LL-L "Language politics" 2010.04.05 (03) [EN]

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*L O W L A N D S - L - 05 April 2010 - Volume 03*
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From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at fleimin.demon.co.uk>

Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2010.04.05 (02) [EN]



> From: Marcus Buck <list at marcusbuck.org>
>
> Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2010.04.04 (01) [EN]

> From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at fleimin.demon.co.uk>

> Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2010.04.03 (02) [EN]
>

> I wonder if there can be a tragic irony in this sort of thing?
>
> What effect does banning words actually have? I suspect that words
> could
> gain much wider recognition from being banned so that instead of just
> being this decade's slang they might become a permanent part of the
> language?
>
>    Is there actually any example from history where a country or a
>    society tried to ban words? I assume that "banning" means a law

Originally on this thread Roger spoke of French words being "banned",
eg, say "ramdam" instead of "buzz".

On Le Soir's technically rather irritating site:

http://www.lesoir.be/culture/airs_du_temps/2010-03-30/parlez-francais-ne-dites-plus-buzz-dites-ramdam-761799.php

it's talking about conversation rather than the law: "Don't say this,
say that."

It seems to me that the newspaper article is just a joke in retaliation
to Alain Joyandet's suggestion:

buzz > ramdam
tuning > bolidage
chat > éblabla or tchatche
newsletter > infolettre or sagement
talk > débat

I'm thinking about the way telling a person not to say or do something
can be not only ineffective, but the wrong approach can draw their
attention to it and make them decide to do it.

Sandy Fleming
http://scotstext.org/



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