Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The French language is in 'mortal danger', say its own panicked guardians [from inclusive writing]
TheLocal.fr ^ | 27 October 2017 12:48 CEST+02:00

Posted on 10/27/2017 10:59:50 PM PDT by Olog-hai

The official guardians of the French tongue the Académie Française sounded the alarm bell this week saying the language was in “mortal danger”. And it’s nothing to do with English this time.

The so-called “immortals” at the Académie Française, the official body tasked with guarding the French language from unwanted influences (like English) don’t speak out often, but when they do, people tend to listen; and on Thursday night, the Académie issued a “solemn warning” intended to grab the attention of the government.

The immortals are furious about the rise of so-called “inclusive writing”, which basically puts the masculine AND feminine forms of nouns in the text. While its aim is to promote gender equality and reduce sexist stereotypes to “make women more visible” in texts, the Académie called it an “aberration”, which “now puts the French language in mortal danger, for which our nation will be accountable to future generations.”

Previously, texts have in French have only included the masculine form of nouns: for example, citoyen (citizen), consommateurs (consumers) or agriculteurs (farmers); but if inclusive writing was used, the words word be written as follows to include the feminine and plural forms: citoyen.ne.s, consommateur.rice.s, agriculteur.rice.s. Other examples include acteur.rice.s (actor/actress), ingénieur.e.s (engineer) and directeur.rice.s (directors). …

(Excerpt) Read more at thelocal.fr ...


TOPICS: Education; Local News; Society
KEYWORDS: feminism; france; genderneutral; germany; homosexualagenda; inclusivewriting
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-36 last
To: Arthur McGowan

Nothing new. The Frenchies do this every few years.


21 posted on 10/28/2017 5:47:49 AM PDT by oldsicilian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: oldsicilian

Ugh, French was hard enough without adding even more endings.


22 posted on 10/28/2017 6:12:22 AM PDT by Ciexyz (I'm conservative & traditionalist, a Nationalist and a patriot.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai

Quelle fromage!


23 posted on 10/28/2017 6:14:46 AM PDT by Jim Noble (Single payer is coming. Which kind do you like)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai

24 posted on 10/28/2017 6:37:52 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy (Hitlers Mein Kampf, translated into Arabic, is "My Jihad")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai

And you thought driverless cars were bad . . .


25 posted on 10/28/2017 6:48:09 AM PDT by aspasia
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: alexander_busek

Well, like Newspeak, the new words are out to destroy the old and to narrow the thinking.


26 posted on 10/28/2017 6:59:44 AM PDT by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai
Well, like Newspeak, the new words are out to destroy the old and to narrow the thinking.

I am basically in agreement with you.

Just wanted to present an additional nuance. It is namely not only through the reduction of vocabulary that discourse and thinking can be neutered.

Regards,

27 posted on 10/28/2017 7:06:12 AM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: alexander_busek

Oh, indeed. The more “bad” words, the more “crimethink” charges can be fabricated.


28 posted on 10/28/2017 7:09:39 AM PDT by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai
At least these are legitimate feminine forms of the respective nouns!

Case in point: In German, most such words (der Bauer = the farmer; der Fahrer = the driver; der Verbrecher = the criminal) applying to professions or simply people carrying out a particular action (der Leser = the reader) have the "-er" ending and are masculine in gender.

The German language has always allowed the feminization of such words thusly: Die Bäuerin, die Fahrerin, die Verbrecherin, etc. with the corresponding feminine article - when, in fact, the actual person at hand was, indeed, a female.

In the case of the Plural - even when the given group of people were of both sexes (I guess that's where the accusation of sexism comes into play) - the masculine was used. (Interestingly, the definite article for the Plural looks like the feminine article: die): Die Bauer, die Fahrer, die Verbrecher.

NOW, however, "Gutmenschen" (the Politically Correct) are demanding that we all use weird-looking hybidized forms: Die Bauer/Innen, die Fahrer/Innen, die Verbrecher/Innen (this isn't even possible to implement in spoken form, so speakers are forced to say "Die Bauer und Bäuerinnen," etc.).

It gets even weirder when a neutral noun (German has three genders) happens to have a Plural form ending in "-er." This is the case with the German word for "member." The P.C. crowd still insist upon "feminizing" this neutral noun! Thus, you get a totally ridiculous looking and sounding "Die Mitglieder/Innen."

In short: Many languages are simply not amenable to being "gender-neutraled," and any attempt to do so will yield ugly, laughable, or bizarre results.

Regards,

29 posted on 10/28/2017 7:26:27 AM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai

Quell horror!


30 posted on 10/28/2017 7:41:44 AM PDT by jmacusa ("Made it Ma, top of the world!'')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Architect of Avalon

‘France is being destroyed by feminism and Islam.’

the entire civilized world will be destroyed by the most aberrant practitioners of these twin pillars of insanity; it is simply a matter of time...

females and Muslims are two of the most vigorously protected identity groups...


31 posted on 10/28/2017 8:10:24 AM PDT by IrishBrigade
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Tax-chick

‘...the demise of our native language...’

not to worry; as one freeper after another reminds us almost daily, if only we would say ‘sex’instead of ‘gender’, everything will be hunky-dory...


32 posted on 10/28/2017 8:33:23 AM PDT by IrishBrigade
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: IrishBrigade

Well, that would be a step toward clarity.


33 posted on 10/28/2017 8:37:00 AM PDT by Tax-chick (The bigger the problem, the less likely a solution can be politically feasible.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai

Did anyone ever teach them about the fall of the Roman Empire? The imported foreign labor and foreign soldiers of fortune take over your country and destroy it. Guess France follows Rome.


34 posted on 10/28/2017 9:30:12 AM PDT by Morpheus2009
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Arthur McGowan

Language is used to render men invisible when they do something good or suffer something bad.


35 posted on 10/28/2017 9:31:50 AM PDT by Architect of Avalon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai

36 posted on 10/28/2017 10:48:42 AM PDT by Albion Wilde (I was not elected to continue a failed system. I was elected to change it. --Donald J. Trump)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-36 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson