Inspired by Janice den Heijer’s great LinkedIn posts about Swiss helvetisms in German, I would like to talk to you about the same topic.... but with a French perspective this time!
As we all know, Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romanche. French is spoken in Romandy, in the west part of the country. This variant includes terms that are specific to Switzerland (interestingly, some of them are also heard in my French border region of origin, Franche-Comté).
Here are some examples (there are many more):
ATM
Switzerland ▶️ Bancomat
France ▶️ Distributeur
BLINKER
Switzerland ▶️ Signofile
France ▶️ Clignotant
CUTLERY
Switzerland ▶️ Services
France ▶️ Couverts
DUSTPAN AND BRUSH
Switzerland ▶️ Brosse et ramassoire
France ▶️ Pelle et balayette
HAIRDRYER
Switzerland ▶️ Foen
France ▶️ Sèche-cheveux
KITCHEN TOWEL
Switzerland ▶️ Papier ménage
France ▶️ Sopalin
LOCK (a door)
Switzerland ▶️ Cotter
France ▶️ Fermer à clé
MOBILE PHONE
Switzerland ▶️ Natel
France ▶️ Portable
MOP
Switzerland ▶️ Panosse
France ▶️ Serpillère
PENCIL
Switzerland ▶️ Crayon gris
France ▶️ Crayon de papier
POUR (in the context of rain)
Switzerland ▶️ Roiller
France ▶️ Pleuvoir des cordes
PUDDLE
Switzerland ▶️ Gouille
France ▶️ Flaque
STAMP
Switzerland ▶️ Stempf
France ▶️ Tampon
STUMBLE
Switzerland ▶️ S’encoubler
France ▶️ Trébucher
This post wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t also talk about how we say 70, 80 and 90 (and all numbers included in between) on both sides of the borders. Legendary and timeless topic!
𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 (but also its former African colonies and Quebec)
70 - Soixante-dix [Literally 60 + 10]
80 - Quatre-vingts [Literally 4 x 20]
90 - Quatre-vingt-dix [Literally 4 x 20 + 10]
𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 (but also Belgium and its former African colonies, and Luxembourg)
70 - Septante
80 - Huitante (some Swiss cantons only), quatre-vingts (some other Swiss cantons, Belgium and Luxembourg)
90 - Nonante
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Francophones can, obviously, understand each other regardless of their country of origin. However, we have our own specificities, which enrich the French language as a whole.
This will sometimes lead to some (amused) confusion, but what better way to learn from others and prompt discussion with our fellow French speakers?
〰️〰️
📷 Lake Geneva, Montreux, Switzerland
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