television" and the like all have different words around the world despite being invented in the English-speaking world. To become angry or offended (as many here seem to be) at the fact that their might be a difference word for "e-mail" somewhere in the world is as ridiculous as becoming angry at a non-English version of television or telephone.

Velociryx · July 18, 2003, 20:25

Ummm....I'm not angry about it....I just think it's absurd that the French (or anyone else) feels the need to legislate what the "proper" word should be.

That's....even better than the stories of the thousand dollar hammers our own government purchases....

-=Vel=-