What Happened to the French?

[MacLeod]

Well we know that the Office of the President is in Paris as for the location of the council chambers has that ever been establsihed onscreen as being in Paris?

 

[at Quark's]

I always interpreted it to mean that the French either switched to English, or they confined usage of French to informal usage, "indoors", so to speak.

I don't believe they would actually give up French, though... as native speaker of a language that is way more "obscure" than French (Dutch), I use English daily (both private and for work) alongside Dutch, but I wouldn't dream of giving up my native language.

Though I must say that, after reading this thread, I think the interpretation of "obscure" that French is alive and well, but simply isn't that important in the large scheme of things (on a Federation scale) is actually far more plausible

 

[T'Girl]

Well we know that the Office of the President is in Paris as for the location of the council chambers has that ever been establsihed onscreen as being in Paris?

We also see the President in San Fransisco in one movie, the President could have offices all over the place.

Or what we saw in TUC could have easily been the "den" of his personal home.





T

 

[Timo]

Indeed, the concept of "council chambers" is so far unverified in dialogue. Possibly any auditorium in a random town on a random planet will do? Or then there are no physical meetings whatsoever - "Journey to Babel" seems to say it's a rather extraordinary thing that UFP deciders actually get together, and they need a "neutral planetoid" for that.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[137th Gebirg]

Nothing, as far as I know. Picard is French, and his English accent is just 1980's Hollywood figuring (correctly) that most Americans are too stupid to tell the difference between a French accent and a British accent.

Or (possibly even more correctly) that it might be hard on American ears to listen to every week, and find it to be a silly, self-parodying call-back to the French ka-niggggits in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Additionally back then, sentiment of the French was more negative than usual, especially with their denial to allow American overflights to get to Lybia quickly still fresh in everyone's mind only a year before! That may even be the reason why they toned down Picard's Frenchisms. There was also that nasty little skirmish we got embroiled in southeast Asia a couple decades before that, which is largely attributed to the folly of French imperialism in that region.

Another option is that Patrick Stewart himself might not have wanted to sound French all the time either. I am curious to know why the decision was made. Why make him a Frenchman at all? If they were so opposed to him being English they could have made him...I dunno...a Welshman. Few Americans would recognize the difference in accents at that point. We would be more likely able to recognize accents if the Celtic variety, but we all know that, in the Trek universe, those of Scots-Irish descent are always kept down in the basemen...er...down in the transporter and engine rooms and NEVER Captains! Unless, of course they're Captain...of Engineering.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

That Picard speaks French with a English accent, and speaks English with an English accent, might indicate that English (British version) is the main language in France.

To be precise, Picard (along with Bashir) spoke mostly American English with a British accent. In his DVD spotlight, Alexander Siddig recounts how scenes were reshot if the director felt that his pronunciation was too British.

 

[eyeresist]

That Picard speaks French with a English accent, and speaks English with an English accent, might indicate that English (British version) is the main language in France.

To be precise, Picard (along with Bashir) spoke mostly American English with a British accent. In his DVD spotlight, Alexander Siddig recounts how scenes were reshot if the director felt that his pronunciation was too British.

That's bizarre - I don't recall any time when Siddig's pronunciation wasn't British.

 

[MacLeod]

^It might have varied from director to director and perhaps it was just a case of toning it down.

 

[eyeresist]

SIDDIG : Apples and pears, cor strike a light guvnor, me old china plate!
DIRECTOR: I'm sorry, could you do that again in a more American way?
SIDDIG : Okay, ahem... "It's okay, I'm a doctor."

 

[Kor]

That Picard speaks French with a English accent, and speaks English with an English accent, might indicate that English (British version) is the main language in France.

To be precise, Picard (along with Bashir) spoke mostly American English with a British accent. In his DVD spotlight, Alexander Siddig recounts how scenes were reshot if the director felt that his pronunciation was too British.

