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France Says 'Au Revoir' to the Word 'Smartphone' (smithsonianmag.com)

Posted by msmash on from the what's-in-a-name? dept.

Hoping to prevent English tech vocabulary from entering the French language, officials have suggested 'mobile multifunction' as an alternative. An anonymous reader shares a report: The official journal of the French Republic, the Journal officiel, has suggested "internet clandestin" instead of dark net. It's dubbed a casual gamer "joueur occasionnel" for messieurs and "joueuse occasionnelle" for mesdames. To replace hashtag, it's selected "mot-diese." Now, as the Local reports, the latest word to get the official boot in France is smartphone. It's time to say bonjour to the "le mobile multifonction." The recommendation was put forth by the Commission d'enrichissement de la langue francaise, which works in conjunction with the Academie Francaise to preserve the French language. This isn't the first time that the commission has tried to encourage French citizens to switch over to a Franco-friendly word for "smartphone." Previous suggestions included "ordiphone" (from "ordinateur," the French word for computer) and "terminal de poche" (or pocket terminal). These, it seems, did not quite stick.

6 of 344 comments (clear)

  1. UTF8 by dmbasso · · Score: 5, Funny

    which works in conjunction with the Academie FranÃaise to preserve the need of UTF8

    ftfy

    --
    `echo $[0x853204FA81]|tr 0-9 ionbsdeaml`@gmail.com
  2. Stupid French... by JoeDuncan · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...they don't even have a word for "entrepreneur"

    1. Re:Stupid French... by mrbester · · Score: 5, Funny

      There was an attempt by some amateur, but it was just a homage to cliché.

      --
      "Wait. Something's happening. It's opening up! My God, it's full of apricots!"
  3. Re:All french everywhere by TWX · · Score: 5, Funny

    But it does make for an amusing plot-point when the cop stops the truck with the spraypainted expressions on it to cite the dual-language law and help them spraypaint the truck with french translations...

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  4. Re:It's hard to feel sorry for the French language by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think the main reason why english became so popular world-wide is because it's one of the easiest language to learn.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  5. Obl. by bgarcia · · Score: 5, Funny

    French: ... Sixty-seven, sixty-eight, sixty-nine, sixty-ten...
    Other languages: **stares**
    French: **stares back**
    French: ...sixty-eleven, sixty-twelve, sixty-thirteen...
    French: ...sixty-sixteen, sixty-ten-seven...
    Other languages: *shutting eyes*
    French: ..sixty-ten-eight, sixty-ten-nine...
    Other languages: *hands over face*
    French: ...four twenties! :) Four twenties one...

    --
    I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar.