Re: French

Axiem wrote:
>
> Well...
>
> > I'm going to suggest
> >
> >         Que votre langue   soit      ici
> >         *   your  language be-3S-sbj here
> >         "let your language be here"
> >
>
> Sounds good..
>
        It does, but I remember that there is a more exact equivalent of "your
language goes here". If only I could remember it...

> > , based on a shaky memory that the Antoinette jussive ("let them eat
> > cake") was done with the subjunctive (in this case, "soit").  But I'm
> > not 100% sure of it, which is why I'm posting it generally....
> >
>
> IIRC, subjunctive only appears in written French, not spoken (except
> quoting)..but then, this was some 500? years ago, so I'm sure the language has
> changed..
>
        The subjunctive is not much used in French, but it still is, and even
in spoken French. But it is reduced to the subjonctif present and
subjonctif passe compose (the subjonctif imparfait has completely
disappeared, even in most litterature, except when you want to give a
feeling of old-fashionness).

> > Alternatively, you could do
> >
> >         Votre langue doit           jtre ici
> >                      ought/deserves be
> >         "your language ought to be here"
> >
>
> If memory serves me right, doit, which I believe is a conjugation of devoir
> means more along the lines has/have to Like 'Je doit ecrire l'assignment' (I
> have to write the assignment..and that's probably the wrong conjs)..
        It is "je dois" with an 's'. I know, those silent letters are boring,
and most of my French friends do the mistake too. So don't be ashamed.

so IMO,
> you're saying 'Your language has to be here'. But then again, our teacher
> hasn't done devoir yet, so I may be totally off base here..
>
        Actually, I would translate 'to have to' by 'il faut que' which gives a
feeling of exterior obligation (someone obliged you to do it), whereas
'devoir' is more like 'must', even for its probability meaning.

> And actually, I would say 'Votre langue peut aller ici' (your language can go
> here) or 'Votre langue peut e^tre ici' (Your language can be here)
>
> But then again, I am only an egg ^_^
>
        It doesn't feel good this time, but only in the case of the T-shirt. If
only I could remember the good sentence... Mathias, can you help?

> Though I find the hardest thing about this shirt idea is that 'Your language
> goes here' is an idiom meaning along the lines of 'There is the possibility of
> your language existing in this place' or 'Your language can/could exist/be
> here' not a very easy thing to translate..
>
> -Axiem
> -axiem@swbell.net
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        Christophe Grandsire

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