That's bizarre - I don't recall any time when Siddig's pronunciation wasn't British.

Well, he spoke in a very standard and formal "BBC-ish" way, not necessarily in an everyday colloquial manner.

Kor

 

[Shawnster]

Khan explicitly mentions the TOS crew are speaking English.

The three 21st Century humans in TNG's Neutral Zone had no problem understanding the Enterprise crew. Neither did Zephram Cochraine or anyone else in First Contact. Of course, the UT could have been involved in these situation.

Mark Twain and the late 1800s
Edith Keeler and 20th Century Earth, plus Gary 7, Roberta Lincoln. Captain Christopher and the Air Force personnel. Gillian and the entire 20th Century Earth in Voyage Home.

English for everybody!

 

[T'Girl]

Well, he spoke in a very standard and formal "BBC-ish" way, not necessarily in an everyday colloquial manner

If TPTB ever recreate TNG, perhaps Picard could be given a incredible thick cockney accent

Indeed, the concept of "council chambers" is so far unverified in dialogue.

With holodeck technology the representative could meet without even needing to assemble in one place, the "council chamber" could be virtual.

Ajacent to your office would be a small holo-room, which you enter for meetings, committees, discussions or political caucus. If your home world isn't too remote there would be no need to be located on Earth at all, use subspace communications.

The "council chambers" could be just as cheesy, gold-plated and pretentious as the reps want it to be, because it isn't real.

.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

To be precise, Picard (along with Bashir) spoke mostly American English with a British accent. In his DVD spotlight, Alexander Siddig recounts how scenes were reshot if the director felt that his pronunciation was too British.

That's bizarre - I don't recall any time when Siddig's pronunciation wasn't British.

Well, he spoke in a very standard and formal "BBC-ish" way, not necessarily in an everyday colloquial manner.

Kor

It is a mixed bag, but in general, the uniquely British pronunciations tend to get weeded out. Yes, Bashir says Herbs rather than 'erbs, but he also says vac-CINE rather than VAC-cine.

Like I said, it's in the DVD extras. Look it up.

 

[hux]

If TPTB ever recreate TNG, perhaps Picard could be given a incredible thick cockney accent

Or better still, a Yorkshire accent (like the one Stewart suppressed).

When I first saw TNG, I wondered why they were pronouncing Data in the English way (day-ta). I always though Americans pronounced it dar-ta.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

If TPTB ever recreate TNG, perhaps Picard could be given a incredible thick cockney accent

Or better still, a Yorkshire accent (like the one Stewart suppressed).

When I first saw TNG, I wondered why they were pronouncing Data in the English way (day-ta). I always though Americans pronounced it dar-ta.

Considering American English is still rhotic, it would be dah-ta.

 

[T'Girl]

Or in the American pacific north-west ... "Day - dah."

 

[Kor]

If TPTB ever recreate TNG, perhaps Picard could be given a incredible thick cockney accent

Or better still, a Yorkshire accent (like the one Stewart suppressed).

When I first saw TNG, I wondered why they were pronouncing Data in the English way (day-ta). I always though Americans pronounced it dar-ta.

I'm in the US. I studied information technology in college and worked in the field for several years. In that specific industry, as well as in business environments in general, I have always heard the word pronounced as "day-ta," most often with a very soft "t" that is indistinguishable from a "d".

I'm not sure which pronunciation is common in more research-based scientific or mathematical fields.

Kor

 

[MacLeod]

The pronunciation might vary from region to region even within a country.

 

[Kor]

I have noticed that TV commercials for nation-wide cell phone service providers in the US always use the "day-da" pronunciation when describing their data plans. Apparently the general public is used to that way of saying the word.

Kor

 

[ManOnTheWave]

When I was a kid people would pronounce dayta and datta in just about equal occurrence, many people using both pronunciations interchangeably and even using both within a single sentence. I only hear dayta now, and have pretty much since TNG went on the air.