06-17-2010, 12:39 PM | #61 |
zeldinha zippy zeldissima
Posts: 27,827
Karma: 921169
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Paris, France
Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?
|
actually some of the anti-liseuse stances in this thread and elsewhere *are* a bit reminiscent of the Académie's attempts to prevent people from using words they don't approve of. but, 1. the Académie can say what they want, everyone still says "weekend" and "parking" in french (and at this point i'm pretty sure they've given up on that anyway), and 2. my impression is that the foreign press has tended to greatly exagerrate their reports of the Académie's actions / influence.
|
06-17-2010, 12:41 PM | #62 | |
Professional Adventuress
Posts: 13,368
Karma: 50260224
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!)
Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle
|
Quote:
I think it is ironic that such a tizzy is being made over a french word when the french get their panties into such a wad over the perceived bastardization of their language. to the point of having a government office overseeing it |
|
Advert | |
|
06-17-2010, 12:52 PM | #63 | |
Banned
Posts: 5,100
Karma: 72193
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: South of the Border
Device: Coffin
|
Quote:
Can't we Liseusers just have our word without everybody party-pooping all over it all the time? |
|
06-17-2010, 01:35 PM | #64 | |
Country Member
Posts: 9,058
Karma: 7676767
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Denmark
Device: Liseuse: Irex DR800. PRS 505 in the house, and the missus has an iPad.
|
Quote:
Up with minger's I say - or even up with minges |
|
06-17-2010, 03:01 PM | #65 | |
Banned
Posts: 5,100
Karma: 72193
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: South of the Border
Device: Coffin
|
Quote:
*tears in eyes with laughter* I want to give you a billion karma points for using the word 'minges', but alas I already gave you karma. |
|
Advert | |
|
06-17-2010, 09:40 PM | #66 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,256
Karma: 35000000
Join Date: Jan 2008
Device: Pocketbook
|
wow, what a lively debate! I've been working for the last 14 hours, so just read the thread.
Where did LASER come from? Compact Disc? MP3? Linux? .... A small group of geeks created a tag and used it. It filled a descriptive void, and became part of common usage. This happens in living languages with changing technologies. We have a cluster of devices, all designed to read formatted electronic images of paper books as their primary function. English does not have a unique word that describes these devices, that does not already have other common usages. Most of the suggested words not unique, either being defined as existing formats (confusion), or don't distinguish between the device and the images being read/displayed, or flat out being confused with it's analog predecessor. In France, they had the same problem, and they created a word to specifically describe the devices in question. Some of us have picked up the word from francophones, because it fills a lexicographic in the English language, and is short (2 syllables). Furthermore, being a recent import, it has <no> overlap with any other term currently in use. If this is a bother, then the people who are offended by it need to create a unique term for use in English to describe these devices, and for popular usage, it needs to be two syllables or less, and have <no> overlap with existing technology. (Note, the term e-book (with or without hyphen) is now a worldwide term for the digital image of a book. nobody confuses it with any other usage. The readers of e-books need a word with the same level of uniqueness.) Of course, some people like me may still use the French word, just as a bon mot. |
06-17-2010, 10:37 PM | #67 | |
Maratus speciosus butt
Posts: 3,292
Karma: 1162698
Join Date: Sep 2009
Device: PRS-350
|
Quote:
"Compact Disc" comes the closest to being a correct analogy for this thread-- it is a simple, plain-English descriptive term that anyone can quickly grasp and remember-- a "Compact Disc" is a round platter like a record, but really small-- it is a "disc" that is "compact". To get the analogy exactly correct, there would have to be a group of people who, concerned that there would be too much confusion when people said "Compact Disc" as to whether they were talking about the disc itself or the device that plays it, several years after they entered the market started wanting people to call Compact Disc players "ezlakoplobs"-- just to avoid the confusion. Then, rather than having to go through the trouble of saying "Compact Disc" and "Compact Disc player" they could say "compact disc" and "ezlakoplob", making everything simple, clear, and non-confusing. |
|
06-18-2010, 03:25 AM | #68 | |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
Quote:
So the situation in French is at least as confused as it is in English, and there really does seem to be no justification for attempting to import a French word, when "eBook reader" or "eReader" has become the standard used in English. |
|
06-18-2010, 03:28 AM | #69 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,981
Karma: 11862367
Join Date: Apr 2008
Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2
|
It's already been imported! And I like it
|
06-18-2010, 03:28 AM | #70 | |
Banned
Posts: 5,100
Karma: 72193
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: South of the Border
Device: Coffin
|
Quote:
|
|
06-18-2010, 03:38 AM | #71 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,981
Karma: 11862367
Join Date: Apr 2008
Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2
|
Defining a word as belonging to one language only and refusing to allow migration of words is not a bit narrow-minded. Am I wrong?
|
06-18-2010, 03:40 AM | #72 |
Banned
Posts: 5,100
Karma: 72193
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: South of the Border
Device: Coffin
|
|
06-18-2010, 03:42 AM | #73 | |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
Quote:
You are of course very welcome to use any word you wish, just as other people are equally entitled to express their objections to it. I just think personally that you're on to a "no hoper"; your chances are getting this word accepted in English are non-existant. There is also the issue of people understanding what you mean. If you say to someone "I have a liseuse", they almost certainly won't have a clue what you mean; say "I have an eBook Reader" and, even if they have never come across the device, they will at least have a reasonable idea of what you're talking about. Last edited by HarryT; 06-18-2010 at 03:44 AM. Reason: Typo |
|
06-18-2010, 03:45 AM | #74 | |
Banned
Posts: 5,100
Karma: 72193
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: South of the Border
Device: Coffin
|
Quote:
|
|
06-18-2010, 04:07 AM | #75 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 9,707
Karma: 32763414
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Krewerd
Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
|
Quote:
|
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
liseuse or not liseuse : l'angoisse du grand lecteur... | glin | Lounge français | 39 | 10-21-2011 03:19 PM |
let's get liseuse recognized as a real word | Nate the great | Lounge | 247 | 09-18-2009 01:57 AM |
Romance Ebers, Georg: A Word, Only a Word. V1. 20 Mar 2009 | crutledge | IMP Books | 0 | 03-20-2009 08:12 AM |
Romance Ebers, Georg: A Word, Only a Word. V1. 20 Mar 2009 | crutledge | ePub Books | 0 | 03-20-2009 08:09 AM |