Warning decal

[chris vickery]

Canadian French is not the same as elsewhere. It is a dialect that is unique to Canada and no online translation service will help you. Even within the Province of Quebec as well as other provinces such as New Brunswick and Northern Ontario you will find differences in words as well as slang phrases used. Outside of the "official norms" it is very much a regional language from area to area.

[Douglas Greville]

Chris

Thanks. I had heard that was the case, which was why I used the term "provincial French" in my first posting. As I suspected this was what was tripping up those who had tried to help me with the translation.

By the way, could not help smirking at the name of the place you live......

Regards
Doug

Originally Posted by chris vickery

Canadian French is not the same as elsewhere. It is a dialect that is unique to Canada and no online translation service will help you. Even within the Province of Quebec as well as other provinces such as New Brunswick and Northern Ontario you will find differences in words as well as slang phrases used. Outside of the "official norms" it is very much a regional language from area to area.

[frichtie]

What you see on this decal is "perfect international french".
But, you're right when you say our spoken french is sometimes hard to understand. When I speak with friends from France, I have to be just a little careful with my accent....but maybe he's the one with a accent? I guess same thing happens with english...

-Eric

[Douglas Greville]

Eric

Too true. What is it the Yanks say about them and the British "2 countries separated by a common language"......

We normally can all understand each other, some words the Yanks use are puzzling, such as "broil", the rest of us just call it "sear". Lots of terms like that. But 99% is common.

My French is hideous, but the few words I can speak I can make myself
understood. However, when in St Quentin (WW1 battlefields area) there was a bloke in a caravan park who I could not understand a word nor could he understand any French word I used. In the end I managed to get help from an English woman. It does seem to vary.

There was also a Welshman in England, who I know thought he was speaking English, he appeared to be asking me some details about a Chieftain tank at Bovvy, but not one word was intelligible. I had to find an Englishman to interpret for me, who laughed and said "yes they do get quite broad with their accent"!

As a German friend of mine says when he meets someone "I am German, please speak slowly and use simple words, and whatever you do, don't mention the war"! When he says the last part, the looks on peoples faces are priceless as he made a habit of doing it at Beltring where we were surrounded by war stuff.

Regards
Doug

Originally Posted by frichtie

What you see on this decal is "perfect international french".
But, you're right when you say our spoken french is sometimes hard to understand. When I speak with friends from France, I have to be just a little careful with my accent....but maybe he's the one with a accent? I guess same thing happens with english...

-Eric