Re: History of French

From: Fr. O'Malley (omalley_at_priest.com)
Date: 08/27/04 

Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 08:02:38 -0400

Miguel Carrasquer wrote in message ...
>On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 14:35:14 -0700, Jacques Guy
><jguy@alphalink.com.au> wrote:
>
>>Harlan Messinger wrote:
>>
>>> Isn't that begging the question? If the French had used the passé
>>> simple for the more recent past
>>
>>Well, we never did. We used, and still use, the passé composé
>>for the recent past, rather, the past that still echoes
>>in the present. Since the past of daily conversation is
>>usually a recent past...
>>
>>I'll try telling my wife, out of the blue "Jules a
>>franchi le Rubicon" when she comes home. I'm sure
>>she'll contemplate buying me long-sleeved pajamas
>>for Father's Day.
>
>And she wouldn't were you to say, out of the blue, "Jules
>francha le Rubicon"?

Yes, but not "Jules franchit le Rubicon"? ;-)

But are contemporary Gauls on a first-name basis with
their conquerors? Perhaps indeed, considering how they
refer to Buonaparte. I pass over more embarrassing
examples. ;-)

Fr. O'Malley