IS it coup de tat or cu de ta Still why do they let french pronunciations mess up our English and let us say orderv and cay sera sera facade instead ov fasard you french people must apologize for making a mess ov our lives.
2007-03-22 23:41:11 · 9 answers · asked by zyp_john 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
First of all the spelling is "coup d'état".
Secondly it is spelt "hors d'œuvre"and not horsdoevre.
One of the answers said "che sera sera" is italian. That may be so, but "que será será" is Spanish from a famous song in the sixties.
Why do we have so many french words in the english language? Might have something to do with the fact that in 1066 England was invaded by the Norman French.
How many english words come from a french origins? About 28.3% of words in the english language are derived from some form of french(source OEDhttp://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutenglish/mostwords?view=uk).
2007-03-23 00:05:54 · answer #1 · answered by Paul H 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You're barking up the wrong tree here. So, you believe the French came here and forced us to mix their vocab into ours at gunpoint? OR it's the Americans, in order to sound "chic", imported foreign words into their own language? Which one is more believable to you? I always make a point that people, when speaking English, should use English first instead of quickly resorting to foreign words (overthrow instead of coup d'etat, for example) but a lot of your fellow Americans would rather search long and far for catchy foreign words to use so they can sound "sophisticated". And you're blaming the French? You are hilarious! You perhaps don't realize that people in other countries are complaining that American language and culture invade theirs. So, don't blame where it comes from; blame where it's brought into. Just like the war on drugs, so long as there are junkies on this side of the border, drugs keep coming and don't blame the Mexicans or Colombians!
You don't have to go far to find the source of problems muddling the English language. It's right here in America. Haven't you seen questions and answers posted here that make you cringe because of the horrible spelling and grammatical errors? Your question is one of them.
2007-03-23 07:19:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Languages evolve and develop over time, this includes borrowing and using words from other languages and incorporating and almost "personalising" them so they fit into the language.
The modern world we live in increases this borrowing, for example with the internet, increased travelling.
Also, once a word has found its way into a language (and into its dictionaries) it is generally assumed to have been around for a relatively long time, then spellings and pronounciations are accepted.
Also keep in mind that it is not only English that borrows from French/Spanish/Italian but also the other way around.
2007-03-23 00:10:55 · answer #3 · answered by junestarr0 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can hate a people and ideas..but you should not hate a language...The American language is made up of other couturiers besides Oxford English. We have many nations input in to American slang.
I have been to "English speaking" countries and they could not understand my American Slang or twang ..The French do bother me in their politics and I see that more and more words in the U.S. are changed..french fries= freedom fries
the color French Blue= freedom blue...I never did like the word hors doevre and cul de sac..as i just don't like the way they sound...I never been to New Orleans and never cared to go as i don't like the french or cage on creole cooking..it did not interest me as I am German American and I married a Filipino and my wife feels the same thing. But don't use these words if you don't like them. It would be hard to keep people from polluting our slang American language. I guess we just have to not talk this way on a person to person bases.
2007-03-22 23:55:30 · answer #4 · answered by Louella R 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I will have to admit that you sound quite muddled, but not convinced it is the fault of the French. Lots of English invading the French language as well.
What language did you say you speak?
2007-03-22 23:48:37 · answer #5 · answered by 2 shy 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't think the introduction of those words means an invasion. Au contraire, English has stolen words from French
2007-03-23 00:39:40 · answer #6 · answered by QQ dri lu 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
are you aware that your whole *** language is based on french and latin words? it's coup d'état, if you must know, and by the way: "che sera sera" is italian... English would be unrecognizable if you took away these "foreign" influences.
rewrite this text without these "intruders" and you get:
are you aware that your whole X X X on X X X words? X "X", if you must know, X by the way "X" X X... X would be X if you took away these foreign X.
pffff.
2007-03-22 23:47:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
The word is spelled "Coup d'tat " . And yes, it is just another confusing Frenchie word.
2007-03-22 23:45:20 · answer #8 · answered by C J 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
So call them finger foods and uprisings, no one's stopping you. Whatever will be, will be.
2007-03-23 00:47:05 · answer #9 · answered by Goddess of Grammar 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