Table of Contents
- 1 What words are silent in French?
- 2 Which letters are always silent in French?
- 3 What does silence mean in French?
- 4 Why are the non-French languages considered endangered?
- 5 What was the official language of France in the 15th century?
- 6 Why did French become the official language of the French aristocracy?
What words are silent in French?
French Silent Letters and Pronunciation
| Usually silent | Some exceptions* | |
|---|---|---|
| G | le sang long | le grog |
| M, N | un balcon parfum | Latin words: amen, forum |
| P | un drap beaucoup un champ | un slip, un cap |
| S | exprès trois vous bas | un fils, un autobus, le tennis |
Which letters are always silent in French?
In French, the letter h is always silent.
Why are s silent in French?
The biggest reason for unpronounced letters is that, at one time, the letters were pronounced. Spelling tends to reflect the language as it was spoken when the language was standardized, rather than how it’s pronounced today.
What does silence mean in French?
silence; sérénité; tranquillité; calme; quiétude; paix; animation; mutisme; discrétion.
Why are the non-French languages considered endangered?
The non-French Oïl languages and Franco-Provençal are highly endangered; because of their similarity to standard French, their speakers conformed in orthography, or in phonological production? much more readily. The other languages are still spoken but are all considered endangered.
Is the Académie trying to prevent the anglicisation of the French language?
In recent years the Académie has tried to prevent the Anglicisation of the French language. Prior to the French Revolution of 1789, French kings did not take a strong position on the language spoken by their subjects.
What was the official language of France in the 15th century?
History. The Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts of 1539 made French the administrative language of the kingdom of France for legal documents and laws. Previously, official documents were written in medieval Latin, which was the language used by the Roman Catholic Church .
Why did French become the official language of the French aristocracy?
By the early 1800s, Parisian French had become the primary language of the aristocracy in France. Near the beginning of the 19th century, the French government began to pursue policies with the end goal of eradicating the many minorities and regional languages ( patois) spoken in France.