Un bonjour à tous depuis Paris

[Steve F]

1 hour ago, John Mitchell said:

 

Hopefully, Foxytoul is still in the building because he/she has a lot of translating to do.

 

In school, we were taught French by well-meaning anglophones. Our French textbooks made no reference at all to Quebec culture. I came out the back end of the PSBGM (Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal) being able to write "Parisian" French quite well but had trouble carrying out a basic conversation in the street. Fortunately, I lived for some time in a small French Canadian (as we used to say before it became politically incorrect) village on the South Shore of Montreal, so most of my friends were francophones. They of course were keen on learning anglais from me so that they could absorb more cool American culture on TV. However, they did teach me to swear well, which I still do. Tabarnak!

 

P.S.  My French improved a lot after finding a French Canadian girlfriend and having jobs in the real world where I actually had to speak some French.

 

My French teacher at school was American. Hmmm, that explains a lot 😄 Nah, I was just rubbish. There's nothing like being thrown in at the deep end with a Monday morning Geotechnics lecture in French at 8 am and you don't have a clue what the guy down front is saying or writing. And I have memories of getting very frustrated with my gf at the time because I was trying to pronounce something and she kept saying, "No, it's like this." And I'd say, "That's what I just said!!" But I was wrong. Poor girl..... 😬

[Steve F]

3 minutes ago, Autumn Sky said:

I knew, I KNEW you were going to say that!  Can't live with them, can't live without them

That's a U2 song my wife suggested for our wedding until I explained the lyrics 😄

[John Mitchell]

13 minutes ago, meanderingemu said:

 

 

and i had same experience in reverse with English, being raised early on in more Anglo area west of Montreal (Hudson). also same with the Anglophone girlfriend and job once I move to Toronto....  

 

I don't think that Hudson has changed much. Non? I was bused every day from the South Shore to a high school in Montreal West, which remains a stodgy "anglo bubble." In fact, it looks and sounds pretty much the same as it did in the 60's.

 

P.S. I did actually manage to upload a few images today. 😁

[Autumn Sky]

When I was 16 I spent summer in London attending  International school of English, all different nationalities in classroom & only way to communicate was English.  That did the trick.  At least in terms of conversation abilities.   Still remember the sequence, teacher had me and some Brazilian girl up front, she was acting like a customer in antiquities store, and I was supposed to be merchant trying to talk her into buying something, we'd haggle for price, etc.  They filmed it and later whole class watched, with teacher pointing out various things   ("Correct way to say this was ....") etc.  It was great

[meanderingemu]

4 hours ago, Steve F said:

 

Are you Quebecois? There were 4 quebecois in my halls of residence when I was studying in Strasbourg, and when they talked the local lingo, it was like another completely different language! Mon char is my car and all that.... I do think English is relatively easy to learn at a basic level, but then, I'm biased! But very difficult to talk fluently, like most other languages I guess. I've taught some English informally, yes I'm aware there's a lot of irregular verbs and rules in English. That's the one advantage about German, the rules are never broken, it's just that the rules are really really complicated. 16 the's

Nom. Der die das die

Acc. Den die das die

Dat. Dem der dem den

Gen. Des der des der

 

Painful 😝

 

 

 

 

i was born in Québec. as for the French we speak in Canada, it was first a rural french from Northern part of France, and we got cut off for 200 years.  So when cars arrived, we didn't know what the new "accepted" term was, so my grand-parent generation took the word they already had for a 4-wheeled mode of transportation, char=cart. 

and it goes on, my grandmother referred to refrigerator as "glacière" -icebox.  

 

I was told once by an Hungarian lady whose family had immigrated to Australia early 20th century that they had similar things and that when speaking between them they would call fridge the Hungarian word for icebox, to the great derision of Hungarian who would come to visit 50 years later.   

[Autumn Sky]

18 minutes ago, meanderingemu said:

 

i was born in Québec. as for the French we speak in Canada, it was first a rural french from Northern part of France, and we got cut off for 200 years.

