Ed Greshko <Ed.Greshko@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Tim wrote:
> Well, English already does that. I don't know if others adopt words
> from other languages, like it does. I wasn't aware of there actually
> being new languages developed, other than colloquial jargon.
Sure. The Japanese do it all the time. But when they write them out they
use the Katakan script to indicate that it is an adopted word.
On the other hand, the French fight it tooth and nail. They even have a
national government department charged with defending the French
language. You can get in trouble if you publish something in French
that includes forbidden words (e.g., le Big Mac, le weekend). A rather
vague memory of an article explaining how difficult technology has made
the life of those charged with keeping French French has it that
computers are "le computique" and a program bug is "le bogue". Lots of
other official words that are just close enough to the (original)
English version. When a new word comes along, the office either decides
some existing word is the appropriate translation or coins a new word to
capture the new concept. It will be interesting to see how well they do
over time.
Cheers,
Dave
--
Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles.
-- Ambrose Bierce
