Bruno, Somehow I missed the start of this thread and I cannot track down the post where the word "JCLs" was used. Thus I was responding only to the complaint about the use of the word "JCLs".
I did find some earlier posts in the thread - and some not particularly good limericks - through Google groups. Further Google research found OEDILF http://www.oedilf.com/db/Lim.php?Topic=111 which is somewhere these limerick writers might care to deposit their compositions. Perhaps I should even post my own record of an out-of-school prank - under the appropriate category, of course. One from OEDILF - actually the only one - I really appreciated was the following: <quote> Using modems, you see bps: Bytes per second is wrong to express. Baud is wrong (yes, I checked); Bits per second's correct. The misuses cause pedants distress. </quote> But it's a bit (sic) technical and rather passé in these days of 56K dial-up to worry about bps and "baud". (The "baud" *must* still be 2400 since the old telephone line is used, so, assuming the correct speed is actually 56.25K, this makes 24 bits for each signal transition, "baud".) Getting back to your post, in order not to drift too far away from the purpose of this list/group I chose an unwise example - although it is my experience that "logiciels" does appear to be used in French where "software" would be used in English even if, strictly, it means "software bits and pieces" - and I have plenty of experience having taught in an international education centre - even in a francophone location. Let us take a less controversial example in "renseignements" for "information" which seemingly without exception comes out as "informations". Well, I thought I'd better be sure. My Larousse doesn't insist on the plural but the example of "information bureau" gives the game away: "bureau de renseignements". The "false friend" that used to drive me mad until I had got the hang of it was "éventuel" which means "possible" not something that will definitely happen sometime in the future - exasperating! Chris Mason ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruno Sugliani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Newsgroups: bit.listserv.ibm-main To: <IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU> Sent: Thursday, 22 June, 2006 7:21 PM Subject: Re: Mainframe Limericks... > On Thu, 22 Jun 2006 18:35:29 +0200, Chris Mason <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >This is a language problem. Unfortunately it is quite common in French, for > >example, to translate from a French plural word to what should be, in > >English, a collective noun which is only ever used in the singular. Thus, > >for example, "logiciels" should translate to "software" but francophones > >very often/nearly always come up with "softwares" because "logiciels" is > >plural. I've just now seen another post in another list where the word > >"advices" appeared, presumably the poster had the word "conseils" in mind. > > Yeah > We french people ( some other foreigners as well) are often using a strange > grammar . agreed . and confusing it . agreed ! > But then : > logiciel and software are not necessarily the same thing . > It is a subtility ( or a pain :-)) ) in the french language > un logiciel means "a software PRODUCT" > le logiciel means "software" > les logiciels means 'software products" > So as you can see,if it is plural ,we are definitely talking about software > products . > If it is singular and it is behind le ( The ) it becomes software . > And if it is singular with the number 1 in front it becomes again a software > product .( right ,because the number could be different than zero ) > Not sure i make myself clear but i could explain it in french :-)) > And in french i would tell you that for me a software product is not > necessarily software <big grin> > Bruno > Bruno(dot)sugliani(at)groupemornay(dot)asso(dot)fr ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