 

I worked as tour guide in my 20s back on Adriatic Coast.  Once I had buss full of Canadians;  80% English, 20% Quebec.  Quebec people would sit together on back seat and keep mostly to themselves.  When they spoke to each other it was hard, not to say impossible, to understand.  If I'd talk to them, they would switch to "proper" French,  and of course if talking to rest of the group they would talk English.  I found this quite interesting.

[MizBrown]

I met a French Canadian couple visiting Jinotega a few years back.  They spoke English the way I speak Spanish even after ten years here.

[Steve F]

10 hours ago, meanderingemu said:

 

i was born in Québec. as for the French we speak in Canada, it was first a rural french from Northern part of France, and we got cut off for 200 years.  So when cars arrived, we didn't know what the new "accepted" term was, so my grand-parent generation took the word they already had for a 4-wheeled mode of transportation, char=cart. 

and it goes on, my grandmother referred to refrigerator as "glacière" -icebox.  

 

I was told once by an Hungarian lady whose family had immigrated to Australia early 20th century that they had similar things and that when speaking between them they would call fridge the Hungarian word for icebox, to the great derision of Hungarian who would come to visit 50 years later.   

 

That was the impression I had, that quebecois is old French essentially. I always found it entertaining that France had a government department dedicated to keeping the language 'pure', l'Academie Francaise. But I think a lot of French people ignore them, so courrier electronique (just courriel now?) is l'email or just le mel for the person on the street. And I believe Quebec is even stricter about maintaining language standards than the French...?

 

I thought char was also a tank, as in, war machine?

 

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by Steve F

[meanderingemu]

11 hours ago, Autumn Sky said:

 

I worked as tour guide in my 20s back on Adriatic Coast.  Once I had buss full of Canadians;  80% English, 20% Quebec.  Quebec people would sit together on back seat and keep mostly to themselves.  When they spoke to each other it was hard, not to say impossible, to understand.  If I'd talk to them, they would switch to "proper" French,  and of course if talking to rest of the group they would talk English.  I found this quite interesting.

 

"proper" French? you mean like  "Ce week-end j'ai fait un footing entre le parking et le terminal de ferry"

 

🙂 

[meanderingemu]

1 hour ago, Steve F said:

 

That was the impression I had, that quebecois is old French essentially. I always found it entertaining that France had a government department dedicated to keeping the language 'pure', l'Academie Francaise. But I think a lot of French people ignore them, so courrier electronique (just courriel now?) is l'email or just le mel for the person on the street. And I believe Quebec is even stricter about maintaining language standards than the French...?

 

I thought char was also a tank, as in, war machine?

 

 

 

 

Char is also used for war machine, with the same derivative origins, which makes the historical use of it for cars in Canada even funnier

 

Yes Québec is more militant in their protectionism of the language. Not sure what France's reasoning is for using non French words when they have one in French-always found it fascinating how they would hate the English and the Americans but thought it "cool" to use their words....  I do know Quebec was going to far in the 80s trying to change usage for way too much stuff, yes using "stationnement" is obvious, but trying to stuff "hambourgeois" down was a bit much.  

 

Quebec does have L'Office de la Langue Française, who will promote usage of words, help with usage and standardisation.  Simple things like last year working on convention with other Francophone linguists that Covid was féminin in it's usage, which only happened after a couple of month in   

[John Mitchell]

18 hours ago, meanderingemu said:

 

i was born in Québec. as for the French we speak in Canada, it was first a rural french from Northern part of France, and we got cut off for 200 years.  So when cars arrived, we didn't know what the new "accepted" term was, so my grand-parent generation took the word they already had for a 4-wheeled mode of transportation, char=cart. 

and it goes on, my grandmother referred to refrigerator as "glacière" -icebox.  

 

I was told once by an Hungarian lady whose family had immigrated to Australia early 20th century that they had similar things and that when speaking between them they would call fridge the Hungarian word for icebox, to the great derision of Hungarian who would come to visit 50 years later.   

 

Mon crisse de char est brisé!

 

I love Quebec French. It's a language unto itself.

