Francophone pedants, prepare to weep

[Nick Armstrong]

NB: It is not le 1 avril, nor is this a poisson d'avril...

Simplifications to the spelling of around 2,400 French words will become official (i.e. in school texts) this year after the summer holidays: http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-fra...e8230-2016.php

An example of the simplification is that the spelling of oignon [onion] is now permitted to be ognon

Also, for instance, the ^ is no longer obligatory where its use doesn't distinguish the word from a different one otherwise spelt the same* ...

Needless to say, the reforms (which have taken 26 years to be enacted) have provoked a polémique south of the Channel...



Language in action....



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* Among the chief points, this simplification of the rules means that the circonflex accent on 'u' and 'i' is no longer obligatory. Coût [cost] becomes cout, and Paraître [to appear] becomes paraitre... However, the accent must still be used where it distinguishes one word from another. The past participle of devoir remains dû [to distinguish it from du = some]. Likewise, the adjective mûr [ripe, mature] remains unchanged so as to avoid confusion with mur [wall].

[Parmi les principaux points, cette simplification des règles ne rend plus obligatoire l'accent circonflexe sur le «u» et le «i». «Coût» deviendra «cout», «paraître» «paraitre»… En revanche, l'accent est conservé pour les mots où il indique une nuance cruciale. Le participe passé de devoir restera «dû». De même, l'adjectif «mûr» restera inchangé pour ne pas le confondre avec «mur».]

[french frank]

[COLOR="#0000FF"]* Among the chief points, this simplification of the rules means that the circonflex accent on 'u' and 'i' is no longer obligatory. Coût [cost] becomes cout, and Paraître [to appear] becomes paraitre... However, the accent must still be used where it distinguishes one word from another. The past participle of devoir remains dû [to distinguish it from du = some]. Likewise, the adjective mûr [ripe, mature] remains unchanged so as to avoid confusion with mur [wall].[/I]

Stop, think: Is there another word that's spelt the same but doesn't have … ah, well, I suppose the next generation will have become used to it … But disappointing for etymologists who appreciate what the circumflex represented e.g. maturu(s) > meür > mûr; muru(s) > mur



[We had to learn accents back in my day, grumble, grumble]

[vinteuil]

Simplifications to the spelling of around 2,400 French words will become official (i.e. in school texts) this year after the summer holidays...

... ah, where did I read about that a couple of days ago?

Ah yes, on the Pedants thread -

... just so that our francophone / francisant friends are kept up to the minute :

http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-fra...e8230-2016.php

[mangerton]

NB: It is not le 1 avril, nor is this a poisson d'avril...

Simplifications to the spelling of around 2,400 French words will become official (i.e. in school texts) this year after the summer holidays: http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-fra...e8230-2016.php

An example of the simplification is that the spelling of oignon [onion] is now permitted to be ognon

Also, for instance, the ^ is no longer obligatory where its use doesn't distinguish the word from a different one otherwise spelt the same* ...

Needless to say, the reforms (which have taken 26 years to be enacted) have provoked a polémique south of the Channel...



Language in action....



-----

Ah mon dieu, c'est affreux, presqu'incroyable, même - sorry, meme! Je suis épouvanté.

Really, what's the point in me struggling to remember the French I painstakingly learned all those years ago, if they go and change it. I mean, have the Romans changed Latin?

[Anna]

Stop, think: Is there another word that's spelt the same but doesn't have … ah, well, I suppose the next generation will have become used to it … But disappointing for etymologists who appreciate what the circumflex represented e.g. maturu(s) > meür > mûr; muru(s) > mur

[We had to learn accents back in my day, grumble, grumble]

Won't ripe be confused with wall?
When I read about onions I didn't understand (but I'm a bit dim when it comes to phonics) why drop the "i" ?

[mangerton]

Stop, think: Is there another word that's spelt the same but doesn't have … ah, well, I suppose the next generation will have become used to it … But disappointing for etymologists who appreciate what the circumflex represented e.g. maturu(s) > meür > mûr; muru(s) > mur



[We had to learn accents back in my day, grumble, grumble]

Quite! I hadn't read this before I posted. I was too busy checking words in my dictionnaire ancien.

[mangerton]

Won't ripe be confused with wall?
When I read about onions I didn't understand (but I'm a bit dim when it comes to phonics) why drop the "i" ?

Cali no doubt will know, but I think it's to do with onions bringing tears to the eyes, so that will be one i that will no longer be affected.

I'll get my coat.

[Nick Armstrong]

... ah, where did I read about that a couple of days ago?

Ah yes, on the Pedants thread -

Ah.... ...not being a pedant, I only infrequently find myself in the corner

Worth a thread of its own, I think, non?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Don't think it couldn't happen here.

http://spellingsociety.org/news?articleid=25

The French proposals are rather mild by comparison.

[Nick Armstrong]

Won't ripe be confused with wall?

No more than hitherto:

the accent must still be used where it distinguishes one word from another... the adjective mûr [ripe, mature] remains unchanged so as to avoid confusion with mur [wall].

l'accent est conservé pour les mots où il indique une nuance cruciale... l'adjectif «mûr» restera inchangé pour ne pas le confondre avec «mur».]

[Beef Oven!]

NB: It is not le 1 avril, nor is this a poisson d'avril...

Simplifications to the spelling of around 2,400 French words will become official (i.e. in school texts) this year after the summer holidays: http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-fra...e8230-2016.php

An example of the simplification is that the spelling of oignon [onion] is now permitted to be ognon

Also, for instance, the ^ is no longer obligatory where its use doesn't distinguish the word from a different one otherwise spelt the same* ...

Needless to say, the reforms (which have taken 26 years to be enacted) have provoked a polémique south of the Channel...



Language in action....



-----


* Among the chief points, this simplification of the rules means that the circonflex accent on 'u' and 'i' is no longer obligatory. Coût [cost] becomes cout, and Paraître [to appear] becomes paraitre... However, the accent must still be used where it distinguishes one word from another. The past participle of devoir remains dû [to distinguish it from du = some]. Likewise, the adjective mûr [ripe, mature] remains unchanged so as to avoid confusion with mur [wall].

[Parmi les principaux points, cette simplification des règles ne rend plus obligatoire l'accent circonflexe sur le «u» et le «i». «Coût» deviendra «cout», «paraître» «paraitre»… En revanche, l'accent est conservé pour les mots où il indique une nuance cruciale. Le participe passé de devoir restera «dû». De même, l'adjectif «mûr» restera inchangé pour ne pas le confondre avec «mur».]

It's just political correctness gone mad

[Richard Barrett]

It's just political correctness gone mad

[teamsaint]

Disappointing.

All the things I failed to learn in O level french will now be wrong.

[Pianorak]

Sounds familiar.

TheGerman orthography reform of 1996(Rechtschreibreform) was a change to German spelling and punctuation that was intended to simplify German orthography and thus to make it easier to learn,[1]without substantially changing the rules familiar to all living users of the language. . .
The reformedorthographybecame obligatory in schools and in public administration. However, there was a campaign against the reform, and in the resulting public debate theFederal Constitutional Court of Germanywas called upon to delineate the extent of reform. In 1998[3]the court stated that because there was no law governing orthography, outside the schools people could spell as they liked, including the use of traditional spelling. In March 2006, theCouncil for German Orthographyagreed unanimously toremove the most controversial changesfrom the reform . . . (wiki)

[Beef Oven!]

Disappointing.

All the things I failed to learn in O level french will now be wrong.

Same here - and ya boo to all those who knew their oignons!