Most Beautiful French Loan Words

It is not news that many people think that French is the most beautiful language in the world. The French take great pride in their language and that is why Anglophones love borrowing it from time to time. Below are a few (ok, so maybe many) loan words that our PLG staff found beautiful (no translation needed). Are there anymore that you would like to add?

Avant-garde	Ballet	Café
Chauffeur	Cinéma	Déjà vu
Dossier	Façade	Fiancé(e)
Mademoiselle	Fleur de lis	Provocateur
Silhouette	Toilette	Potpourri
Résumé	Foyer	Madame
Entrée	Entrepreneur	Chandelier
Adieu	À la carte	Bon appétit
Film noir	Bon voyage	Chaise
C’est la vie	À propos	Chic
Crème de la crème	Débutante	Double entendre
Faux pas	Encore	Genre
Hors d’œuvre	Mardi gras	Nouveau riche
Nom de plume	Rendez-vous	Risqué
Touché	Répondez s’il vous plaît (RSVP)	Sans
Soirée	Tête-à-tête	Voilà
Pirouette	Sauté	Fondue

And a special request by one of our staff members to post a video of Bradley Cooper speaking French:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdsoFZxk7DU

Translating for European French vs. Canadian French

A question when looking for French translations that often arises is what kind of translator should you use to translate your materials. Understanding the history and some nuances of the language may be able to help.

Canadian French (also known locally as Quebecois) is a French dialect mainly spoken in Canada’s province of Quebec, and European French is an umbrella category for the dialects of French spoken in France, Belgium and Switzerland.

The differences between Canadian French and European French are believed to be greater than those found between American and British English, mainly because the early Canadian French settlers did not speak Parisian French, which has now become the norm in France. Canadian French is a language frozen in time, being more closely related to the language spoken throughout France in the 15th and 16th centuries. Because of these major differences, often it is recommended that a separate translation into Canadian French and European French is requested if it is a viable option.

There are also other socio-cultural and political factors that have contributed to the large differences in the language. French Canadians are often bilingual yet Americanisms and Anglicisms are less often found in Canadian French than in European French. Because English is perceived to be a threat in a country with an English-speaking majority and a powerful English-speaking neighbor, French Canadians feel like they have to protect and preserve their language. Canadian French faces more regulations than European French, as seen from their enactment of the Office québécois de la langue française (Quebec Board of the French Language), whose initial mission was to “align on international French, promote good Canadianisms and fight Anglicisms”.

The differences may differ depending on the subject matter. A technical translation would have fewer differences than a subtitle translation for a movie, yet this does not mean that technical translations would be easily understood in each region. Below are some differences found in the IT industry, for example:

English	Canadian French	European French
server proxy	Serveur mandataire	Serveur proxy
e-mail	courriel	e-mail, mél
podcasting	baladodiffusion	Podcast

Other differences include capitalization style (no accents are needed in capitalized letters in European French) and syntax, including the use of prepositions.

A decision to have a separate translation, however, is not always a viable option. It would not make sense to provide bilingual packaging that is intended for both France and Canada in both European French and Canadian French. If there was ever a decision to be made on what “type” of French was needed for a translation intended for both regions, European French may be a safer bet. Because European French culture and language is exported throughout the world, French Canadians may have a better understanding of European culture than vice-versa. Yet doing so may risk offending or alienating some French Canadians, as they may feel like European French had preferential treatment. A translator with a background in both translating for European French and Canadian French would best be able to "soften" the language to make it the most marketable for each region.

Ultimately, the more geographically targeted your translated materials are, the more effective your translations will be in capturing your audience. It might seem like a great idea to use a French that was more "universal" to capture more audiences, but cultural nuances may be sacrificed. Some companies, such as IBM, have found it worthwhile to translate their materials in Canadian French, French spoken in Belgium, Switzerland and France, yet some companies do not have this option because of costs or because of bilingual packaging. Yet when choosing a translation service, please make sure to indicate what region of the French-speaking world you are interested in reaching. Doing so will help the translation agency assign a translator that may be able to help with this cultural dilemma.

Precision Language and Graphics offers Translation Services in more than 40 languages, including French for Canada and Europe. For more information about our French translation services, please visit our page at http://www.plg-online.com/french_translation_services.html or contact a PLG representative at (847) 413-1688 or Toll Free: (800) 760-1688.

What Spanish dialect should you translate into for use in the United States?

Many of our customers want to know what “type” of Spanish they should translate for use in the United States, particularly because of the diversity of Spanish speakers living in the United States. With good market research and choosing a right translator, you may be able to maximize the amount of information that your U.S. Spanish-speaking customers understand. This article is intended to help you choose the type of Spanish best suited for your customers.

The map below shows the concentration of Spanish speakers in the U.S. (the darker the blue, the higher the percentage). Note that the largest concentration of Spanish speakers is found in the Southwest, due to the historical connections with Mexico and more recent waves of immigration. The most common Spanish dialects, including Mexican, Cuban, and Puerto Rican, reflect the Spanish-speaking groups living in U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, Miami, and New York respectively. A good generalization is that your material should be translated into Mexican Spanish if your intended market is the Western and Midwestern sections of the U.S., but not on the East Coast where there are sizable Puerto Rican and Cuban communities.

Spanish Speakers in the United States
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Yet linguists often like to categorize Spanish into larger umbrellas, which may help marketers target a larger community of Spanish speakers:

• Central American Spanish – Particularly Mexico, for use in Central America or where large Central American populations reside

• European Spanish, Peninsular or Iberian Spanish - For use in Spain, most specifically the Spanish spoken in the area in and around Madrid

• South American Spanish – may include the dialects of the Rio de la Plata basin, known as rioplatense

• Caribbean Spanish - spoken in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and along the Caribbean coasts of Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Central America, and in major U.S. coastal cities such as Miami and New York

• Latin American Spanish – a much larger umbrella category to refer to the Spanish spoken in all of Latin America and in the United States

With all these choices, it may be difficult to choose the right type of Spanish. Yet translators, who understand that material is intended for a wider audience, will avoid using colloquialisms in their translation. For example, a common term in Peninsular Spanish that is not used in Latin American Spanish is "ordenador", the word used for computer. The more anglicized term "computadora" is more common throughout Latin America. A Spanish speaker from Spain however; would understand the word “computadora” but not vice-versa. Similarly, the word for grass in Mexico is commonly understood as zacate but using césped would be equally understood and is more universal. When translating for the United States, it is important to convey what regions of the country you are trying to target. If you have a hard time choosing the right dialect or Spanish type, a translator should then be able to make the best decision for you.

For more information about our Spanish translation services, please visit our page at http://www.plg-online.com/spanish_translation_services.html or contact a PLG representative at (847) 413-1688 or Toll Free: (800) 760-1688.