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Wednesday 12 March 2008

The French

Will the French ever get over the fact that they are not the world's dominant power and that their language is not the international language of commerce, science or diplomacy. As well as the news that the French government are funding a rival to Google, I also learn that the French General Commission for Terminology and the Academie Francaise have declared that certain English words should not be used in France and have given the preferred French alternatives. Le pic nic was always my favourite English into French word but a new one caught my eye; Wi-Fi, which the French pronounce "wee-fee" should be replaced by "access sans fil a l'internet" - catchy isn't it. Football commentators have also been asked to stop calling it a corner and instead to use "coup de pied de coin" - it's not going to happen is it?

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