France commits idiotic act to try to show it is superior to America... bans "e-mail" - Page 5

Combat Ingrid · July 19, 2003, 12:20

In Sweden, we are supposed to call it "mejl" or "e-post"

TCO · July 19, 2003, 12:21

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Originally posted by Boris Godunov
"less practical" not "impractical" Practicality is a spectrum, not either/or.

...Like you did last summer...let's twist again!

Boris Godunov · July 19, 2003, 12:22

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Originally posted by TCO

...Like you did last summer...let's twist again!

says a man with no answer.

TCO · July 19, 2003, 12:23

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Originally posted by 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"

Ok, you suck too. Feel better now? We have to prioritze which socialist Euro country we taunt, ok? France is more important than you.

Combat Ingrid · July 19, 2003, 12:24

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Originally posted by TCO
France is more important than you.

No it isn't

TCO · July 19, 2003, 12:24

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Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

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Stop it. We'll all be agreeing soon.

Nah. We'll still have Boris around to disagree with. He never admits defeat.

It's not really sex if you're wearing a condom...

DinoDoc · July 19, 2003, 12:24

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Originally posted by TCO
Ok, you suck too. Feel better now? We have to prioritze which socialist Euro country we taunt, ok? France is more important than you.

Exactly.

TCO · July 19, 2003, 12:25

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov

says a man with no answer.

You've got to be kidding me. I think your point is strained to the point of weaselishness. If people use it, its damn practical.

General Ludd · July 19, 2003, 12:25

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Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

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I'm not saying you're bashing them. But I do think there is opportunism present in this thread. Especially in overreaction and calling it a death of free speech in France...

I'd have to agree with this. For the record, I don't think this is the death of free speech in France or anything else as equally absurd. It's just a silly decision made because of France's overwhelming belief in the superiority and purity of their own language (a pet peeve of mine).

It's not out of an 'overwhelming belief in the superiority and purity of their own language'.

It's to preserve their own language and culture. I know this is hard for you to understand, since you come from the "great melting pot" where cultures are melted down and used to make coke cans and celluloid, but some people actually respect and cherish their heritage.

Drake Tungsten · July 19, 2003, 12:25

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It's not really sex if you're wearing a condom...

That's what my baby's mama said.

Drake Tungsten · July 19, 2003, 12:27

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It's not out of an 'overwhelming belief in the superiority and purity of their own language'

Go to your local library. Pick up some books. Come back when you've learned something.

TCO · July 19, 2003, 12:27

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Originally posted by Osweld

It's not out of an 'overwhelming belief in the superiority and purity of their own language'.

It's to preserve their own language and culture. I know this is hard for you to understand, since you come from the "great melting pot" where cultures are melted down and used to make coke cans and celluloid, but some people actually respect and cherish their heritage.

Culture sucks. Kultur is the thing of the Nazis. **** culture.

Boris Godunov · July 19, 2003, 13:06

Quote:

Originally posted by TCO
You've got to be kidding me. I think your point is strained to the point of weaselishness. If people use it, its damn practical.

Practical or not isn't the issue, it's more or less practical. Are you stipulating that everyone uses the most practical means available to do something? I've already shown how that is not the case. Hell, human history would be a lot different had early farmers adopted the most practical means of cultivation rather than the ones they did.

I didn't say e-mail was impractical, just less practical, linguistically, than courriel for the French. Impractical is your strawman, not mine.

DAVOUT · July 19, 2003, 13:20

Quote:

Originally posted by TCO

Kultur is the thing of the Nazis.

Badly wrong.

Who said : when I hear the world Kultur I take my gun ?

3rd Reich Minister of Propaganda Goebbels.

You should revise some ideas of yours.

PLATO · July 19, 2003, 13:23

By DAVOUT:

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In an above post I explained why, technically, e-mail cannot be adopted as a French word; but many others are adopted as they are written in english when there is no satisfactory equivalent. I discovered recently that happening is now a French word, because we were unable to build an equivalent meaning with the French language tools.

By Boris:

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It's setting a government policy. So what? My company has policies dictating what language I can and can't use in correspondence.

By Krazyhorse:

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How does it impact free speech when it applies only to government publications?

By GePap:

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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.

But...

By Drake:

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The article says the change was made to help stem an influx of English words.

By Osweld:

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It's to preserve their own language and culture.

So, The conclusion I draw is that I am wrong on assuming that this may be an impediment on free and unfettered speech.

On the cultural issue I have no argument. It s their culture and is, in fact, quite worthy of being preserved.

End of argument on my part!

TCO · July 19, 2003, 13:31

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov

Practical or not isn't the issue, it's more or less practical. Are you stipulating that everyone uses the most practical means available to do something? I've already shown how that is not the case. Hell, human history would be a lot different had early farmers adopted the most practical means of cultivation rather than the ones they did.

I didn't say e-mail was impractical, just less practical, linguistically, than courriel for the French. Impractical is your strawman, not mine.

This is completely strained. If people readily use the word, it is practical. You really are getting Berzie on me.

TCO · July 19, 2003, 13:32

Why don't you show how people have suffered some actual difficulty (not theoretical crap) in using the word.

Ted Striker · July 19, 2003, 13:32

wie wie Navy

Boris Godunov · July 19, 2003, 13:42

Quote:

Originally posted by TCO
This is completely strained. If people readily use the word, it is practical. You really are getting Berzie on me.

With all this talk about French, I wonder how you get by with such an abysmal understading of your own language.

Practicality is NOT an absolute. Some things may be MORE practical than others, but it doesn't make the LESS practical things IMpractical. Easy enough to comprehend, so I'm not sure why you're having trouble with it.

Is grammatical education impractical to the Navy?

Ted Striker · July 19, 2003, 13:44

you really have no idea who you are talking to huh boris

you are like telling jordan he doesn't know how to dunk

TCO · July 19, 2003, 14:25

yeah!!!

Drake Tungsten · July 19, 2003, 20:19

Still twisting, I see.

Oerdin · July 19, 2003, 20:52

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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"

Alright, I'll share a harsh reality with you. You never see threads like this about Sweden because most people outside of Sweden just couldn't care less about Sweden even if they were paid to care less.

France is only marginally of interest but they never the less make it on to the radar screen and so you see threads like this.

TCO · July 19, 2003, 21:29

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Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Still twisting, I see.

shitstirrer.

Drake Tungsten · July 19, 2003, 21:31

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shitstirrer.

I'm bored.

Alinestra Covelia · July 19, 2003, 22:25

The French Academie has already banned words like "weekend" and "jeans" from their language. This is nothing new.

I find it amusing that the French government thinks it can really make a difference. People will do whatever they want to do, regardless.

I also find it amusing that some American thought the French did this just to spite the US. It should come as a surprise that 95% of people in general don't live in America or even strictly speaking care.

TCO · July 20, 2003, 11:59

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Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

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shitstirrer.

I'm bored.

I know how that feels.

DinoDoc · July 20, 2003, 12:21

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Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
The French Academie has already banned words like "weekend" and "jeans" from their language. This is nothing new.

That doesn't keep it from being stupid though.

Provost Harrison · July 20, 2003, 12:30

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.

It's still pathetic to carry on it's belligerence against the English speaking world...sheesh, half of our bloody language comes from French, what have they got to worry if a few of our words slip into theirs?

KrazyHorse · July 20, 2003, 13:06

You guys are missing the point. In a hundred years when the term "email" is as firmly entrenched in the lexicon as any other word and the French government looks really really stupid for using "courriel", they'll "discover" that email actually has a French root and change their guidelines to match...