Category: French (français)

Pseudolanguages

By Simon

One way English speakers play with English is by making into Pig Latin. This involves move the first sound of each word to the end and adding “ay”; for example Pig Latin becomes Ig-pay atin-lay. If a word starts with a vowel you might add hey, way or yay to the end. This creates a sort of pseudolanguage that sounds vaguely like Latin and can be used as a secret code, or just for fun.

I found an article today about language games like this in other languages.

I knew about Pig Latin, though had never played with, and about Verlan in French, but not about the equivalents in other languages. Have you played any of these games? Do you know of any others?

Les mots de la semaine

By Simon
français English Cymraeg Brezhoneg
avoir une idée en tête; être obnublié par qch to have a bee in one’s bonnet chwilen yn dy ben
être imbu(e) de soi-même to be full of oneself bod yn llawn ohonat ti dy hunan
imbiber qch de to soak sth in gwylchu/mwydo rhwybeth mewn intrañ; spluiañ; gouzourañ
s’imbiber de to become saturated with dirlenwi efo/gyda gouzourañ
le noisetier hazel (tree) cyll kelver
la dépression; la cuvette hollow pant; cafn; ceudod izelder
le tourbillon whirlpool trobwll; pwll tro mordro(l)enn(ad); korvent; troenn-vor
le mode de comportement pattern of behaviour patrwm ymddygiad patrom emzalc’h
l’élastique (m) rubber band band rwber/lastig stirenn; lastikenn

Les mots de la semaine

By Simon
français English Cymraeg Brezhoneg
le poney (des îles Shetland) (Shetland) pony merlen; merlyn; poni (Shetland) pone (Shetland)
la mouette tridactyle kittiwake gwylan goesddu karaveg
l’ornithologue ornithologist adaregwr, adaregydd evnoniour
l’orinthologue amateur bird-watcher; twitcher gwyliwr adar; sbeciwr ar adar evnoniour amatour
la menuiserie woodwork (joinery) gwaith coed munuzerezh
sortir d’un peu partout to crawl out of the woodwork
la charpenterie carpentry gwaith coed/saer; saernïaeth frammerezh; kilvizerezh
l’ébénisterie (f) cabinetmaking gwaith saer ebenouriezh
le cil eyelash blewyn amrant; blewyn llygad (blev) malvenn
le sourcil eye brow ael abrant
pire worse gwaeth gwashoc’h
empirer to worsen gwaethygu; mynd yn waeth gwashañ
ne faire que empirer to get worse and worse mynd o ddrwg i waeth gwashoc’h-gwashañ
au pire if the worst comes to the worst os daw hi i’r pen; ar y gwaethaf ar gwashañ

Les mots de le semaine

By Simon
français English Cymraeg Brezhoneg
le mine (de charbon) (coal) mine mwynfa (glofa; pwll glo) poull-glaou
le mine (explosive) mine ffrwydryn min
se venger (de qn) to take one’s revenge (on sb) dial (ar rywun) venjiñ
ingénieux; astucieux clever (device, system) dyfeisgar; medrus ijinek; barrek
à double vitrage double-glazed dwbl-wydrog gweradur doubl
le double vitrage double glazing ffenestri dwbl; gwydro dwbl
le store (window) blind cysgodlen; bleind rideoz
le volet (window) shutter caead stalaf
le rideau curtain llen; cyrten rideoz
le valeurs mobilières; les titres stocks and shares stociau a chyfrannau teulioù
toxicomane; accro addict adict drammgaezhiad
l’ardoisière (f) slate quarry chwarela llechi meinglazeg
la déesse goddess duwies doueez
la lance spear gwaywffon goaf
la hanche hip clun lez
nier; refuser to deny gwadu nac’hañ
creuser; bêcher to dig cloddio; palu kleuzañ; palarat

Bouder

By Simon

I learnt a new word in French today: bouder, which means to sulk; to pout; to avoid; to turn one’s nose up at (sth); to refuse to have anything to do with (sb).

Related expressions include:
– boudant = sulking; pouting
– bouder son plaisir = to deny oneself a good thing; to sulk one’s pleasure (never heard this one before – have you?)
– ne pas bouder son plaisir = to enjoy fully; to enjoy without restraint
– se bouder = not to be on speaking terms
– on ne boudera pas = we shall not complain (about); we shall not avoid

It came up in my Breton course – the Breton equivalent is mouzhat – and appears in the sentence, Perak ‘ta, klañv eo pe o vouzhat emañ? (Why? Is she sick or is she sulking?).