[Autumn Sky]

7 hours ago, meanderingemu said:

 

"proper" French? you mean like  "Ce week-end j'ai fait un footing entre le parking et le terminal de ferry"

 

🙂 

sorry, maybe I didn't use the right words.  It was mostly the accent that was hard to understand.   I find same to be true here (fair amount of French in Banff area)

 

it is hilarious btw how this thread morphed into francophone & linguistic discussion.  Hope you guys are selling photos in between, because I seem to be stuck here since mid-March

Edited March 30, 2021 by Autumn Sky

[meanderingemu]

4 hours ago, John Mitchell said:

 

Mon crisse de char est brisé!

 

I love Quebec French. It's a language unto itself.

 

Always fascinated that what most people retain from the language, is fact that most of our swear words comes from the church- i grew up with it, but these words are still swear words to me.  The French find it quaint and hilarious, until i point out that it comes from having issues with the Church, and isn't it interesting all their swear words and based on sex and sexuality.   

 

 

Have you ever heard Acadien?  It's flowy French with a dash on English throughout....  it is so beautiful to listen, but even i have to concentrate.  

 

here is one of my favourite example of the accent, and Acadien version of Jolene

 

 

[meanderingemu]

4 hours ago, Autumn Sky said:

sorry, maybe I didn't use the right words.  It was mostly the accent that was hard to understand.   I find same to be true here (fair amount of French in Banff area)

 

it is hilarious btw how this thread morphed into francophone & linguistic discussion.  Hope you guys are selling photos in between, because I seem to be stuck here since mid-March

 

 

don't worry, it's more the funny part that the French who claim to be "true French" use so many English words and we like to make fun of them, especially since many are under the misconception that we are worse.... we have different words, but based from old French

 

and the accent is hard like any rural accent. But there are parts of France where i have issues in the south.  And don't get me with some of the English accents.... 

 

 

I remember Banff regularly being served in French.  

 

 

as for sales, nope this month as been deadly, made worse by a significant refund, so i just put that aside, and decided to spend a few weeks just doing pictures for me.    

[Autumn Sky]

47 minutes ago, meanderingemu said:

 

 

And don't get me with some of the English accents.... 

 

 

 

I have a story to share on this one

 

While spending summer in London, I'd also travel on weekends.  Once in train, guy approaches me and asks "What's the time".  But this was not usual pronunciation (american) I learned, it was like you pronounce first part of Thames (river);  also with heavy accent.  Maybe Scottish?  I did not understand him and answered "I don't know";   he looked funny at me because I was in T-shirt with wrist watch clearly showing. LOL

[John Mitchell]

18 hours ago, meanderingemu said:

 

Always fascinated that what most people retain from the language, is fact that most of our swear words comes from the church- i grew up with it, but these words are still swear words to me.  The French find it quaint and hilarious, until i point out that it comes from having issues with the Church, and isn't it interesting all their swear words and based on sex and sexuality.   

 

 

Have you ever heard Acadien?  It's flowy French with a dash on English throughout....  it is so beautiful to listen, but even i have to concentrate.  

 

here is one of my favourite example of the accent, and Acadien version of Jolene

 

 

 

Very haunting rendition. I can only catch the occasional word, though, which doesn't matter of course

 

Yes, Mother Church has always been the target -- for good reason -- of most Quebecois swear words. And of course for us more prudish anglos, sex has been the main source of colourful language.

[Autumn Sky]

I think every language and culture will have range of swear words centered around sex, or more specifically around F word.   In more benign form, might not even be a swear word but part of everyday language,  around 'merde'

 

This thread is now definitely NOT going into intended direction

[meanderingemu]

35 minutes ago, Autumn Sky said:

I think every language and culture will have range of swear words centered around sex, or more specifically around F word.   In more benign form, might not even be a swear word but part of everyday language,  around 'merde'

 

This thread is now definitely NOT going into intended direction

 

we seem to be the exception, mine are centered on the catholic religion, the most violent swear word i can think of are derived from tabernacle, chalice, host, sacrament, ciborium and baby Jesus. 

