French Government Bans Term 'E-Mail'

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French Government Bans Term 'E-Mail'

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Sunday July 20, 2003 @02:15AM from the won't-somebody-please-think-of-le-words dept.

Licensed2Hack writes "'Goodbye "e-mail," the French government says, and hello "courriel" -- the term that linguistically sensitive France is now using to refer to electronic mail in official documents.' . Curriel? 'Hey Pierre, curriel me those sales figures.' Just sounds wrong!" Especially if you don't actually speak french ;)

35 of 1,094 comments (clear)

Nice, the poster wrote courriel wrong. by jesco · 2003-07-20 02:19 · Score: 5, Funny

Interesting, the submitter of this story didn't even manage to write courriel correct... despite it being displayed two lines above...
Re:can't you tell by my ridiculous accent? by grokBoy · 2003-07-20 02:19 · Score: 1, Funny

I don't see what all the fuss is aboot.
I got One Word for Them... by Greyfox · 2003-07-20 02:21 · Score: 5, Funny

"Crossandwitch."

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I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
right. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-07-20 02:22 · Score: 5, Funny

In other news French legislation against junk e-mail has been delayed until the French can come up with a French sounding substitute for the word spam.
1. Re:right. by Jafafa+Hots · 2003-07-20 02:43 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  paté
  
  --
  This space available.
French for spam too by Anonymous Coward · 2003-07-20 02:22 · Score: 1, Funny

And there is no such thing as Spam in french email either. It's now

jambon épicé courriel

takes all types
1. Re:French for spam too by Petronius · 2003-07-20 02:37 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  McDonald's ?
  
  --
  there's no place like ~
Re:can't you tell by my ridiculous accent? by AndroidCat · 2003-07-20 02:25 · Score: 5, Funny

This will be about as successful as the Quebec Office de la Langue Français' attempts to get people to stop using hotdog and hamburger. (They invented words for those too.)

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One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Et puis quoi? by panurge · 2003-07-20 02:26 · Score: 2, Funny

Incroyable, mais la plupart du monde ne parle pas Anglais. Et, plus incroyable que ca, l'ONU n'a pas interdit l'utilisation des langues non-Anglais. L'axis du mal, on devrait ajouter ces singes qui aiment le fromage et se rend toujours. Et l'ONU, c'est un ami des terroristes qui voulait supprimer la langue de Dieu avec ces termes diaboliques. Quand on ecrit "courriel", on donne support a Osama Bin Laden
This information brought to you by the French office of the Department of Homeland Security

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Panurge has posted for the last time. Thanks for the positive moderations.
1. Re:Et puis quoi? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-07-20 03:56 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  Tu sais quoi?
  
  Je t'encules avec tes comparaisons parafitement déplacées.
  
  Et puis l'axe du mal a son origine à Washington plutôt que dans les pays sous-développés que l'hégémonie américaine s'applique à renvoyer à l'âge de pierre...
  
  Oh, et puis Merde!
Must... Quote... Groundskeeper Willie.... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-07-20 02:28 · Score: 1, Funny

"Bonjour, you cheese-eating surrender monkeys!"

Ah, there, I went and said it. Sorry.....
Re:can't you tell by my ridiculous accent? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-07-20 02:28 · Score: 1, Funny

chien chaud, colis !
Re:Adele by Anonymous Coward · 2003-07-20 02:32 · Score: 1, Funny

Dude! you're getting adele!
Re:Adele by Petronius · 2003-07-20 02:34 · Score: 2, Funny

Putain d'Adele!

(Il fallait bien qu'un francophone la fasse...)

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there's no place like ~
Re:This is stupid by mlush · 2003-07-20 02:44 · Score: 5, Funny

English-speaking people don't bitch about "rendez-vous", "à propos", etc.
Probably something to do with English being mostly made up of foreign words
This french habit is just arrogance.
To the French arrogance is not just a habit, its a way of life
French government also requires... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-07-20 02:45 · Score: 1, Funny

...the term "surrender monkey" be replaced by "victory primate."
Re:can't you tell by my ridiculous accent? by jrockway · 2003-07-20 02:48 · Score: 2, Funny

or just send them an E-meiru

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My other car is first.
Re:I wish the Japanese were a bit more like that by kfg · 2003-07-20 02:49 · Score: 2, Funny

Don't strangle him. Just commit "hairy kairy."

KFG
Reminds me of the a joke.. by Mindjiver · 2003-07-20 03:16 · Score: 5, Funny

What's the difference between the USA and yoghurt?
Even yoghurt develop its own culture after a while.

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I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
1. Re:Reminds me of the a joke.. by littleRedFriend · 2003-07-20 06:23 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Reminds me of another quote
  
  "America is the only nation in history which miraculously has gone directly from barbarism to degeneration without the usual interval of civilisation." --Georges Clemenceau 1841-1929) French general and statesman.
  
