USE OF FRENCH WORDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19798, 19 November 1927, Page 7 (Supplement)

USE OF FRENCH WORDS.

THE POPULAR " INTRIGUE." Mr. George Moore writes to.Tho Times Literary Supplement a letter protesting against the increasing use of French words that are "thrown into English, higgledy-piggledy." He says: "Language -is to the writer what marble is to the sculptor; and we should preserve our language from adulteration, and continue to check the word 'resume' when it comes to the end of the pen and write 'summary' for 'precis,' 'inclination' instead of 'penchant,' 'instinct' or 'intuition' instead of 'flair,' 'taking steps' instead of 'demarche.' Of late years any French word, however feeble and ridiculous, supplants the English equivalent; 'menu,' a word without design or sonority, is used instead of tho pretty English phrase 'bill of fare,' and no man or woman speaks or writes of a 'bodice,' but of a 'corsage.' And while defacing the English language with French words journalists complain of Americanisms, but Americanisms are preferable, surely, to French words, and of all French words used with very little knowledge of the French language." A particular attack is made by Mr. Moore on "intrigue." He says:—"The word'intrigue,' uSsed as a verb, has come into fashion within the last ten years, and nobody can resist the charm of this French construction; it has become a sort of fetish, a sacred ape, worshipped for itself alone. 'Puzzled' or 'inveigled' would supply the same meaning; but an interviewer coming to inquire from a writer what new book lie is about to give to the public begins 'Your writings, sir, have always intrigued me,' and the conversation does not last three minutes before ho again comes out with the accursed verb. Ho includes it in his article, and the novelist includes it in his book, and the playwright, no doubt, includes it in his dialogue. . "Everybody who can write at all seems to flourish 'intrigue' as if it were a flag. I find it even in your leading artuap; and as the Literary Supplement is an English newspaper I think it behoves you to iollow tho example of Mussolini, who, ill his interest for tho preservation ot the Italian language, has imposed a tax on all foreign words. Why not take the hint, and when you send out cheques to contributors deduct half-a-crown for every French word, and not less than ten shillincs for 'intrigue' used as a verb . ay doing this you would do more to preserve our "language than Eton and Harrow, Oxford and Cambridge have ever doneI will go farther than the schools, you will raise yourself to tho level of the peasant who still continues to speak good English."