The origins of the English words pout and sulk are unknown, according to the OED.

Are there any interesting expressions featuring the equivalents of these words in other languages?

Pantoufler

By Simon

Yesterday I discovered the interesting French word pantoufler /pɑ̃.tu.fle/, which, according to Reverso means to “switch from civil service to the private sector (French elite jargon, usually to make more money)”.

According to Wikpedia the related word pantouflage refers to high-level French civil servants, usually former students of the École Polytechnique or the École nationale d’administration, going to work in private enterprise. It also applies to politicians doing the same thing. Someone who engages in pantouflage at known as a pantouflard, which is also translated as stay-at-home.

The word pantoufler come from pantoufle (slipper), which combines pan (a piece of cloth) with the suffix -oufle, which denotes mbloated objects and muffled sounds. A pantoufle was originally a cloth shoe [source].

Apparently the term revolving door is used for this practice in the USA.

In Japan this practice is known as 天下り [amakudari] (“descent from paradise or the sky”).

Are there similar expressions and practices in other languages?

Les mots de la semaine

By Simon
français English Cymraeg Brezhoneg
la surabondance superfluity gormodedd gourfaoter
superflu superfluous gormodol didal; diouverus
le pari a bet bet; mentro arian pariadenn
parier to bet betio; mentro; chwarae hap pariañ
les futilités; les bagatelles trivia pethau dibwys/diwerth raneoù
la dune de sable sand dune twyn tywod tevenn (traezh)
le gage pawn (in chess) gwerinwr gouestl
le paon [pɑ̃] peacock paun paun
la paonne [pan] peahen peunes paunez
la pantoufle slipper sliper; llopan; esgid nos pañtoufl
pantoufler to switch from civil servant to the private sector   luduenniñ
pantouflard stay-at-home cartrefol; diantur; difenter ludu
se relaxer to chill out ymlacio dibrezañ; dizalc’hen
le soap; le feuilleton soap opera sioe sebon; opera sebon heuliadenn
tour à tour alternately bob yn ail a bep eil
l’échange exchange cyfnewid eskemm
intermédiaire go-between canolwr hanterour
le relais; l’auberge hotel, inn llety, gwesti leti; ostaleri
le relais (electronic) relay relái relae

Les mots de la semaine

By Simon
français English Cymraeg Brezhoneg
le gratte-papier pen(cil)-pusher clercyn louf-torchenn
l’écurie (f) stable (for horses) ystabl kraou (-kezeg)
la fausse couche miscarriage erthyliad (naturiol) kolladenn
l’erreur judiciaire miscarriage of justice aflwyddiant cyfiawnder fazi barnerezh
le mal d’altitude altitude sickness salwch pen mynydd  
le vertige vertigo pendro; pensyfrdandod pennfoll

Peran ha pastiow

By Simon

St Piran's Flag

As today is St Piran’s Day, here are a few Cornish words and phrases (provided by Sam Brown at the Polyglot conversation group), with equivalents in Welsh, Breton and French:

Kernewek English Cymraeg Brezhoneg français
Goel Peran Lowen Happy St Piran’s Day Gwyl Peran Hapus Gouel Peran laouenn Joyeuse fête de Saint Péran
kerdhva parade parêd; rhodfa prosesion défilé
kebywi party parti fest fête
solempnyans celebration dathliad fest fête
solempnya to celebrate dathlu goueliañ célébrer; fêter
pasti (kernowek) (Cornish) pasty pastai/pasten (Gernyweg) pastez (keneveg ?) petit pâté (en croûte) (cornouaillais) / chausson à la viande et aux légumes
keus hag onyonenn cheese and onion caws a nionyn keuz hag ognon fromage et oignons

Potatoes from the same furrow

By Simon

I discovered an interesting Welsh expression today – maen nhw’n datws o’r un rhych (‘they’re potatoes from the same furrow’), which is one equivalent of saying that they are as thick as thieves, i.e. they are close friends. Other Welsh equivalents of this expression include maen nhw’n gryn lawiau (‘they’re pretty (?) hands’); maen nhw’n yng nghegau ei gilydd (‘they’re in mouths together’); and maen nhw’n drwyn wrth drwyn (‘they’re nose to nose’).

In French the equivalent of this phrase is comme larrons en foire (‘like thieves in (a) fair’) – the word larron is a old word for thief – the usual word is voleur.

What about in other languages?