  --
  IANAL, but imagine a beowulf cluster of in Soviet Russia all your belong are base to us welcoming the new SCO overlords.
Re:This is stupid by eht · 2003-07-20 03:29 · Score: 5, Funny

We recognize it in ourselves, but our arrogance is something to be proud of, other's arrogance is something to be ashamed of.
Peux tu m'envoyer un courriel sur ce c�d�rom ? by Psykopat · 2003-07-20 04:03 · Score: 2, Funny

... the worst is, our french governement also decided to "translate" the term "CD-rom"... And now, Mesdames et Messieurs, please write "cédérom", and not "CD-rom" ! Within a year or two : "- Hello Jacques, what do you do ? - Just watching a dévédé on my pécé."
Re:can't you tell by my ridiculous accent? by SN74S181 · 2003-07-20 04:43 · Score: 2, Funny

French culture isn't dead. Another dose of penicillin might do it, though.
Now I definitely have to use e-mail by TecraMan · 2003-07-20 04:44 · Score: 2, Funny

To be nice, I got in the habit of saying courrier electronique, but now that the Academie has got into their heads to prescribe more artificial changes to the French language I will switch to e-mail. Courriel... What a load of rubbish!

E-mail, e-mail, e-mail, e-mail....

I feel like the guy in Life of Brian who got stoned for shouting "Jehova, Jehova, Jehova". Wonder when they're going to start stoning me!
Re:This is stupid by An+Onerous+Coward · 2003-07-20 04:50 · Score: 4, Funny

"English-speaking people don't bitch about "rendez-vous", "à propos", etc. This french habit is just arrogance."
From henceforth, please refrain from using the word rendzevous. Instead, please use the more patriotic "freedom meeting." Furthermore, please avoid using accenting characters in words like apropos and resume (a short account of one's career and qualifications prepared typically by an applicant for a position) as such accents give them an inappropriate, un-American character. By doing so, you will be doing your part to fight terrorism at home and abroad.

Thank you,

The Department of Homeland Security

--
You want the truthiness? You can't handle the truthiness!
Re:Just sounds wrong by rocjoe71 · 2003-07-20 04:52 · Score: 5, Funny

It's a very specific feature of English that almost any noun can be verbed, as you did.
You gotta be shitting me... Oh wait, you're right.

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Height: 38U, Weight: 0 Newtons, Eyes: #0000FF, OS: Gray Matter 1.0 (Alpha)
P�t�? by dark&stormynight · 2003-07-20 04:54 · Score: 4, Funny

Will SPAM now become Pâté? Also, the SPAM song won't be as funny if you sing...

Pâté, Pâté, Pâté... wonderful Pâté!
it sounds quite good to me by Anonymous Coward · 2003-07-20 04:58 · Score: 1, Funny

My mother tongue is French and to me the word "courriel" sounds pretty well. I might well use it.

I guess it is a shortcut for "courrier éléctronique" (electronic mail).

Courriel is a true French word because you can make many spelling errors:
- I could write only one "r": couriel
- or add to many letters at the end: courrielle
- or o combinaision of both: courielle

Only one word, so many mistakes to make, It's really a French word!
Re:can't you tell by my ridiculous accent? by GMC-jimmy · 2003-07-20 05:00 · Score: 1, Funny

c-mail ?

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__________________________________
Free your mind - Flush your toilet
What about SPAM by Anonymous Coward · 2003-07-20 05:22 · Score: 1, Funny

is Spam gonna be omlette du courriel, or courriel a la biftek.
Re:This is stupid by commodoresloat · 2003-07-20 05:42 · Score: 5, Funny

English-speaking people don't bitch about "rendez-vous", "à propos", etc.
That's because we don't know what they mean.
how to make your language obsolete in 3 easy steps by Deadplant · 2003-07-20 09:40 · Score: 2, Funny

step one: Establish a bureaucracy to preside over the language.
step two: Wait while the rest of the world adds words to their languages at double or triple your rate.
step three: Learn english or mandarin or something.
As George W. Bush once said... by Shark · 2003-07-20 10:37 · Score: 3, Funny

The french don't have a word for 'Entrepreneur'

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Mind the frickin' laser...
In response... by vmxeo · 2003-07-20 11:10 · Score: 3, Funny

...I say we rename FreeNet to FrenchNet. That'll show 'em.

...actually, no...wait, switch that.
Err... uh, nevermind...

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Shameless plug for my photos on Flickr
We Have "Curriels" in San Francisco by Master+of+Transhuman · 2003-07-20 11:50 · Score: 2, Funny

They're called "bike messengers"...

Oh, wait, maybe I'm thinking "courier"...never mind...

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Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!