Why the French are mangling their own language
Naming a firm is izipizi
FROM Louis Vuitton to Hermès, France’s luxury brands proudly ooze their quintessential Frenchness. But in many other industries French firms seek to disguise their national origins. AXA, a French insurer, chose a name that means nothing and can be pronounced in all languages. GDF Suez, a French energy firm, renamed itself Engie, a word that apparently “evokes energy…in all cultures”. Now a nation forged through a common language, which it doggedly strives to defend, is taking such linguistic mangling to another level.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “C’est easy-peasy”
Europe December 10th 2022
- Germany’s ruling coalition marks its first anniversary
- German police arrest two dozen alleged conspirators in a hare-brained plot to overthrow the government
- Russia is hurling troops at the tiny Ukrainian town of Bakhmut
- In Moscow, all dissent is muzzled
- Ukraine is using foreign tech to mitigate Russian destruction
- Why the French are mangling their own language
- Europe is grappling with its dodgy memorials, a plinth at a time
From the December 10th 2022 edition
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A rise in antisemitism puts Europe’s liberal values to the test
The return of Europe’s oldest scourge
Once dominant, Germany is now desperate
As an election looms its business model is breaking down