Talking of cheque's and France,

I notice a lot of people in France still use them at the supermarket check-outs to pay for their groceries. Something I haven't seen for quite a while in the UK

And before anyone tries to jump down my throat, it's just an observation

and they still make there bread in long oval lengths bigger than any bag you have instead of rectangles with each slice perfectly cut  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

True, but it tastes much nicer than english bread

As I have been misguidedly addressed as pedantic I will if I may, just address your post kimosabe: Cheque is not directly from the French chequé; it is from C14th French word "eschec" which itself is derived from Persian. It's meaning is to make a pause to verify something.

PLEASE DO NOT READ THE REST OF THIS POST IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN A PRECIS OF THE ORIGIN OF MODERN ENGLISH

-oo0oo-

The modern English language has its origins amongst the many European languages that this island's host of invaders brought with them. The lexicon is currently comprised of over 88,000 words and many of those words used in daily life are in fact letter-for-letter imports from our European neighbours, here's just one example - the word "idea" - for this we have to thank the Greeks.

In general use there are more than 300 words letter-for-letter from Latin and the list of other influences is extensive. However the most influential change came in the C11th with the Norman invasion which began what can be reasonably described as a genocide of the language that was spoken by King Harold's subjects that lasted for almost the next 300 years. That linguistic looting (Hindi) became an assassination (Arabic) of a communication culture of the native population.

As William of Malmesbury wrote in the Orderic Vitalis of "this terrible havoc of our most dear country", for the Normans could speak nothing but their own language, and spoke French as they did at home and taught their offspring born on the isle of Britain nothing but French. That disenfranchised the native peoples (the now lower classes) who could only speak old English. This was a humiliating ethnic division based on language and enforced as barbarically as Hitler attempted to impose his new Aryan order.

This linguistic carnage (Latin) would only start to be reversed in the C14th after the restoration of the throne into "English" hands, and thankfully the French baby was not thrown out with the bath water. Their linguistic art (French) was absorbed into the old English lexicon.

So, to seek to protect a heritage forged over thousands of years from a rich pallet of other languages during war and peace is not to be pedantic, rather it is to embrace and cherish one's heritage, and not to consign it to what's just cool or convenient.

Last edited by athelstan on 4th Sep 2012 4:57 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Athelstan!

You appear to be wise with words. Are you or have you been a teacher or lecturer in a previous life

Never had a previous life Dave - only the one I have