[net.nlang] "Parisian French," other French and accents

mf@cornell.UUCP (mf) (03/27/85)

A bit naive (to say the least) to state that Parisian (Belgian, Canadian)
etc... French is spoken with an accent, as if there was an accentless brand
of French (or English or any other language).  One should speak of accent
*differences* (and maybe preferences, or orientations?).  Same applies to
dialects (there is no single standard French; there are many French dialects).

Even within Paris, there are distinct and recognisable accents (all
local to Paris), reflecting geographical and social differences.

--Michel (Parisian French)   UUCP:  {decvax allegra ihnp4 vax135 ...}!cornell!mf
  Je panse,                  ARPA:  mf@cornell-gvax
  Donc j'essuie.             Bitnet: CRNLCS%MF

mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON) (03/27/85)

> A bit naive (to say the least) to state that Parisian (Belgian, Canadian)
> etc... French is spoken with an accent, as if there was an accentless brand
> of French (or English or any other language).  One should speak of accent
> *differences* (and maybe preferences, or orientations?).  Same applies to
> dialects (there is no single standard French; there are many French dialects).
> 
There is a "standard French". It is ddefined by the Academie Francaise,
whose job it is to define the official French language. Almost no one except the
academicians speaks official French, least of all the Parisians. You are
right about a multiplicity of accents, though.

Marcel Simon