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The British

Kitty

By Kitty
in French Language

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Kitty Newbie

Kitty

Posted
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Today, I was at a horse riding school (in France) and there was a Northern Irish man, a Welsh lady and me, truly an English rose through-and-through [Www].  A French lady saw us and said: 'Ah, les Anglais'.  I wanted to say that we were British but didn't know how.  I told her (in French) that we were from different parts of Les Iles Britannique instead.

Is there a word for 'British' in the French language.  I googled it and it came up Britannique but is this actually a word that is used?

 

 

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5-element Newbie

5-element

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"Les Britanniques" is what should, but is seldom, used. I have lost count of the number of times I have pointed out to French people that saying about a Scottish or or Welsh person that they are "anglais" would be a bit like confusing the French with the Swiss or the Belgians.

You would have thought that someone like president Sarkozy should know better, but no: I noticed him making the same mistake, referring to  "les Anglais" when it should have been "les Britanniques". Which is almost unforgivable, IMHO.

Some things are truly hard to change.

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MrCanary Newbie

MrCanary

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And I am very keen to emphasise whenever I can that this    is the flag of les anglais...

 

And not this    

 

In fact, I have found the flag as a very good way of getting free beer in many UK pubs from people whom I challenge to describe or draw the English flag for me. They almost always come up with the latter above. Americans are particularly gullible. 

And perhaps it is also important to educate people that the second flag is called the Union Flag and not the Union Jack (unless, of course, it is on a ship).

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allanb Newbie

allanb

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It's our own fault; we haven't got the English language properly organized to describe our own nationality.

The sovereign state of which I am a citizen (and most of you too) is not Britain.  It is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (if in doubt, see passport).  This name, commonly abbreviated to "the UK", makes it officially clear that Britain does not include Northern Ireland.

Since the adjective "British" is clearly derived from Britain, the obvious conclusion is that "British" doesn't apply to all citizens of the UK.  Actually we all know that it does include the Scots and the Welsh; but can you blame the French for being confused? At least if they use the word "English" they are correctly describing most of the British immigrants in France.

Incidentally, the UK name also implies that "Great Britain" is something different from "Britain", but that's another question.  Perhaps it has something to do with the Isle of Wight.

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5-element Newbie

5-element

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[quote user="allanb"]
 "British" doesn't apply to all citizens of the UK????????????????????????????????????????????????

.  Actually we all know that it does include the Scots and the Welsh; but can you blame the French for being confused? At least if they use the word "English" they are correctly describing most of the British immigrants in France.


[/quote]

On the whole, the French are NOT confused. They do know about pays de Galles and Ecosse, and Irlande du Nord.

They do know that not all "Britanniques" are "anglais". It's just that they fail to see that it would matter to the people concerned.

I can't see how "English" describes most British immigrants to France. You are what it says on your passport, which you then have to translate to fill in various French forms, i.e.:

 

Nationalité = Britannique...... not anglais, gallois, écossais.....

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Catalpa Apprentice

Catalpa

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It is only since I've been in France that I have come to realise how irritated many Irish, Welsh and Scottish people are by being referred to as Anglais. Now that I understand, of course I make sure I firmly and persistently refer to all British people as...

les Anglais... [:P]

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allanb Newbie

allanb

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[quote user="5-element"]I can't see how "English" describes most British immigrants to France.[/quote]Of all British immigrants to France, more are English than are Scottish or Welsh.  So they're right most of the time.

Seriously, I don't think you can do much about other people's use of their own language.  Even though the word britannique exists and is technically correct, I fear that for most French people the word anglais means British.

It's perhaps not very much different from the use of the word "American" to mean a national of the United States, although technically it would include Canadians and a few others.  And Americans get confused about us too.  When the PanAm 747 went down over Lockerbie many years ago, I was watching one of the main US TV news channels, and the announcer said that Lockerbie was on the A74 which was "the main road from Britain to Scotland."

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Cat Newbie

Cat

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It always makes me smile a wry little smile when the French talk about the English and/or British as les anglo saxons, as it makes me think of hordes of elderly warriors charging across the channel.  We're not like that, are we?

 

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Tancrède Newbie

Tancrède

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[quote user="Mel"]

And I am very keen to emphasise whenever I can that this    is the flag of les anglais...

And not this    

 [/quote]

Oh dear.  The second object isn't anybody's flag (or jack), I fear  -  the Cross of St Patrick is not correctly placed.

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Tourangelle Newbie

Tourangelle

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[quote user="allanb"]

Incidentally, the UK name also implies that "Great Britain" is something different from "Britain", but that's another question.  Perhaps it has something to do with the Isle of Wight.

[/quote]

I always thought it was as opposed to Brittany, but thinking about it now, I wonder whether it is not more that the British Isles is GB and Ireland, and the largest part of this land mass is Great Britain, in the sense of big, not in the sense of wonderful?

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Iceni Newbie

Iceni

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If that were true Gay he must have written very quickly.[:D] First evidence of speed writing ?

Though I was under the impression that he was born on April 23 Wikipedia does not show a d.o.b. but  his baptism as April 26 suggesting doubt as to when he popped out.

John

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mint Newbie

mint

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[quote user="5-element"]

Reading this thread makes me realise why the French insist on calling all people from the United Kingdom of Great Britain (is it alright to say that?), "les Anglais".

They like to keep things simple.[:D]

[/quote]

5-element, there are purists out there who will insist that "alright" is American and that, strictly speaking, it should be "all right" in two words!

What do you expect when it's Sunday, the weather is cold and rainy and all the Brits are worried about the exchange rate?  Yes, like children, they have a little argument amongst themselves, then they kiss and make up .................... until the next disagreement!

C'est la vie

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5-element Newbie

5-element

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Thank you Sweet 17 for putting things in perpective.[:)]

I am sorry for all those who are bad weather casualties. You will come into your own when we are sweltering in the canicule this summer.

Here in the Languedoc, although the early morning was chilly, we have glorious sunshine and a temperature of 20 degrees.  

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