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#21 Growing Stuff In Own Yard

featured-topic-french-loan-words-in-vietnam

Asians like to grow things in their back yards. Sometimes legal, sometimes illegal. But, before they can do that, Asians have to find the perfect spot. A two to four room house with a massive front and/or back yard. There is logic in it. Why waste time gas, and money driving to the grocery store [...]









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Featured Topic: French Loan Words in Vietnam

Posted May 21st, 2010 by Peter · 26 Comments

featured-topic-french-loan-words-in-vietnam

Hi SAPL Readers! Blogger Danny Bloom was kind enough to share his article about how certain Vietnamese words have been derived. It’s interesting that a great deal actually come from France (not really), but check it out! I learned a great deal about Vietnamese words I never thought had French roots at all.

According to legends handed down to the current city fathers of Hanoi today, it was in 1010 that a king by the name of Ly Thai Tho claimed to have seen a dragon rising up from a nearby river, and he decided to call his temporary settlement along the banks of that river Thang Long: “rising dragon.” Hanoi itself gets its name from the Vietnamese word “hanoi,” which means ”a bend in the river’.’ Welcome to the name game in southeast Asia!


Loan Words Galore!

Before Americans got involved in a long and protacted war in Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s, the French had been heavily involved in the country for over 300 years. From 1853 to 1954, France ran Vietnam as an overseas colony. As a result, as one can imagine, Vietnam’s French colonial past has left its mark on the country’s language. The Vietnamese word for cheese, ”pho mat”, comes from the French word ”fromage,” and cake is called “ga to”, from the French word “gateau.”

During a recent research expedition via keyboard and Internet, this reporter came across over 50 “loan words” from French still used in Vietnam today, in addiiton to pho mat and ga to. To understand what follows, it helps to know a little French, but even if you never studied French in school and you don’t know bonjour from bonsoir, take a look at what some erudiate word sleuths have unearthed.

  • Liver pate is called “pa” in Vietnam today. Pate chaud, according to foodie with a website Andrea Nguyen, is called “pa so.”
  • “Ba” — father — comes from the French word “papa.”
  • “Va li” comes from the the French word for suitcase — valise.
  • “Bo” (beurre), and “ri-do” (rideau, drapes, curtain), I learned from Andrea Q. Nguyen today, too.
  • “Bia” comes from the French word for beer, “biere.”
  • A doll is called a “bup-be” in Vietnam, from the French word “poupee” for puppet.
  • What to call a necktie on that senior civil servant giving a press conference on Hanoi TV? It’s a “ca vat” — from the French word “cravate.”
  • “Doc to” is on loan from the French word “docteur” which is not far from our English version: doctor.

  • “Phac to” comes from “facteur,” the French word for mailman. You need to understand French a little bit to really get the fun involved here, but even if you don’t, c’est la vie. Amusez-vous bien!
  • “Phim” means “movie” and comes from the French word “film”.
  • A “pha” is a headlight on your car or motorscooter, from the French word “phare”.
  • Motorscooters and motorcycles are themselves are called “moto” — from “motorcyclette”.
  • Did I make a mistake? In French, they call it a “faute”. In Vietnam today, people say “phot”.
  • “Bit-tet” is of course from the French term “biftek” — beefsteak, or just plain steak. Oishii!
  • Coffee is called “ca phe” from the French word “cafe”.
  • Wine is called “vang” (le vin). Soap is called “xa bong” (savon).
  • A circus is called “xiec” (from the French word “cirque”).

I never knew any of this. I have never been to Vietnam. But being an armchair traveller is fun, too, and I can dream, n’est-ce pas?

Much of my research came from the work of Dr Milton Barber (via New York Times “On Language” columnist Ben Zimmer’s wonderful hat tip direction!), whose “The Phonological Adaptation of French Loan Words in Vietnamese” was my main resource here. He wrote that in 1963 during America’s military operations in Vietnam.

I didn’t go to Vietnam. But I did go to France. For a year. I dropped out of college to go travelling for a year in France, mostly drinking coffee in sidewalk cafe in Paris all day and going to the movies at night at the Cinemateque Francais. Those were the days. A year in paradise, oo-la-la! Oui, oui. It was cold and raining every day!

