As a native speaker of French, I find it amusing that many English speakers use so much French expressions and words, which they can't even pronounce correctly. Especially "au revoir" is funny: pronounced by an English speaker, it doesn't sound French at all! What do you think of that "Frenchness" of English?
Use of French in English
We think the same when people in other languages use English expressions. Eg, all those Asian teenagers who say "bi-bi", all those Hindi TV shows where they speak Hindi and then suddenly say something in English, those stupid loan words in Spanish "esa película tiene mucho feeling"
Well, in my opinion the pronunciation of loan words in English should be totally anglicised for a simple reason: when speaking English, and even though the word in quetion is French, you're not supposed to speak a foreign language so I don't see the point of adopting a French accent when pronouncing it. You cannot be expected to pronounce a loan word with the accent of its original language because there are many foreign sounds which a lot of English people can't reproduce. And of course, this can be applied to every languages, just stop trying to reproduce the exact sounds of a loan word, it's unecessary and ridiculous.
If you do it too much you just sound wanky or poncy. Like Frasier and Niles Crane, for example.
I hear some people use the term "coup de grace" but the mispronounce it as coo-day-grah.
I quite like these French phrases though. Agent Provocateur is a good one, and what exactly is an eminence gris? Appologies for missing out the accents, I'm never sure where to put them.
I quite like these French phrases though. Agent Provocateur is a good one, and what exactly is an eminence gris? Appologies for missing out the accents, I'm never sure where to put them.
<<I hear some people use the term "coup de grace" but the mispronounce it as coo-day-grah. >>
In English that's not a mispronunciation, but rather the norm.
In English that's not a mispronunciation, but rather the norm.
The English's 'Frenchness' is quite amusing, especially when you speak both languages. To English speakers that do not know any French, they are at least aware they are of French origin, but the wrong pronunciation is of no importance since everyone understands in English when it's pronounced the wrong way.
Have you ever heard a French person say Mariah Carey or other English words/people/phrases? It's equally as hilariously. An English speaker would have no idea that they are saying Mariah Carey.
Also, for my money, le shampooing is the funniest word in French. Le weekend is funny too... but just goes to show you, there are many that go both ways. There's a huge list on the French Wikipedia that list French words of English origin.
Another one of the greatest examples: cunif... comes from the French not being able to pronounce knife. Kuuh-neef.
Have you ever heard a French person say Mariah Carey or other English words/people/phrases? It's equally as hilariously. An English speaker would have no idea that they are saying Mariah Carey.
Also, for my money, le shampooing is the funniest word in French. Le weekend is funny too... but just goes to show you, there are many that go both ways. There's a huge list on the French Wikipedia that list French words of English origin.
Another one of the greatest examples: cunif... comes from the French not being able to pronounce knife. Kuuh-neef.
Wow, I wrote that fast... hilariously should be hilarious and The English's should be just English's. Sorry.
"Another one of the greatest examples: cunif... comes from the French not being able to pronounce knife. Kuuh-neef. "
I'm not sure that's really the case.
Canif is probably a borrowing from a time when initial K was still pronounced in English and before "I" underwent a vowel shift from "ee" to "eye". Or perhaps it's the descendant of another Old Frankish cognate.
I'm not sure that's really the case.
Canif is probably a borrowing from a time when initial K was still pronounced in English and before "I" underwent a vowel shift from "ee" to "eye". Or perhaps it's the descendant of another Old Frankish cognate.
<<Canif is probably a borrowing from a time when initial K was still pronounced in English and before "I" underwent a vowel shift from "ee" to "eye". Or perhaps it's the descendant of another Old Frankish cognate. >>
French 'canif' is indeed a borrowing of Old Norse 'knífr'' or Frankish *'kníf', which is cognate to Anglo-Saxon 'cníf' "knife".
'Knife' in English was pronounced /knif/ with the 'k' sound and the continental value for 'i' up until the time before the GVS
French 'canif' is indeed a borrowing of Old Norse 'knífr'' or Frankish *'kníf', which is cognate to Anglo-Saxon 'cníf' "knife".
'Knife' in English was pronounced /knif/ with the 'k' sound and the continental value for 'i' up until the time before the GVS
I have known English people pronounce 'knife' as 'k' - 'nife'. I thought the reason that they did this was partly out of ignorance and partly for fun.
Imagine an English teacher trying to explain how to spell 'knife'.
"Remember children it is 'k'-'nife'"
So as a joke, the children then refer to the 'k' 'nife'.
Sorry, was that 'k' 'nife' or 'k' 'nive'!
Imagine an English teacher trying to explain how to spell 'knife'.
"Remember children it is 'k'-'nife'"
So as a joke, the children then refer to the 'k' 'nife'.
Sorry, was that 'k' 'nife' or 'k' 'nive'!