This blogpost is a representation of 'VERS FRANÇAIS', verses about saying things in French, as initially posted on this blog February 15, 2020.
CURRENT CONTENTS: (original posting -- February 15, 2020)
Avant-garde savant
Bilingual labelling
Corniches
Franglais
French enologists
Authors' Note: The present participle (participe présent) is used much less commonly in French than in English; the good news is that this form is regular for all but three verbs (to know, to have, to be). In contrast, infinitives are used more often, so 'knowing and doing' is described by savoir-faire.
Savant, an archaic form derived from savoir, is still in use as a noun for 'someone who knows' (a prodigy).
Avant looks as though it should be the present participle for avoir, but in fact it derives from the Latin preposition abante; but, as a loanword, e.g. avant-garde, it has become associated with the 'forefront' (ayant is in fact the present participle 'having').
Authors' Note:
au verso (oh vehr-soh) French for 'on the reverse side'
Bilingual labelling, if you pay attention to it, produces some startling results. In Canada, pomegranates and their juice must be imported. But, in French-speaking parts of the country, we would refer to them as grenades, the modern French term for the fruit. In the circumstance under discussion, the particular juice-box was labelled on its French side as jus de grenade.
An archaic term for the tree and for the fruit, pomegranate derives from the Middle Ages, but seems to have gotten stuck in English as a sort of borrowed anachronism. On the other hand, we have grenadine syrup, a cocktail additive, putatively made from pomegranate juice, but in fact, often concocted from synthetic ingredients.
An archaic term for the tree and for the fruit, pomegranate derives from the Middle Ages, but seems to have gotten stuck in English as a sort of borrowed anachronism. On the other hand, we have grenadine syrup, a cocktail additive, putatively made from pomegranate juice, but in fact, often concocted from synthetic ingredients.
You can review verses on this topic in a wider context on our full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'. Check the post 'Vers Francais: Savoir-Faire' by clicking HERE.
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Authors' Note:
en visite (ahn vee-ZEET): ‘while visiting'
les touristes (lay too-REEST): 'the tourists’
non-français (non frahn-SEH): ‘not French (speaking)’
ils causaient (eel koh-ZEH): 'they chatted‘
Québécois (kay-bay-KWAH): ‘resident of Quebec (province)’
franglais (frahn-GLEH): ‘Franglais, a mixed lingo’
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