Now I have several Vietnamese friends in Taiwan where I dwell in a computer-less cave with no WiFi. These women have married Taiwanese men and number in the tens of thousands in Taiwan now. More then 90 percent of new foreign brides in Taiwan are from Vietnam. So every day, I practice some of these French loan words with my Vietnamese neighbors and their children, and sip ”ca phe” while eating some good delicious ”pho”. Noodles. Lamen.

Welcome to the Global Tower of Babel, where we are one people, one race, many genepools, billions of souls. I love it.

You can view Danny’s blog at: Here
[ See Andrea's great blogs here: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/ and http://www.asiandumplingtips.com/ ]

Thanks Danny!

Are there any words in your native tongues with European (or non-asian) roots?

Comment Below!









→ 26 CommentsTags: Activities · Environment · Featured Topic · Films and Movies · Food & Beverage · History · Learn Asian! · Open Dialogue · People

Dinh’s FF Squad Videos – AsianInvasion!

Posted May 11th, 2010 by Peter · 3 Comments

Hi SAPL Family! I just wanted to take this opportunity to do a little shout out for another rising Asian-American, Dinh. He’s been working on some amazing racing videos!

FF Squad is a grassroots group of friends who build and race their Hondas just for the love it. Chinese-American director Dinh recently shot, directed, and edited a 2 minute video portraying a day in the life of the FF Squad. The video has received an unexpected amount of praise and attention, triggering the online tuner community asking for more. He plans to bring more of these inspirational videos about avergage Joes and their extraordinary desire for racing. Dinh is based in Los Angeles and is represented by BRW USA (www.brwusa.com).

Check out some of their videos below:

Trailer:

And their first video:

Best of Luck, Dinh!
-Peter.

→ 3 CommentsTags: AsianInvasion! · People

Tim Be Told Releases “Analyze” HD Music Video and Announces Free Music Download

Posted May 5th, 2010 by Peter · 1 Comment

On May 5, 2010, Tim Be Told released a brand new music video for their song, “Analyze,” off the critically acclaimed “From the Inside” EP.  Watch the video now at http://www.timbetold.com/, where you can download the single for free and visit the newly relaunched Tim Be Told store.  

Using real people rather than actors, “Analyze” highlights the internal struggles we all face and the battles waged between discouragement and hope.  The video, directed by Jonathan Moy, projects the band’s positive outlook, with hope winning in the end. Tim Be Told’s uplifting music has earned them a legion of fans across the country.  They have been touring relentlessly as a client of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment and, in between the dates, the band is spending some time in the studio working on a new record!

For those of you that want to see Tim Be Told perform at your university next year, the band has a limited number of shows that it will be playing at college campuses.  Therefore, send a booking email request ASAP tobooking@timbetold.com to reserve a spot.  Don’t miss out!

See the band on tour live in a city near you and stay tuned to http://www.timbetold.com for the latest news and updates:

May 6 – Columbus, OH – BoMA

May 7 – Cincinnati, OH – Mainstay Rock Bar

May 8 – Los Angeles, CA – Panel at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

May 12 – Denver, CO – University of Denver

May 18 – Campbell, CA – World Mission Baptist Church

May 22 – Seattle, WA – APA Heritage Bash @ Ibiza Nightclub

May 28 – Wheaton, IL – WCAC Church

June 25 – Mineral City, OH – Alive Festival

June 26 – Nashville, TN – Lipscomb University

If you’re in any of those areas, be sure to check TimBeTold out! They are an inspirational band with an inspirational story. See for yourself!

Here is a link to the free song download!

Peter.
SAPL Writer

→ 1 CommentTags: Activities · People

Fill In Our Future Netbook Contest

Posted April 29th, 2010 by Peter · 2 Comments

Dear SAPL Family! I’ve got great news! Fill in Our Future is still going strong and they are holding a little contest. The prize is a netbook, so have a look and see if you can help raise awareness for Census completion!

census-workers

“Starting May 1st through early summer, census takers will be going to households that did not mail back a form to complete the census form. What do you plan on doing to help educate the community, your family, and friends that this process is continuing and they need to talk to the census taker so they can complete their form?”

Answer this question here:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dG9lY2hPWTZfbmNYejZJLWZtWldHOVE6MA
and your entry could win you a new netbook!

Stay proud,
Peter Nguyen.

→ 2 CommentsTags: People



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