Hacker News Reader

Comment by flexie | Hacker News Reader

Ah - you don't think it's a little off that a tiny, obscure and exclusive group of 70-100 year olds, dressed up in costumes from a bygone era, gets to decide what goes into your official dictionary? Especially when they talk in such pompous way:

"Words shoot up like geysers from your pen, tumble in cascades, swirl about, bump into each other, are never at rest". That doesn't sound like someone I would chose to guard a language.

I find the sound of the French language absolutely beautiful, including the when you use English words, and I am an admirer of your country's culture. Unlike many here on HN, I also like your version of regulated capitalism. I think the average French person has much better quality of life than the average American. But I really don't see the point in this Académie Française. For a republic, you sure seem to keep a fair share of antiquated institutions and traditions around :-)

View on HN

> "Words shoot up like geysers from your pen, tumble in cascades, swirl about, bump into each other, are never at rest". That doesn't sound like someone I would chose to guard a language.

I would not judge based on a single phrase, because I can imagine a very different minds which can produce it. He can be a person who likes to speak, who tries to get a maximum from the language he speaks, who knows language and loves it. Or maybe he just an impositor, consciously or unconsciously. He can love old language and hate any attempts to change it, or he can be happy with some changes while rejecting others.

At last, he can just a few minute ago had a conversation with someone else, who spoke like that and it was good, and under impression of that he accidently did the same. It happens sometimes. So this phrase could be produced not by a special mind, but by a special state of mind and had nothing to do with personality traits.

>Ah - you don't think it's a little off that a tiny, obscure and exclusive group of 70-100 year olds, dressed up in costumes from a bygone era, gets to decide what goes into your official dictionary?

No.

>"Words shoot up like geysers from your pen, tumble in cascades, swirl about, bump into each other, are never at rest"

Better that, than the mix of pop culture references and business weasel words, the English have become.

I don't think, by your comment, that you understand the sentiments of continental Europeans in general, and the French in particular.

>For a republic, you sure seem to keep a fair share of antiquated institutions and traditions around

A republic is its traditions. Else it's just a market contract.

I am a continental European myself and have lived in three European countries, two of which are republics (not France though). You?

Lived in one, ethnic origins from another, studied in a third, have visited repeatedly over 10 of them, speak 3 of their languages (4 with mine, tho to be frank my French are read-only, as my accent has always been quite bad even in my native language), and am well-read in 4 of Western European countries' literature and philosophical writings. Have also worked for one pan-European organization.

That said, I'm probably not in line with the "modern" americanized Europeans, so there's that. Just with the good fashioned European culture. I don't find frilly language (like the example) offensive for example...

> Better that, than the mix of pop culture references and business weasel words, the English have become.

That makes little sense. Anyway, I'm going to go and synergise my Kim Kardashians.

Noice! You're putting the p... on the chain wax! How disruptively on-demand!

Reply on news.ycombinator.com