Fun(?) with French words!

[Loiseau]

Just spotted this on Facebook, and thought it might amuse...

Angela

· « Institutionnalisation » est le plus long lipogramme en « e ». C'est-à-dire qu'il ne comporte aucun « e ».

· L'anagramme de « guérison » est « soigneur » C'est-à-dire que le mot comprend les mêmes lettres.

· « Endolori » est l'anagramme de son antonyme « indolore », ce qui est paradoxal.

· « Squelette » est le seul mot masculin qui se finit en « ette ».

· « Où » est le seul mot contenant un « u » avec un accent grave. Il a aussi une touche de clavier à lui tout seul !

· Le mot « simple » ne rime avec aucun autre mot. Tout comme « triomphe », « quatorze », « quinze », « pauvre », « meurtre , « monstre », « belge », « goinfre » ou « larve ».

· « Délice », « amour » et « orgue » ont la particularité d'être de genre masculin et deviennent féminin à la forme plurielle. Toutefois, peu sont ceux qui acceptent l'amour au pluriel.

C'est ainsi !

· « Oiseaux » est, avec 7 lettres, le plus long mot dont on ne prononce aucune des lettres : [o], [i], [s], [e], [a], [u], [x] .

« oiseau » est aussi le plus petit mot de langue française contenant toutes les voyelles. Eh oui !

[Chancer]

The last two are for you and I Angela [;-)]

As for où, yes I knew that but still dont use it because no matter how many times I am reminded it never sticks whether I should use the ù for where or who.

Tell me again and if it sticks this time then you will have the honour of knowing every time I type or write it that I will think of you.

To explain, many of my popular phrases and words like most others I could never retain but when they did finally stick for ever after I could tell you exactly who was the person that succeeded in overcoming my mental block, not only that but where it was and where we were/what was going on.

Memory is a very strange thing.

I had a similar problem with "a" and "à" I think that I have got it now in that the a on its own without the accent is not used when its a conjugaison of avoir, otherwise I should always use à for "to" etc, but I am still not confident in its use.

[Chancer]

The last two are for you and I Angela [;-)]

As for où, yes I knew that but still dont use it because no matter how many times I am reminded it never sticks whether I should use the ù for where or who.

Tell me again and if it sticks this time then you will have the honour of knowing every time I type or write it that I will think of you.

To explain, many of my popular phrases and words like most others I could never retain but when they did finally stick for ever after I could tell you exactly who was the person that succeeded in overcoming my mental block, not only that but where it was and where we were/what was going on.

Memory is a very strange thing.

I had a similar problem with "a" and "à" I think that I have got it now in that the a on its own without the accent is not used when its a conjugaison of avoir, otherwise I should always use à for "to" etc, but I am still not confident in its use.

[mint]

Chance, AFAIK, où is for where and, if you are talking about time, for when.

So..........où vas tu? 

C'était le temps où il y avait beaucoup de loups dans la campagne.

If you write ou, then it's for or.  Le blanc ou le rouge?

[Loiseau]

We oiseaux must clearly stick together, Chancer, and I can't resist the opportunity to be ever in your mind!

So what about remembering that English words "has", "had" etc have NO accent, so you would use the simple "a" (no accent) in French;

And as far as "ou" is concerned, the English "or" is such a short word that you should use the unadorned French "ou" to match it....

Angela

[YCCMB]

I used to suggest my students asked themselves the rhetorical question "where" is the accent?