If it’s Friday, it must be France …
Parlez-vous franglais?
The government in France has a branch whose job it is to defend the purity and proper usage of the French language.The Académie Française was created in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII.It has forty members, known as ‘immortals’, who hold office for life, and the body is the chief authority on the French language and publishes an official dictionary.
Article 24 of the statutes of the Académie Française states that “The principal function of the Académie is to work, with all possible care and diligence, to give clear rules to our language and to render it pure, eloquent and capable of treating arts and science.”
However, that doesn’t always work. Certainly advertising campaigns in France and the wide use of social media is only adding to the issue of “franglais” .
Here’s the Wikipedia definition: “Franglais means a mangled combination of English and French, produced either by poor knowledge of one or the other language or for humorous effect.“
Le parking, le best-of, le jogging, le shopping and le hot dog are just a few examples. I’m guilty of using franglais every time I say, “Bon weekend”. Somehow that just works for me!
Click here to read an article from BBC News Magazine on the subject.
In June, my friend Anne-Marie Simons dropped by the blog to talk about her book of delightful vignettes on life in France, Taking Root in Provence.
Here’s another of her amusing commentaries, this time on the subject of language in France.“Which brings me to my favorite subject: Franglais.
One of the pleasures of living in France is the language and the numerous bookstores. It is a bit of a surprise, therefore, to discover how little respect the French have for languages other than their own. On French radio and television Anglo-Saxon names are regularly tortured beyond recognition, and every foreign word—no matter what its origin—comes out sounding French. All English-language television programs are dubbed, with famous drawlers like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood speaking in staccato French. The French love American movies as long as they are in French.
Yet, France is still the first tourist destination in the world and in cities like Paris and Aix-en-Provence a timid effort is being made to accommodate non-French-speaking visitors. This can have surprising results, sometimes missing their intended goal but all the richer for it.
Check these menu items:
Croque-Monsieur = Crunch Mister
Canapés à la Crevette = Shrimp Sofas
Herbes de Provence = Grasses of Provence
Assiette Américaine (hamburger) = Round Loaf with Sesame Seeds Furnished with a Chopped Steak
Pavé de Saumon = Salmon Paving Stone.
Bon Appétit!”
If you haven’t discovered Anne-Marie’s blog, Provence Today, I suggest you check it out. It’s my go-to site for informative posts about what is newsworthy in French culture today.
This seems to be giveaway season for me!
Southern Writers Magazine ~ a fabulous site for readers and writers ~ is offering some signed copies of your choice of The Bridge Club or The Promise of Provence. Click on the link to the left of this post … and bonne chance!
Next Friday I will be announcing the lucky winners of the giveaway offered in The Provence Post. There were so many fabulous responses, it was difficult to pick just three!
Bon weekend tout le monde! After being away without internet or cell service for three days this week, I will be paying the price and attempting to clear out my inboxes! What are your plans?
