What are your pet peeves re English usage?

How you do love to pontificate. Those from west Africa who speak French do so because French is the official European language of their homeland--their native languages are their respective tribal languages. Additionally, the teaching of French in their homelands adheres to the standards of Tourainese French as promoted by the Academy. There are also many speakers of French in west Africa who come from nations such as Liberia and Nigeria in which French is not the official European language. North African Berbers also commonly speak French, and in nations which have never had French as an official language. In super-Saharan Africa, the Sahel and in sub-Saharan Africa, French is the language of cultured people, and those who learn it at home usually have the benefit of educated and affluent parents.

I haven't the least doubt, however, that you will continue to contend that you know best--it seems to be the only thought you bring to this thread.

For those who may not be aware, Touraine is considered the home of the "purest" spoken French. Certainly those in Touraine think so:

L'institut de Touraine a une histoire.

S'il est bien ancré dans son temps, il reçoit un riche passé en héritage. Le simple cours de vacances, créé en 1897, devenu Institut d'Études Françaises de Touraine en 1912, a acquis au cours des années une solide expérience pédagogique.

À Tours, dans cette vallée de la Loire où, comme le disait le célèbre historien français Michelet, «notre langue se parle avec le plus bel et le plus pur accent», l'institut de Touraine a développé un enseignement de haute qualité et affirmé sa notoriété internationale.

C'est pour cette raison que, depuis sa fondation, des générations du monde entier se succèdent pour y apprendre le français.

The source is l'Institut de Touraine--not entirely unbiased, nevertheless, the speech of Touraine has long been considered to the standard by which "proper" spoken French is to be judged.

Some in Paris think the same...

I once knew very well a Parisienne who became insensed at the contention that the Tourainese speak a better variety of French than the Parisiens. It was an easy way to set her off.

It was always accepted that Touraine French was the best by my family - from my mother who in 1909 had a Swiss-French governess, my father who was with the Free French in the war, and when I was in Dinard for a year in the 60s. I suppose Oxford has a similar standing in England?

Although the Loire valley is reputed to be very lovely, i've not ever been there, or anywhere in France. Had to learn spoken French at second-hand from the Africans--which was a very congenial method. I taught myself to read french almost two decades before i became sufficiently fluent not to embarrass myself too much in public . . .

Oh Setanta, you must visit it sooooon. I was there a month ago at the gardens exhibition in Chaumont - it has to be seen. I asked before but it was lost - are you Canadian?

No Boss, i'm a native of New York, raised in the American South, and vagrant ever since.

On the topic of francophones, another topic upon which we find, to our surprise, that JTT is expert, according to the Canadian government, there were 980,300 francophones residing outside Québec at the 2000 census. This represents between 2 and 3 per cent of the entire Canadian population. A complete breakdown can be found here. After Québec, New Brunswick has the most francophones, at just under a quarter of a million, or one third of the population.

Of course, Touraine is le jardin de France, n'est-ce pas?

Absolutely, Set!

absolument


On the subject of PONTIFICATING < speaking ex cathedra like the pontiff - do you think JTT could be the new pope, Benedict (< good speaking)?

I've never heard of Touraine but I've heard Tulane by Chuck Berry.

I haven't

I haven't

A point well-taken Miss Clary, do we need to kiss his ring er som'in'?

Tulane University was founded by, among others, William Preston Johnston, son of Albert Sidney Johnston-- once heralded as the greatest soldier of the South, he was killed at the battle of Shiloh. William Johnston was a frequent visitor with Robert Lee at Washington College (now Washington & Lee University) after the war, and is a source for much of the early Lee hagiography.

But whether or not Chuck chose the name because it is associated with New Orleans, or he just liked the sound, i couldn't say.

I haven't

Sorry about those; the system appeared to seize up for 30 minutes - something to do with Setanta's posting perhaps?

I do my level best . . . Miss Elephump

My comment, Set, was that for the western provinces, "significant" probably wasn't an accurate word.