Re: Just an old-fashioned question

In French:

out of style > "demode" (acute on both e) (for
clothes, for ex) [negative conn.]

But: "la cuisine a l'ancienne" (a grave) > cooking
like in the good old times [positive conn.]

"Vieux jeu", especially about a person having
old-style opinions [negative conn.]

"Vieillot" (about the decoration in a restaurant, for
ex: somehow negative, but could also be meant as
positive: so charming, my dear !)

So, "deguster une cuisine a l'ancienne dans un cadre
delicieusement vieillot" is not especially reserved to
"des gens vieux jeu portant des vetements demodes", on
the contrary, it could be considered as very
fashionable.

Also: adj. suranne (e acute) = nearly the same as
"vieillot"

--- Adam Walker <carrajena@...> wrote:
> I have a question about the English adj.
> old-fashioned.  In my usage it (about equally often)
> implies either "old, out-of-sytle and/or
> no-longer-useful" or
>
"the-way-they-did-it-back-when-they-knew-how-to-do-it-right".
>  In other words, it has either a negative OR a
> positive connotation.
>
> Her style is very old-fashioned. = She's out of step
> with the times and needs to up-date her look.
>
> All I want is some old-fashioned service. = No one
> today remembers how to give proper service, so I
> want
> it they way it used to be done.
>
> Now, when I looked old-fashioned up in my Spanish
> dictionary it gives
>
> anticuado, de modo pasado
>
> My first reaction is "Those both cary a negative
> connotation."  Of course I don't know that for sure.
> My dictionary doesn't say.  So my question is CAN
> either of them carry a positive connotation?
>
> Part of the problem is that the English cognate,
> antiquated really is negative.  I can't think of a
> positive-connotation usage for it.  _De modo pasado_
> doesn't sound particularly friendly to the poor past
> either.
>
> Latin has _priscus_ and _antiquus_ which according
> to
> their definitions look like both may have had a
> rather
> positive feel.
>
> What about other Romance or European languages.  How
> do they express "old-fashioned" in the good or
> longing
> sense?
>
> ADam

=====
Philippe Caquant

"High thoughts must have high language." (Aristophanes, Frogs)


	
		
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