Where does the modern French start? (Specific Languages) Language Learning Forum

Where does the modern French start?
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Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages

22 messages over 3 pages: 1 2 3

tritone
Senior Member
United States
reflectionsinpo
Joined 6124 days ago
246 posts - 385 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, French

Message 17 of 22

06 September 2011 at 4:20am | IP Logged

ScottScheule wrote:

Is it really that hard? Look, I'm going to take a shot, with nothing but study of Spanish.

""L'année 1866 fut marquée par un événement bizarre, un phénomène
inexpliqué et inexplicable que personne n'a sans doute oublié. Sans
parler des rumeurs qui agitaient les populations des ports et
surexcitaient l'esprit public à l'intérieur des continents les gens de
mer furent particulièrement émus. Les négociants, armateurs, capitaines
de navires, skippers et masters de l'Europe et de l'Amérique, officiers
des marines militaires de tous pays, et, après eux, les gouvernements
des divers États des deux continents, se préoccupèrent de ce fait au
plus haut point."

1866 was marked by a bizarre event, an unexplained and unexplainable phenomenon that a person would not forget. Without speaking of the rumors that agitated the populations of the port cities and overexcited the public spirit of the interior of the continent, the people of the sea were particularly moved. The businessmen, soldiers, ship captains, skippers and masters of Europe and America, navy officers of all countries, and after that, the governments of the diverse states of both continents were worried about what more would happen.

Watch out for false cognates!

...but yes, french is very transparent for English speakers, even without studying Spanish or some other romance language.
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Ygangerg
Pentaglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5322 days ago
100 posts - 140 votes

Speaks: English*, Spanish, Arabic (Written), Mandarin, French
Studies: German

Message 18 of 22

09 September 2011 at 5:36pm | IP Logged

ScottScheule wrote:

I do, however, speak English, which with its large chunk of French vocabulary, helps out considerably. (E.g., "bizarre.")

Fun fact: bizarre is from Basque! But you're almost half right, because I think it was borrowed like Basque > French > English.

In any case, what you're saying about the French and Latinate vocabulary in English is right on.

Edited by Ygangerg on 09 September 2011 at 5:38pm
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ScottScheule
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
scheule.blogspot.com
Joined 5232 days ago
645 posts - 1176 votes

Speaks: English*, Spanish
Studies: Latin, Hungarian, Biblical Hebrew, Old English, Russian, Swedish, German, Italian, French

Message 19 of 22

09 September 2011 at 5:43pm | IP Logged

Ygangerg wrote:

ScottScheule wrote:

I do, however, speak English, which with its large chunk of French vocabulary, helps out considerably. (E.g., "bizarre.")

Ha, well that's not really fair--most vocabulary has come from another language ultimately, so it's only the most recent step, here the French to English step, that's worth concentrating on when you're talking about borrowings. So I have to insist that I'm entirely right.

At any rate, more complete fun fact:

1640s, from Fr. bizarre "odd, fantastic" (16c.), originally "handsome, brave," perhaps from Basque bizar "a beard" (the notion being of bearded Spanish soldiers making a strange impression on the French); alternative etymology traces it to It. bizarro "angry, fierce, irascible," from bizza "fit of anger."
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Ygangerg
Pentaglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5322 days ago
100 posts - 140 votes

Speaks: English*, Spanish, Arabic (Written), Mandarin, French
Studies: German

Message 20 of 22

09 September 2011 at 5:56pm | IP Logged

I wasn't trying to be "unfair," just agreeing with your point and adding another nugget that I knew of. Just thought it was interesting. Don't be offended!

But I think all the steps are significant in etymology, especially if it's not so ancient. "Bizarre" is different than a word that has along the ride since Latin, like "homme."

But your point was the large presence of French words in English, and I was agreeing. Wasn't trying to make you insist you were right!
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ScottScheule
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
scheule.blogspot.com
Joined 5232 days ago
645 posts - 1176 votes

Speaks: English*, Spanish
Studies: Latin, Hungarian, Biblical Hebrew, Old English, Russian, Swedish, German, Italian, French

Message 21 of 22

09 September 2011 at 5:57pm | IP Logged

Ygangerg wrote:

I didn't mean to come off as offended. That's why I said, "Ha." Ha!
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caracao
Triglot
Groupie
France
Joined 5124 days ago
53 posts - 84 votes

Speaks: French*, English, Italian
Studies: German

Message 22 of 22

17 September 2011 at 9:38pm | IP Logged

Yeah anyway.

Yes you can read Jules Verne (how can you read that, it's plainly boring, lol).
He uses modern French. As Inversen said, French language is conservative.

Anything wrote after 1850's, it's modern French. Even before to be honnest. The grammatical constructions are the same.

PS : 73% of the English vocabulary comes from the Norman/French/Latin/Greek. Greek and Latin mostly for scientific words.

Edited by caracao on 17 September 2011 at 9:40pm

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