Subject:
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Re: Language slipping?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.admin.general
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Date:
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Wed, 22 Dec 1999 18:45:49 GMT
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Viewed:
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279 times
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In lugnet.admin.general, Frank Filz writes:
>
> Of course just to be troublesome, the S word is actually a perfectly valid
> English word. As a verb, it is conjugated similarly to "sit". The only
> reason it is vulgar is that a rather uppity Frenchman invited himself into
> the English court, and decreed French the language of the state. During this
> time, certain English words became passe, and many French words entered the
> common language.
Most of the words in English that refer to "basic" things or actions have a
French counter part; the English words are generally considered the baser,
informal, or perhaps "lower-class" of the two, while the the French words for
the same thing or concept are used to give something a "touch of class." For
example:
English: calf
French: veal
English: eat
French: dine
English: deer
French: venison
English: sheep
French: mutton
It even applies to vulgarities; the French word "urinate" is our only acceptable
word for that action in English. (Sure, abstract words such as "expel" could be
used, but I am here discussing words with a "hard" meaning; words that are
properly basic to the action being applied or the thing in question, rather than
the adoption of replacement words.)
In America we tend to use French words to give things "class;" i.e. to have a
reason to charge more for the same product. For example: boutique, Por en
Homme.
I think that it is fair to say that our cultural fascination/love-hate
relationship with France and the French language hails from the French
domination of England and the long centuries in which French (well, Old French)
was the language of education, politics, nobility, and law in England.
Just my 2 er, uh, I was trying to be cute, but I can't think of the French word
for cents.
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Language slipping?
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| (...) When I read this in italicized, quoted form, it looked like you were discussing the "Sword" as in "pointy metal stick." I confess I had difficulty following your post until I got my brains unscrambled. Dave! (25 years ago, 22-Dec-99, to lugnet.admin.general)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Language slipping?
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| Christopher Lannan wrote in message ... (...) for (...) Of course just to be troublesome, the S word is actually a perfectly valid English word. As a verb, it is conjugated similarly to "sit". The only reason it is vulgar is that a rather uppity (...) (25 years ago, 18-Dec-99, to lugnet.admin.general)
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