Language idiosyncracies

All languages have their idiosyncracies. Some are in such everyday use that native speakers take no special notice of them, but foreigners might consider them as odd. Other such terms may even strike native speakers as strange.

–A deceased person in English is referred to as "the late Mr. X". What was "late" about him? Was he habitually late for work, for appointments, etc.? Was he late dying–did he chain smoke, carouse, live as a couch potato and still live to be 95?

The French have an equally puzzling term for a deceased person: le feu monsieur X–the "fire Mr. X." Was he a fiery person–did he have a hair trigger temper, was he a rabble rouser, did he immolate himself?

--The British and those in Commonwealth countries say a that a person is "in hospital," while Americans say the he is "in the hospital." Why do we put the "the" in front of "hospital" when we don’t say that someone is "in the college," or goes to "the church" on Sundays, or is "in the law school.?" No reason, just the way our language has developed.

--The French have exactly the same word for "stepfather" as for "father-in-law": beau-père ("handsome father"), and the same for "stepmother" and "mother-in-law": belle-mère ("lovely mother"). How to tell the difference? By the context or by explicit explanation.

--The word hijo in Spanish means "son"; but Spanish-speaking people use the plural, hijos, for children of parents (regardless of gender). ¿Cuantos hijos tiene usted? is "How many children do you have?" I have heard Spanish speakers ask in English "How many sons do you have" when they clearly are asking about the number of children one has.

--French school children must snicker when they study English and run across for the first time the male name "Peter" or the noun "pet." The word péter (pronounced "pay-tay") in French is the verb "to fart" and pet (pronounced "pay") is "a fart."

English-speaking students studying German probably are similarly amused by the word fährt, which means a "drive" or a "trip" (it comes from the verb fahren meaning to "drive" or "travel").

--In English we say that we pull one’s leg when we kid him; Spanish speakers say that they take one’s hair ("tomar el pelo").

--In English a "ham" is a short-wave radio operator or a lousy actor; in Puerto Rican slang he is an unmarried man (jamón). However, I have to say that I haven’t heard that term anywhere else. But, jamona ( a female ham) I have heard in other places as a slang term for a buxom woman.

–There are words which seem to be equivalent to one another in English and other languages but actually aren’t--what the French call faux amis ("false friends").

acción (Spanish), action (French). Can mean the same as the noun "action" in English, but also can mean a share of stock in a corporation; accionista is a "stockholder" (male or female) in Spanish, actionnaire is the same in French.

actual (Spanish), actuel (French). Both look like they mean "actual" in English but in fact mean "current" or "present."

déception (French). Looks like "deception" in English but means "disappointment."

pretender (Spanish). Looks like "pretend" in English but means "intend" or "undertake."

habits (French). Doesn’t mean "habits" as in English but "clothes."

lecture (French), lectura (Spanish). Look like "lecture" in English but mean "reading" (the act of reading).

large (French), largo (Spanish). Both appear to mean "large" in English, but the former means "wide" and the latter "long."

assister (French), asistir (Spanish). These don’t mean "assist" in English but "attend" (attend a concert or a wedding).

–Forms in letter writing are paticularly interesting. Why do we open with "Dear" so-and-so in a letter to a person we hardly know or don’t even know at all? Why do we end with "Very truly yours" or "Sincerely" (or, as the British say "Faithfully yours")?–if we don’t, might the recipient think we are just joshing him, that we don’t really mean what we say in the letter?

The French are very blunt when they start off a letter: after the recipient’s name, on a separate line they simply say "Monsieur" or "Madame." (Occasionally they might star off with Cher Client ("Dear Customer") or a similar salutation, which usually happens when the letter writer is trying to sell something or promote something.) But they make up for the blunt salutation at the opening with a very effusive ending: Agréez, Monsieur (or Messieurs/Madame/Mesdames), nos salutations distinguées. "Accept, Sir, our distinguished salutations." Or, alternatively, they might use the term parfaite consideration–it’s been some time since I have seen that form but, as I recall, they say Nous vous assurons de notre parfaite consideration (We assure you of our perfect consideration).

Spanish speakers usually start off with Estimado señor X (or Estimada señora Y) "Esteemed Mr. X", which certainly makes more sense than the "Dear Mr. X" in English. (It is interesting to note that when they spell out señor or señora, the lower case "s" is used, but when abbreviated it is capitalized, thus: Sr. or Sra.)

The Spanish seem to have abandoned the opening salutation Muy señor mío ("Very sir of mine"), a senseless phrase which I haven't seen in many years.

Neither the Spanish nor the French have the equivalent of the English "Ms." for a woman; usually the married form Señora or Madame is used, unless it is known by the writer that Señorita or Mademoiselle should be used.

The Spanish frequently end their letters with lo saludo atentamente (la saludo atentamente for a woman)–"I salute you with respect." Sometimes they say something like con nuestros atentos saludos ("With our respectful salutations.") Sometimes, they will put just before the ending salutation Sin otra particular, lo saludo...("Without anything else, I salute you..." meaning "That’s all I have to say.")

When one stops to think about it, all of these opening and closing forms of a letter make no real sense–they are just meaningless forms that everybody uses because they always have. With e-mails now used so frequently, it seems possible that these antique forms may some day be dropped and more meaningful forms like "Hello, Mr. X" and "With best regards," as used in e-mails, may replace them.

There is some reason for hope that these antique forms may be so replaced, just as "Your humble and obedient servant"--a routine closing in business letters up through the 19th century--became obsolete during the 20th century.