[Ads-l] Query concerning the removal of "French" from "French horn" (2nd try)

[Chris Waigl]

On 23 Jun 2015, at 18:34, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM> wrote:

> I know nothing of horns or French horns, but I am concerned about the claim that "almost everywhere" outside the Anglosphere it is known as just a horn, but only three languages are cited--French, Italian and German--not a world tour by a long shot.
> 
> According to Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/French_horn), the French is not merely "cor" but "cor d'harmonie," the Italian is not merely "corno" but "corno francese," and the German is not merely "horn" but "Waldhorn."
> 
> The French Wiki article on cor (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cor_%28musique%29) says that there are different sorts, including cor d'harmonie and cor natural.

I’m going to half-disagree with the above. It is true that in both French and German (I can’t speak for Italian) there exist nouns beyond simply cor or Horn, to designate specifically the modern horn-with-valves (cor d’harmonie and Waldhorn, respectively), the class of objects that is designated by the term French horn. But given the particularly rich and varied history of this instrument family, which covers such disparate things as the shofar and the alp horn, a vast array of standardised military instruments such as the bugle, and a string of precursors of the orchestral instrument, this is hardly surprising. Where I agree with the letter writer, at least for French and English, is that absent the need to delineate the specific object further — usually because it’s understood, or, in the case of professional musicians’ societies, because of a touch of arrogance and pride — the term Horn / cor is the one used by default. You study Horn. You’re a corniste. I checked a few orchestra sites, and they list cors or their Horn section. The naked term is used by radio announcers, the regular music interested public and on CD sleeves. Whereas my spouse, when asked, will say she studied French horn in college (in the US). Indeed, if the need to specify arises later, it might go in either direction. For example, Brahms’ horn trio doesn’t call for a French horn, but a natural horn (a very similar instrument, but without valves), though of course it’s usually played on a French horn these days. 

So I agree there’s a marked difference: even if specific terms (that correspond to “French horn”) are available, they are used much more rarely than in English, where among non-musicians, “French horn” is the default. 

It is my feeling that in French, maybe, “cor d’harmonie” is more frequently used than “Waldhorn” in German, but a quick Google search on [“joue du cor”] drags up uses that don’t have a modifier, mostly, with only two “cor d’harmonie” and more hits for “cor des alpes” and “cor de chasse” (both different instruments). And counterpart to the letter writer’s organization is called Association Française du Cor. 

As for the larger question, well, yes, there have been cases where even the vernacular gets changed under the pressure of a campaign to make certain words rarer, reduce their frequency, and not only words that are very informal or used as slurs. I’m pretty sure that “handicapped” or “gypsy” or “wheelchair-bound” or “colored” (as in a non-white person) are used today in AmE much more rarely than 10 or 20 years ago, as those who occupy the space of public speech have stopped using them, intentionally. However, the strongest argument for the common person in the street to conform with this movement to retire certain words is, I believe, that in the cases I listed they designate (or describe, in the case of adjectives) people, that is fellow citizens & neighbours, who do not wish to be referred to thus. This is a strong argument which I’m afraid is absent here: no real person is feeling bad if you say French horn instead of horn. So I agree I’m pessimistic. If pedagogic material could be changed, teachers re-trained etc. then I’m sure a new usage would seep in, but I think most would consider such an undertaking of rather lower priority than Mr Kaza.

Chris


-- 
Chris Waigl -- http://chryss.eu -- http://eggcorns.lascribe.net
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