Learning French and Greek at the same time!

Here you can discuss all things Ancient Greek. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Greek, and more.
Post Reply
User avatar
Paul Derouda
Global Moderator
Posts: 2292
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:39 pm

Learning French and Greek at the same time!

Post by Paul Derouda »

In high school, my dad (who is French) studied Greek for some time, mostly because that way he didn't have to take German. He told me that the only thing he ever learnt was οὐκ ἔλαβον πόλιν. For some reason, my dad thought it was very funny, but I didn't get it... But I just bumped into whole piece, and now I know what was so funny. For those of you who know French: :)

οὐκ ἔλαβον πόλιν· άλλα γὰρ ἐλπὶς ἔφη κακά.

Various internet sources claim that the line is from Xenophon. For some reason, I'm a bit doubtful...

Markos
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 2966
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 8:07 pm
Location: Colorado
Contact:

Re: Learning French and Greek at the same time!

Post by Markos »

I took French in High School, but I don't get it. As far as I got is ἔλαβον= elle a bon= she has a good x. Am I on the right track?

User avatar
Scribo
Global Moderator
Posts: 917
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:28 pm
Location: Between Ilias and Odysseia (ok sometimes Athens).

Re: Learning French and Greek at the same time!

Post by Scribo »

"Where is the good (ou e la bon) something? at the train station...(swimming pool?)...making excrement."

:lol:
(Occasionally) Working on the following tutorials:

(P)Aristotle, Theophrastus and Peripatetic Greek
Intro Greek Poetry
Latin Historical Prose

User avatar
jeidsath
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 5332
Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2013 2:42 pm
Location: Γαλεήπολις, Οὐισκόνσιν

Re: Learning French and Greek at the same time!

Post by jeidsath »

Cette phrase-calembour artificielle est un grand classique de l’humour potache des jeunes hellénistes.

http://fr.wikibooks.org/wiki/Grec_ancien/Locutions
“One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato." "In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.”

Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com

User avatar
Scribo
Global Moderator
Posts: 917
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:28 pm
Location: Between Ilias and Odysseia (ok sometimes Athens).

Re: Learning French and Greek at the same time!

Post by Scribo »

mais où est l'humour? Qu'est-ce πολιν en français? un nom peut etre?, Je ne sais pas...
(Occasionally) Working on the following tutorials:

(P)Aristotle, Theophrastus and Peripatetic Greek
Intro Greek Poetry
Latin Historical Prose

User avatar
jeidsath
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 5332
Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2013 2:42 pm
Location: Γαλεήπολις, Οὐισκόνσιν

Re: Learning French and Greek at the same time!

Post by jeidsath »

@scribo

The only French I know is from speaking with my wife. I knew enough to get the first part of the joke sentence, but had to look the rest up (although with κακα it was easy to guess). But I can't find the original source or age, beyond that characterization "calembour artificielle est un grand classique."

It did, however, make an appearance in Finnegan's Wake, which locks it down somewhat.
“One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato." "In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.”

Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com

Markos
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 2966
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 8:07 pm
Location: Colorado
Contact:

Re: Learning French and Greek at the same time!

Post by Markos »

Paul Derouda wrote:οὐκ ἔλαβον πόλιν. For some reason, my dad thought it was very funny, but I didn't get it... But I just bumped into whole piece, and now I know what was so funny. For those of you who know French: :)

οὐκ ἔλαβον πόλιν· άλλα γὰρ ἐλπὶς ἔφη κακά
Scribo wrote:"Where is the good (ou e la bon) something? at the train station...(swimming pool?)...making excrement."

:lol:
parlais tu francais bien, mon amis. mais ou est le kappa?

οὐκ ἔλαβον -> où quelle a bon?

User avatar
Paul Derouda
Global Moderator
Posts: 2292
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:39 pm

Re: Learning French and Greek at the same time!

Post by Paul Derouda »

"Où qu'est la bonne Pauline? A la gare, elle pisse et fait caca!"

"Where's good Pauline? At the railway station, pooing and peeing!"

You shouldn't blame your French teacher for not getting it, you should actually thank him/her! That's not a proper way to speak French... In addition to the dubious content, "où qu'est" isn't exactly good French and Markos is right to ask "où est le kappa?"... Children might say things like "où qu'il est le bébé?", but "où qu'est Pauline" is even below that, I don't know if it's archaic in addition to being childish, or just plain half-nonsense.

User avatar
Paul Derouda
Global Moderator
Posts: 2292
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:39 pm

Re: Learning French and Greek at the same time!

Post by Paul Derouda »

And I don't know about the Greek either, if it's any better. Is it good Greek to make ἐλπὶς subject of ἔφη? And what do think about not using the article with πόλις?

Markos
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 2966
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 8:07 pm
Location: Colorado
Contact:

Re: Learning French and Greek at the same time!

Post by Markos »

Paul Derouda wrote:And I don't know about the Greek either, if it's any better. Is it good Greek to make ἐλπὶς subject of ἔφη? And what do think about not using the article with πόλις?
No, the Greek is barely tolerable Greek. The joke is well conceived, but not well executed. "Zeta ate a theta" is the most famous English equivalent, I guess.

mwh
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 4790
Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2013 2:34 am

Re: Learning French and Greek at the same time!

Post by mwh »

Isn’t this a nice demonstration of how Greek pronunciation varies according to nationality? Only a French speaker would render this Greek in such a way that it sounded like this French.

gurufabbes
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 01, 2015 1:39 pm

Re: Learning French and Greek at the same time!

Post by gurufabbes »

οὐκ ἔλαβον πόλιν

I think it meant to say

"Ou! Qu'elle est bonne Pauline!"

meaning, wow, Pauline is really hot (in a sexually attractive way)

Post Reply