 

 

[Steve F]

2 hours ago, Autumn Sky said:

I think every language and culture will have range of swear words centered around sex, or more specifically around F word.   In more benign form, might not even be a swear word but part of everyday language,  around 'merde'

 

This thread is now definitely NOT going into intended direction

 

Oddly enough, all the French students taught me a lot of French swear words and slang. Apparently it was entertaining to hear a Brit saying naughty words in French.... 😅

[Foxytoul]

Bonjour mes amis,

J'ai toujours le même problème, l'adresse de mon portfolio que m'indique Alamy c'est : https://www.alamy.com/search/imageresults.aspx?pl=1&plno=813334

Si je clique moi même sur ce lien, j'accède à mes photos

Mais lorsque mes amis cliquent sur ce lien, ils obtiennent le message " alamy.com/404error.asp".

Je n'arrive pas a résoudre ce problème, merci pour une aide éventuelle

Bien cordialement

[gvallee]

21 minutes ago, Foxytoul said:

Bonjour mes amis,

J'ai toujours le même problème, l'adresse de mon portfolio que m'indique Alamy c'est : https://www.alamy.com/search/imageresults.aspx?pl=1&plno=813334

Si je clique moi même sur ce lien, j'accède à mes photos

Mais lorsque mes amis cliquent sur ce lien, ils obtiennent le message " alamy.com/404error.asp".

Je n'arrive pas a résoudre ce problème, merci pour une aide éventuelle

Bien cordialement

 

Je vais essayer de t'aider mais je ne suis pas sure du resultat, je n'utilise pas mon portfolio.

J'ai regarde et je crois que peut-etre tu manques la derniere etape:

une fois que tu es dans ton portfolio, clique 'Share this portfolio'. Copy link. Utilise ce link pour distribuer.

 

Quand je clique sur mon portfolio, j'obtiens comme toi le format https://www.alamy.com/search/imageresults.aspx?pl=1&plno=649250. Si j'utilise cet URL, il retourne une error.

Mais quand je clique sur Share this portfolio, j'obtiens https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/genevievevallee. 

Je l'ai teste et ca marche.

 

Bonne chance! Dis-moi si ce a marche.

 

Gen

[Autumn Sky]

Foxytoul:

 

1.  At Contributor Dashboard make sure Portfolio Visibility is "ON", then click on "Alamy Portofolio Page" link

2.  At Portfolio Page click on "Share This Portfolio"

3.  At Popup Box click on "Copy Link".   This will be your public portfolio page link

 

i.e. for me, it is  https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/112496.html

 

Reason for me it is number and for Gvallee her name is because she has setup her profile fully, and I have not.  If you do, it will be something like https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/mohammedguerre

 

Hope this helps.  Sorry for English, but I'd make too many spelling errors if I used French. Cheers

 

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by Autumn Sky

[Foxytoul]

Bonjour et merci pour votre aide

j'ai suivi vos conseils et j'obtiens ceci : https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/foxytoul

et mes amis ont toujours le message "Erreur" 

Je ne sais plus quoi faire 

Bonne journée à toutes et tous 

[Foxytoul]

On 03/04/2021 at 11:20, gvallee said:

 

Je vais essayer de t'aider mais je ne suis pas sûr du résultat, je n'utilise pas mon portfolio.

J'ai regarde et je crois que peut-etre tu manques la derniere etape:

une fois que tu es dans ton portfolio, clique 'Share this portfolio'. Copier le lien. Utilisez ce link pour distribuer.

 

Quand je clique sur mon portfolio, j'obtiens comme toi le format  https://www.alamy.com/search/imageresults.aspx?pl=1&plno=649250 . Si j'utilise cette URL, il retourne une erreur.

Mais quand je clique sur Partagez ce portfolio, j'obtiens  https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/genevievevallee . 

Je l'ai teste et ca marche.

 

Bonne chance! Dis-moi si ce a marche.

 

Gen

Bonjour, Merci pour ton aide, mais malheureusement cela ne fonctionne pas et je ne sais pas comment contacter Alamy pour essayer de résoudre ce problème. 

Bien cordialement 

[gvallee]

15 minutes ago, Foxytoul said:

Bonjour, Merci pour ton aide, mais malheureusement cela ne fonctionne pas et je ne sais pas comment contacter Alamy pour essayer de résoudre ce problème. 

Bien cordialement 

 

Desolee, alors je ne sais pas. Envoie un mail a Alamy : contributors@alamy.com

 

Bonne chance  !