Common Ground Common Sense > Ahmadinejad-Speak

cardinal

Jul 29 2006, 01:56 PM

Remind you of anything?

Iran Bans Foreign Words As Part Of Ahmadinejad-Speak
by Joe Gandelman
Watch what you say, more than ever in Iran:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ordered government and cultural bodies to use modified Persian words to replace foreign words that have crept into the language, such as "pizzas" which will now be known as "elastic loaves," state media reported Saturday.

The presidential decree, issued earlier this week, orders all governmental agencies, newspapers and publications to use words deemed more appropriate by the official language watchdog, the Farhangestan Zaban e Farsi, or Persian Academy, the Irna official news agency reported.

The AP report says most of the 2,000 banned words are rooted in the West. The problem isn't with Arabic words, since the holy book is written in Arabic.

QUOTE

The academy has introduced more than 2,000 words as alternatives for some of the foreign words that have become commonly used in Iran, mostly from Western languages. The government is less sensitive about Arabic words, because the Quran is written in Arabic.

Among other changes, a "chat" will become a "short talk" and a "cabin" will be renamed a "small room," according to official Web site of the academy.

That means no longer can Iranians who don't agree with him assert that he belongs in the "looney bin." From now on it'll have to be the more formal term "psychiatric evaluation and treatment unit."

And how will the President now refer to his favorite book that has a title in German (Mein Kampf)?

grammydidi

Jul 29 2006, 03:37 PM

France does the same thing with their language, in order to keep it 'pure', but I don't know if anyone still goes by the edict.

The term 'floppy disk' was outlawed years ago, and it became necessary to say "a device upon which to store digital characters" or some such nonsense.

Some people just don't have an imagination linked to a sense of humor, I guess. Where would American English be without, "No problemo!" or "Yo!, Blair".

PS: Why 'elastic loaves', I wonder? Why not 'Italian tomato pie'? or 'flat bread with meat and vegetables'? What kind of dough do they use in Iran for pizza? Elastic? Sounds a little rubbery, to me. Perhaps President Ahmadinejad should hire a new chef.

cardinal

Jul 29 2006, 08:31 PM

QUOTE(grammydidi @ Jul 29 2006, 04:37 PM)

France does the same thing with their language, in order to keep it 'pure', but I don't know if anyone still goes by the edict.

The term 'floppy disk' was outlawed years ago, and it became necessary to say "a device upon which to store digital characters" or some such nonsense.

Some people just don't have an imagination linked to a sense of humor, I guess. Where would American English be without, "No problemo!" or "Yo!, Blair".

PS: Why 'elastic loaves', I wonder? Why not 'Italian tomato pie'? or 'flat bread with meat and vegetables'? What kind of dough do they use in Iran for pizza? Elastic? Sounds a little rubbery, to me. Perhaps President Ahmadinejad should hire a new chef.

I was wondering that myself. Here's a pic of a 1000 killo (2204.62262 pounds) vegetable pizza from Iran.

Pegatha

Jul 29 2006, 08:32 PM

Freedom fries for all!!!!

Marine

Jul 31 2006, 02:28 PM

QUOTE(grammydidi @ Jul 29 2006, 03:37 PM)

France does the same thing with their language, in order to keep it 'pure', but I don't know if anyone still goes by the edict.

The term 'floppy disk' was outlawed years ago, and it became necessary to say "a device upon which to store digital characters" or some such nonsense.

Some people just don't have an imagination linked to a sense of humor, I guess. Where would American English be without, "No problemo!" or "Yo!, Blair".

PS: Why 'elastic loaves', I wonder? Why not 'Italian tomato pie'? or 'flat bread with meat and vegetables'? What kind of dough do they use in Iran for pizza? Elastic? Sounds a little rubbery, to me. Perhaps President Ahmadinejad should hire a new chef.

The French want to keep their language pure? Try telling that to someone in the Vendee or Britany. All I got to say is