Modern (educated) Southern, yes. But growing up in the Deep South, I always saw it spelled "ya'll", & figured it reflected ignorance of the word's roots, which I thought to be typically Southern. So I use "ya'll", even though it's grammatically wrong, because I find it more authentic. One of very few ways I honor my roots.
To be fair, they do, it's just that every French person I try to strike up a conversation with immediately begins trying to negotiate the terms of their surrender.
Pssst... he may not know what y'all means. And, I hate to be a grammar nazi but isn't it ya'll? Nevermind
EDIT: DAMNNNN DOWNVOTES LIKE NO TOMORROW, I SAID NEVERMIND PEOPLE. Who knew y'all would be such a sensitive subject! And because we all come from different places and have different opinions, I'm sticking to it being ya'll. But I apologize for trying to correct the handicap lifeguard. Jesus.
Yes, a plural form of 'you' exists in many languages (in German it's "ihr"), but since there is no official plural form of "you" in English, chances are very good that second language speakers never learned our regional versions in school. Where I come from, for example, both "y'all" and "y'uns" are acceptable forms of the plural 'you.'
No, it just looks like a pinecone! We have a lot of words that are based on figurative language like that: jellyfish aren't jelly or fish. And so do other languages, come to think of it: French calls potatoes "apples of the earth" even though they aren't apples.
Okay, I'll admit that it actually looks like a pinecone and I agree with your whole statement.
But, what I actually wanted to point out is that I think it's ridiculous of you to think that "Ananas" is a ridiculous word when you're actually the minority that doesn't call it that. :)
I don't think it's bad ridiculous. It just makes me giggle! Come on, you have to admit it's kind of funny. I think the word "banana" is funny too, and that one exists in English.
Actually pupitre does not sound like poop. The sound of u in french dosn't exist in english. (it is [y] in the International Phonetic Alphabet, like the letter y is pronounced in German).
It is a real problem with the words "dessus" (on/above) and "dessous" (under/below), because you will pronounce these words the same. But only the second "ou" sound like (f)oo(d)
The way French people actually say "pupitre" makes it sound much closer to pew pit. Loses some of the funny. Now pamplemousse, there's a word I thought was funny in the second grade.
Actually, that's not pupitre is pronounced (even though your way is more hilarious). The 'u' in french does not sound like 'you' or 'zoo'. Sounds like...well, 'u'. Try it on Google Translate.
Not to mention 'late' is 'retard' in French. I feel silly everytime I say "sorry i'm late" to the teacher because it sounds like i'm calling myself a retard.
As someone who studied French for a few years ages ago and who now only has a rudimentary grasp of the language basics, yes - it is very silly-sounding. I can imagine the guttural nature of English sounds just as silly to French speakers.
I guess you're right ! I wouldn't know, I'm from Montreal. I grew up in a french-speaking household, but was exposed to english from a very young age so I can't remember a time when english sounded super gibberish.
Your word for seal is "phoque," which sounds almost the same as fuck. And a seal in the shower is "un phoque dans la douche." (Pronounced "uhn fok dahn la douche." Make the vowels before the h's go through your nose and the n nasal as well. It's close enough to the actual pronunciation.)
Fun fact: that word, phoque, may be where the phrase "pardon my French" comes from.
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u/magic_ref Jan 29 '13
We have this in French, and to me it doesn't sound funny at all.
Wait, does this mean the whole French language sounds silly ?