French Gov't bans the term "e-mail".
 

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Thought everyone would get a kick out of this one!
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I don't think it's funny or odd for a govt. agency to define common terms in its documents, and I don't agree with the journalist on all points in that article. Actually, I think they use way too many English terms in France already, which always surprises me -- even when there are perfectly good French words available. The verb "stopper" is one I find odd, for example.

I've been using email in France for quite a few years and the term "courrier electronique" has been used frequently for years -- at least on the ISP I used, so my experience differs from that article which claimed that term was rarely used.

I've not encountered the term "courriel" but have encountered something stranger which is the word "mel" for email, with an accent aigu over the "e" so that it would sound like the English word mail. I wonder what their position is on that one? The OPera Garnier, for example, uses that term. I think "e-mail" is just a lot easier to write than courrier electronique and that's why it's being used more and probably why some are using "mel". I don't find anything wrong with the term courriel, though, sounds find to me.

Would they be OK with le-mail?

Hi

My French friends use "eml" (no accent) pronounced "eh-mail".

They tried to get rid of the circumflex accents on certain words and the i in "oignon" too, but it didn't work.

Most French people use the term 'mail' or 'email', and the fact that there's a different government defined term won't change that. Indeed, the word "courriel" has been around for ages, but most French people just haven't adopted it.

Incidentally, every now and then you hear people talking about la "Toile" to mean the Internet, but it's hardly common usage.

What other terms has the French Gov't banned?
I only think it a little funny that a government would create and devote an agency to worry about words~

Do they still sell Le Big Mac? :)
Actually, I like the sound of courriel..maybe we will start using it in the US !

Not sure about the government but the Academie Francaise has been strongly oppposed to le weekend, le pullover, le drugstore, le hot dog, etc for decades.

France is probably a lot closer to becoming "officially bi-lingual" than the United States is (both could happen in 100 years). It probably won't be the first country on the continent of Europe to adpt Engish as an official second language, but I bet it won't be the last either.

I don't actually expect to live long enough to see this bet through.

Best wishes,

Rex

an e-mail, is an email, is an e-mail,is an email.
The Third E-Mail by Gertrude Wine.

You mean Whine, sister.

Yeah, but "pickpocket" is a universal word, even in Paris. ((b))

"Le e-mail" has been around for so long in France it doesn't matter what the French government (do you mean l'Académie Française?) thinks. It's there to stay.All my French friends discuss "le e-mail." No one says "courrier éléctronique" unless in a formal letter or communication.

I agree with Christina that there are already too many words and phrases in English that the French have needlessly adopted that have perfectly good equivalents in French. Outside Paris, you don't tend to hear these used, but in Paris, they are rampant. She cites "stopper," I'll cite "tester." As in "Voulez-vous tester ce vin?" Or "Voulez-vous tester ce parfum?"
"le pickpocket" is definitely an acceptable word in France these days, despite the protestations of the Académie.
I'm all for France retaining its true language - I'm a language buff and I hate to see languages diluted - but there is a point in any language when it must accept new words because of new concepts. This isn't the case with most of the issues being discussed here - except for e-mail- but a language always has to evolve.
Bottom line is that I think that French, like any language, has to retain what it can of its core and find ways to assimilate words into its lexicon that are not born in France. That requires either accepting the word the way it appears in the language in which it was born or re-inventing it to adapt to French. Both are possible. The French have no problem, for example, with what they call "steack frites." Where did they get "steack?" From the USA, of course, only they added a "c" to make it "French."
And I really doubt France will be in the forefront of those countries of Western Europe adopting English as second language. In fact, I'd bet a lot of euros on the opposite. They'd be better off adopting Arabic, which they will also never do.

Couriel is used in Quebec and in other francophone communities in Canada. In Quebec they are much more careful about anglocisms than in France although a lot of English terms do creep into their language too. English terms may sound cool in France whereas they seem common and crude in Quebec.

The only time I've heard couriel is from a French-Canadian friend.and frankly, I like it (I have a hard time trying to figure out how to pronounce e-mail in French). Back in the 60s I noticed that French Canadians seemed to be much more careful to avoid Americanisms than the French. Le weekend, le hot dog in France; la fin de semaine, le chien chaud in Quebec. I agree with Cabicou--sometimes the language loses out in an attempt to be "cool."

On the other hand, during the renaissance, other languages adopted a lot of Italian terms because they were cutting edge, and now in our techno society, it's not surprising that English terms are adopted by other societies.

The French government also limits the percentage of non-French songs that radio stations can play.

Stupid, but it's their country and they can isolate themselves from the rest of the world for only so long.

The hilarious thing about all this is that 'email' is a pretty poor example of an English word, especially since e is a rather clumsy contraction of the 'correct' word, 'electronic'. Also, in English, as we all know, adjectives are supposed to be separated from the nouns they modify, as in 'e mail'.

As for the cultural thing, I look forward to the British government announcing that from here on in, the standard word approved for use in the UK shall be 'epost.' : - )

"The French government also limits the percentage of non-French songs that radio stations can play."

Ce n'est pas plus stupide que les quotas sur les importations de textile ou les taxes sur l'acier importé aux Etats-Unis.

I believe that the Acadamie also has an alternative for "floppy disc".

Except, Tomato, that steel or textiles produced by an Arabic-speaking French person would, for tax purposes, still be considered steel or textiles, but an song in Arabic would not be considered French, for the purpose of radio air time.

Oops, sorry, meant to say that textiles or steel produced by an Arabic-speaking French person would still be considered French by the US, for the purpose of taxation, but an Arabic song performed by an Arabic-speaking French person would not be considered French by France, for the purpose of radio air time.

My dictionary gives "disquette' as the equivalent of "floppy disc".