France Bans 'e-mail' from vocabulary

[gdl96]

here

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.

Calling it artificial
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."

discuss

[Lizra]

I suppose they can try...Not sure if it will work though!

[IronParrot]

It's pointless to try. A lot of colloquial French usage shows English influences anyway. To go shopping is "faire le shopping". Ironically enough, I've heard that in France they use more English words than in Quebec.

We use a ton of French words in English, if you think about it.

[Shadowfax]

Originally posted by IronParrot
Ironically enough, I've heard that in France they use more English words than in Quebec.

That's true. I think it has something to do with the fact that in Canada's history, the British colonists have tried to assimilate the French (including taking their lanugage from them) and make them into "proper English subjects," so French-Canadians, even today, have lot of pride for their lanugage and the want to preserve it; they do not like anglicizations. Generally, if there is a "more French" word they can substitute for a "more English" word, they most often will use the French one. In France, the people seem to be more free with the use of English words.

[Ornelírë Mistë]

shopping is also "faire les achats".
In my opinion, "e-mail" is just one word. go ahead and ban usage of it in the government, but it won't make too much difference. Japanese also has assimilated a ton of English words. I could make a long list, but that'd be boring.

[jerseydevil]

Greg - I was going to post this. Glad you did.

Anyway - France repeatedly "outlaws" foreign words from polluting the French language.

English however takes many words from all different languages and is constanly evolving and growing.

A couple of years ago france tried to issue a law saying that any website hosted in France MUST be in French. It could of course have an English translation - but the site must have a full French version. Web providers and website developers were outraged because the majority of the web is in English - and by having the site in English - they get the largest audience. It would cause double the work developing an English version and a French version. I'm not sure if they were ever successful.

As for France using more English words than Quebec - I don't think that is the case. ALL techonogy/computer terms have a French translation. France is extremely afraid of their language being "polluted" by outside influences. Also - slang and casual speech is very different than what the "official" language is. Quebec however has laws dictating that English must be less prominately displayed than French. Last year or two - there was a store that was issued a heavy fine because they had English more prominently displayed than French. Talk about xenophobia.

As for Quebec - is Quebec part of Canada or part of France? Last time I checked it was part of Canada. I am very glad we don't have the problems with Louisiana like Canada does with Quebec. The US has ONE official language - it prevents division. Canada is basically made up of 12 provinces and terrorities - and Quebec.

[Hemel]

from gdl96's quote
"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."

Oh, there's interesting. When I chat/talk to my French Canadian friends I've never seen/heard the word 'e-mail' used by my them .. it's always been 'courriel'

[Sheeana]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
The US has ONE official language - it prevents division.

I heard somewhere that spanish is also considered to be an official language, but I can't remember where I read it - so I could be completely remembering it wrong. Interestly enough, this site states that there is no official language in the US - however, some states are said to have one. Could someone explain it to me?

~ An extremely confuzzled kiwi.

[Ruinel]

Each state has their own laws. Those laws may not conflict with the Constitution or Amendments, nor Federal Law.

An example of this is the state income tax. I live in a state that does not tax your income, but the Federal government still does. I know some of the mooters live in states that DO have a state income tax. The citizens of those states pay a state income tax as well as a federal income tax. However, I think (but I'm not sure) that the federal gov't gives those that pay both tax rates a break on their federal income tax. Yet, they still end up paying more taxes than me, in the long run.

[Ruinel]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
The US has ONE official language - it prevents division.

Since when does the US have an official language? I never heard this? I think it is just the de facto standard, and not official.

Canada is basically made up of 12 provinces and terrorities - and Quebec.

Some of us like that Quebec keeps their french traditions. I don't see the problem with wanting to keep your heritage and not completely assimilating. If you've ever been there, you'd know that pretty much apart from the language and a few festivals celebrating their heritage, they're just like the rest of the Canadians.

[Sheeana]

Originally posted by Ruinel
I think it is just the de facto standard, and not official.

Ah thanks, Ruinel. That sound more in keeping with what I've read.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Ruinel
Since when does the US have an official language? I never heard this? I think it is just the de facto standard, and not official.

You are right - there is no official language per se. But the fact that the US won't acknowledge Spanish as an official language is one of the stumbling blocks for Puerto Ricans voting in favor of statehood. We will not accept a dual language environment.

Some of us like that Quebec keeps their french traditions. I don't see the problem with wanting to keep your heritage and not completely assimilating. If you've ever been there, you'd know that pretty much apart from the language and a few festivals celebrating their heritage, they're just like the rest of the Canadians.

Yes - and America has a lot of heritage festivals too. NYC just had the Domican parade. But the fact that Quebec wanted to leave Canada - and very close to doing it (Trish even went to Quebec for a demonstration to keepp Quebec as part of Canada) - sort of shows how they feel towards being Canadian. I'm not saying all of them - but it was a very close thing that they didn't vote for seperation.

[gdl96]

If Quebec were to split from Canada some time in the future, what do you think will happen to eastern Canada? They would be separated from the rest of canada.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by gdl96
If Quebec were to split from Canada some time in the future, what do you think will happen to eastern Canada? They would be separated from the rest of canada.

Well it was going on when I was in Oregon and British Columbia was saying they would seperate from Canada and join the US. A lot of other provinces were also threatening this. Canada would have dissolved basically.

Quebec by the way - wanted to still have it's medical health care part of Canada and they wanted their highways still funded by Canada - as well as a bunch of other current national benefits. They just wanted to have an independent government - but stil share in all the benefits that being part of Canada brings.

[gollum9630]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
Well it was going on when I was in Oregon and British Columbia was saying they would seperate from Canada and join the US. A lot of other provinces were also threatening this.

id move to the Yukon if BC actually joined the States



on topic: France is stupid for banning the word e-mail. itll be to hard to do
Edit: what wuld they do to the people that use it, arrest them? there arnt enough cells. They could send tickets, then they would probably make a lot of money, but it would be to hard to prove it seeign as the person could easily change tehre web page

[IronParrot]

Heh... everything and anything to do with Quebec separation has already been debated on Entmoot.

Mind you, that was before almost any of you were around, but it was rather fierce back then, I tell ya...

[gollum9630]

Originally posted by IronParrot
Heh... everything and anything to do with Quebec separation has already been debated on Entmoot.

Mind you, that was before almost any of you were around, but it was rather fierce back then, I tell ya...

so ive been told.

i know this is off topic, but if alberta and BC joined the states, would you move to the Yukon like me

[gimli7410]

man if BC joined america i would test it out but then i would robably head down to montreal or somethin

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by IronParrot
Heh... everything and anything to do with Quebec separation has already been debated on Entmoot.

Mind you, that was before almost any of you were around, but it was rather fierce back then, I tell ya...

Oh - can't we resurrect the Canadian Wars?

[Draken]

I think a willingness to accept words from other languages is the strength of English. Not just from obvious languages either - "trek" from Afrikaans, "shampoo" from (I think) Burmese, even "entrepeneur" from some Continental language or other... English has never been static and never should be. Guarding your language's "purity" is a very dubious policy to my mind.