Anglicismes et gallicismes

Dans sa lutte contre les anglicismes injustifiés, Muriel nous propose de remplacer, dans notre vocabulaire, ‘leaflet’ par ‘prospectus’, ‘newsletter’ part ‘lettre d’information’, ‘shuttle’ par ‘navette’. C’est fait depuis longtemps, en ce qui me concerne. Mais d’un autre côté je refuse les francisations délirantes comme

− ‘téléscripteur’ pour ‘telex’
− ‘télécopieur’ pour ‘fax’ (qui vient d’ailleurs non pas de l’anglais mais du latin − fac simile)
− ‘mél’ (graphie impossible en français !) ou ‘courriel’ pour ‘email’ (tant pis pour nos amis québécois)
− ‘pourriel’ pour ‘spam’
− ‘coussin gonflable de sécurité’ pour ‘airbag’
− ‘disque compact’ pour ‘CD’
− ‘disque numérique polyvalent’ pour ‘DVD’
− ‘téléassistance’ pour ‘hotline’...

et j’en passe.

Pourquoi ? Deux réponses : 1. Parce qu’il ne faut pas vouloir à tout prix créer des mots qui n’ont pas encore été sanctionnés par l’usage. 2. Parce qu’il ne faut pas, par chauvinisme linguistique, s’enfermer dans son petit monde national et s’exclure ainsi des usages internationaux

Inversement, depuis Guillaume le Conquérant l’anglais se compose pour plus de la moitié d’emprunts au français de l’époque. et l’anglais moderne est truffé de gallicismes.

Les langues vivantes, comme leur nom l’indique, vivent. Elles ne vivent pas en autarcie. Elles montrent leur vitalité en se faisant des emprunts réciproques. Souvent par snobisme mais souvent aussi, dans le contexte de l’actuelle révolution technologique, par nécessité pratique.

Sur ce dernier point, l’acharnement franco-français contre «l’invasion» des termes électroniques et informatiques anglo-américains me paraît un combat d’arrière-garde.

Mais bon, à chacun son opinion.

J’aimerais connaître l’avis des autres polyglottistes.

Phlippe-Henri

Hi Phlippe-Henri, hi everyone,

As we're in the "Let's talk together" sub-forum, I'll answer in English.

I completely agree with you.
We've got the "Académie Française" but it is far too slow and I prefer to choose the word used in the daily language.
Regarding computing, most of the words come from English as the technics come from the USA. This is not a big problem as historically, words come from the language of the people which "launched" the domain or is the leader in it such as food is mostly French, sports are mostly English, etc.
You suggest we should keep foreign words. What do you think about pronunciation? Should we do our best to use the foreign one?


Regarding English language I don't know what the percentage was in the 12th century but nowadays, people say French words are 60% of the En vocabulary but they were also added after year 1066.

I personally use more French words in the list you wrote: télécopieur, courriel.
A few French words are adopted though created afterwards: software logiciel, hardware matériel, package progiciel, computer calculateur ordinateur, etc.

hi Gérard, philippe-Henri, everyone
I prefer to use French expressions such as "shuttle" in stead of "navette" because I live in Calais which is a very important centre for transport and trading with England. I like when English people make an effort to speak our language which is not always the case because they think everyone must understand English. . People say that English language will impose itself as the language everyone has to speak and I don't think it's fair.

Hi Muriel, hi everyone,

MurielB a écrit:... People say that English language will impose itself as the language everyone has to speak and I don't think it's fair.

I don't think it'll be true.
The "universal" language is the language of the most powerful nation in the world: Rome... France, England, USA...
The US won't stay powerful for very long: look at the BRICS.

Don't worry, Gérard about American English you like so much ! I have just heard on television that most of the student Students going on exchange under the ERASMUS programme choose northern America !

Muriel,

I'm not speaking about next year nor next decade.
I'm thinking of my 10-month granddaughter's studies at Univ

In the year 2033 When your granddaughter studies China on an Erasmus exchange you will like to visit her won't you ?. Why not start this language right now ?

In 2033, I'll be in the States as the latest of the Mohicans.

Don't you believe in Life extension science whose aim is to rejuvenate people like us ?
I do want to attend my grandchildren's wedding.

Hi Muriel, hi everyone,

> Don't you believe in Life extension science whose aim is rejuvanating to rejuvenate people like us ?
> I do want to attend to my grandchildren's wedding.

Indeed! I guess I'm going to live beyond 2033 and welcome my great grand children
Will you keep the "Café polyglotte sur le Net" till 2033? or what's the project of the future?

yes, Gérard as long as nice competent people help me, i would be delighted to keep it going beyond 2033

Muriel,

> beyond 2013
The point was 2033.

I guess I forgot a few remarks:
- I put "whose" in italics in "science whose aim" just 'cause I don't like much but it's permitted
I read "For those that are at Summit:" a minute ago... I dislike this "that": I might get old and will join the whingeing British piople.
NB: I used the strange "whingeing" as I was speaking about British. The British word is "whingeing" while the US one is "whining".
- "my grandchildren's wedding"
Though the "mistake" is common even by EMTs, the correct words are "my grandchildren's weddings".

If I begin to not admit the that's and the whose's, I guess I will be banned before 2033!! It's true that international language won't be American any longer and that nobody will read my words (I don't plan to learn Chinese)!

OK the point will be 2133 if you keep helping "Le café polyglotte sur le net"

Muriel,

I'm afraid I cannot promise as in 2133, a bot will lead our lives and decide for us.

gerardM a écrit:Muriel,

a bot will lead our lives and decide for us.

What is a bot by the way, Gérard ?

Sorry! A bot is a robot.
Americans always tend to shorten words, when over 2 syllables, they can't put up with and trim the word
Hence a bot, a comp' or a 'puter, a brolly, etc.

Thank you, I am less ignorant now !

Hi Muriel, everyone,

As I said it, Americans tend to shorten words especially due to the use in compound-words.

The word bot is used alone.
"Bot" is commonly used as a suffix eg Spambot, Spybot, Botnet (not a suffix here)...
A Botnet is a network composed of zombies. These networks are huge and organize links between compromized computers of users who don't even know that their machine is used to provide porn, spam, malware attacks, etc. and lead file thefts against industrial companies, terrorist campaigns, etc.
Sadly, "bot" has to be more and more in today's vocabulary.

gerardM a écrit:

"Bot" is commonly used as a suffix eg Spambot, Spybot, Botnet (not a suffix here)...
A Botnet is a network composed of zombies. These networks are huge and organize links between compromized computers ....

Frightening like an organized crime.

Muriel,

> Frightening like an organized crime
It is!

As we are not on a computing forum, I won't explain here what a zombie is but you prolly know I'm specialized in the subject.

gerardM a écrit:

> you prolly know I'm specialized in the subject.

I you start giving details, it will become too complicated for us to understand

That's why I won't write more details... you would be frightened ("Frightening like an organized crime")