Continuing use of francs - French Language2024-03-29T11:10:25Zhttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/forum/topics/continuing-use-of-francs?commentId=3179028%3AComment%3A113571&feed=yes&xn_auth=noOnce upon a time, a sou was a…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2014-05-26:3179028:Comment:1137002014-05-26T19:17:19.307ZJean Dervinhttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/JeanDervin
<p>Once upon a time, a sou was a five-centimes coin. With inflation, the centime effectively vanished. In 1960, with the revaluation of the franc, the centime reappeared. As far as I recall, there was a five new centimes coin (formerly five old francs). It was virtually useless, anyway. I do not recall that anyone referred to this as a "sou", but there may be someone on this forum who can comment.</p>
<p>Once upon a time, a sou was a five-centimes coin. With inflation, the centime effectively vanished. In 1960, with the revaluation of the franc, the centime reappeared. As far as I recall, there was a five new centimes coin (formerly five old francs). It was virtually useless, anyway. I do not recall that anyone referred to this as a "sou", but there may be someone on this forum who can comment.</p> when I was a child, I knew th…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2014-05-26:3179028:Comment:1136322014-05-26T19:16:21.721ZChantal Savignathttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/ChantalSavignat
<p>when I was a child, I knew the conversion anciens/nouveaux francs. Because my grandma always did he conversion.</p>
<p>And before he dead, my father did the two conversions : euros => noveaux francs => anciens francs. Some more years, and I think he would have done euros => anciens francs.</p>
<p>A mental gymnastic to preserve his neurons</p>
<p>when I was a child, I knew the conversion anciens/nouveaux francs. Because my grandma always did he conversion.</p>
<p>And before he dead, my father did the two conversions : euros => noveaux francs => anciens francs. Some more years, and I think he would have done euros => anciens francs.</p>
<p>A mental gymnastic to preserve his neurons</p> no, it doesn't persist as the…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2014-05-26:3179028:Comment:1135712014-05-26T19:02:48.432ZChantal Savignathttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/ChantalSavignat
<p>no, it doesn't persist as the name of a part of euro.</p>
<p>I think it disappeared with the "nouveaux francs". I never heard "sou" as the name of a coin. I was a child in seventies.</p>
<p>for "nouveaux francs" the smallest unit was "centime".</p>
<p>For the euro it is "cent" but French often say "centime" for euro coins. The two words are close.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>no, it doesn't persist as the name of a part of euro.</p>
<p>I think it disappeared with the "nouveaux francs". I never heard "sou" as the name of a coin. I was a child in seventies.</p>
<p>for "nouveaux francs" the smallest unit was "centime".</p>
<p>For the euro it is "cent" but French often say "centime" for euro coins. The two words are close.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p> Thanks for that. I'm glad to…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2014-05-26:3179028:Comment:1136992014-05-26T18:39:43.545ZJean Dervinhttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/JeanDervin
<p>Thanks for that. I'm glad to know that the word hasn't disappeared in colloquial usage. But does it have any continuing literal sense? In the UK, after decimalisation, the old nicknames for coins vanished. And that was even though the unit of currency (the pound) remained the same. Do any of the euro coins have names in French? </p>
<p>Thanks for that. I'm glad to know that the word hasn't disappeared in colloquial usage. But does it have any continuing literal sense? In the UK, after decimalisation, the old nicknames for coins vanished. And that was even though the unit of currency (the pound) remained the same. Do any of the euro coins have names in French? </p> Yes,
"je vais prendre des sou…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2014-05-26:3179028:Comment:1136982014-05-26T18:15:53.660ZChantal Savignathttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/ChantalSavignat
<p>Yes,</p>
<p>"je vais prendre des sous"</p>
<p>"maman tu n'aurais pas des sous"</p>
<p>"gagner des sous"</p>
<p></p>
<p>but maybe it's because my parents used this word, so I use it too.</p>
<p>Yes,</p>
<p>"je vais prendre des sous"</p>
<p>"maman tu n'aurais pas des sous"</p>
<p>"gagner des sous"</p>
<p></p>
<p>but maybe it's because my parents used this word, so I use it too.</p> I was not born ;-)tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2014-05-26:3179028:Comment:1134642014-05-26T16:38:09.429ZChantal Savignathttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/ChantalSavignat
<p>I was not born ;-)</p>
<p>I was not born ;-)</p> When I lived in France I lear…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2014-05-26:3179028:Comment:1136972014-05-26T13:04:13.687ZGeorge Hunthttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/GEORDIEHOUND
<p>When I lived in France I learned and used the expression "mille balles" ,"2 mille balles" " dix mille balles" etc which meant multiples of 10 francs.</p>
<p>I always preferred it as it was close to then value of £1. I think that must have been based on the old currency and it wasn't only the <span>grandmas who spoke like that then .</span></p>
<p>When I lived in France I learned and used the expression "mille balles" ,"2 mille balles" " dix mille balles" etc which meant multiples of 10 francs.</p>
<p>I always preferred it as it was close to then value of £1. I think that must have been based on the old currency and it wasn't only the <span>grandmas who spoke like that then .</span></p> Is the word "sou" still used…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2014-05-26:3179028:Comment:1135702014-05-26T11:11:22.313ZJean Dervinhttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/JeanDervin
<p>Is the word "sou" still used other than in colloquial expressions? Indeed, is it used even colloquially these days?</p>
<p>Is the word "sou" still used other than in colloquial expressions? Indeed, is it used even colloquially these days?</p> Prices in francs are smaller…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2014-05-26:3179028:Comment:1136312014-05-26T11:03:06.979ZChantal Savignathttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/ChantalSavignat
<p> Prices in francs are smaller and smaller. Most are very very small in a corner of the label.</p>
<p>more and more they disappear on food's label or cheap things.</p>
<p>but it's not a surprise to have the "franc" conversion.</p>
<p></p>
<p> Prices in francs are smaller and smaller. Most are very very small in a corner of the label.</p>
<p>more and more they disappear on food's label or cheap things.</p>
<p>but it's not a surprise to have the "franc" conversion.</p>
<p></p> The currency reform was actua…tag:www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk,2014-05-26:3179028:Comment:1135682014-05-26T10:39:14.203ZJean Dervinhttp://www.forum.french-linguistics.co.uk/profile/JeanDervin
<p>The currency reform was actually in 1960. I was staying in Paris with an aunt at the time. She went on using anciens francs until the day she died many years later.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I still sometimes think in LSD. Twleve bob for a first-class stamp! Outrageous. (It's gone up again now.)</p>
<p>The currency reform was actually in 1960. I was staying in Paris with an aunt at the time. She went on using anciens francs until the day she died many years later.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I still sometimes think in LSD. Twleve bob for a first-class stamp! Outrageous. (It's gone up again now.)</p>