If a Tree Falls in a French Forest, Does it Really Make a Difference To Anyone In the Civilized World?
Google has started digatizing 5 libraries' worth of books. Apparently though, the President of the National Library of France wrote an Editorial critical of Google Print because he is concerned too much of the web is already in English.
We would have read his editorial, but its in French.
The internet has been a marvelous tool to bring people together, whether in business or in pleasure by allowing for easier communication and the transference of information. Unfortunately for Jean-Noel Jeanneney, France sold off or lost their colonies before the dawn of the internet relegating the French Language to nothing more than a langauge for scholars and academics. English is the language of the internet. For Now.
We've written about the end of the American hegemony before. But for now, and until that end, the internet is a device relying on the English language. Sorry Jean-Noel, but French is no longer relevant.
We would have read his editorial, but its in French.
The internet has been a marvelous tool to bring people together, whether in business or in pleasure by allowing for easier communication and the transference of information. Unfortunately for Jean-Noel Jeanneney, France sold off or lost their colonies before the dawn of the internet relegating the French Language to nothing more than a langauge for scholars and academics. English is the language of the internet. For Now.
We've written about the end of the American hegemony before. But for now, and until that end, the internet is a device relying on the English language. Sorry Jean-Noel, but French is no longer relevant.
3 Comments:
To answer your question, no - it doesn't. They banned the word "e-mail" from their language in favor of the MUCH EASIER to spell and much more efficient "courrier electronique"--HA! Now THAT's cultural progress. (not) Maybe we should ban French words like croissant and call them "crescent shaped butter rolls" or "agent provocateur" in favor of a person who attempts to provoke suspected individuals or groups into committing unlawful acts.
Spare me.
English is the western world's best language because it is the richest. Whereas French speakers are limited to a Latinate word for a thought, English speakers can often choose between a latinate or Germanic word. This gives us native speakers a diversity of choice in expressing nuance.
Having said that, however, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with the work being done by the Academie Francais - which, contrary to what you assert, cares little about the hegemony of Anglo-Saxon dialects (despite the bluster and bullshit of the article you linked to - which I know you can't read) but rather the PURITY of the French tongue.
Consider this: the Academie Francais does not seek to change medical terminology, because it is an accepted part of life that doctors across the globe communicate in Latin and English. A medical student in China would have to learn these languages, for instance.
In other words, it's not about English words, but about English words being used where other, French words could apply. It's about not "diluting" the French language.
Consider this also: Several years ago a debate raged in America as to the teaching of "Ebonics." Many of us (you and I included) railed against this as an abomination against proper form. How is the French stance any different? You have a large group of being speaking in slang, colloquialisms, etc, and you seek to create a "unified" and "proper" set of lingual terms, and a consistent and proper rule set for their usage. I don't see what's wrong with this. We think in language. Therefore, our thoughts can only be as pure as the language we use.
Ultimately, of course, it will be common usage and the populace at large which will decide the evolution of the language. If 10 million French children use "e-mail," then the language will adapt to French + e-mail.
This doesn't mean, however, that the Academie is wrong in trying to create and foster a "proper" tongue, any less than if a Harvard professor flunked you for using "lol" and "rotfl" in a research paper.
Shawn - we argued about this yesterday over IM. Anyways. I am French and I still think it's stupid. More later. I have to work.
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