Why Were The Announcements In French?

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  • PaacePaace Posts: 14,679
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    steveh31 wrote: »
    It's a traditional agreement that as a Frenchman created the games that the speak his language first just what they do.

    I thought it all began in Greece. So shouldn't they have announced in Greek first, then French and lastly English.
  • davie1924davie1924 Posts: 2,140
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    I (wrongly) assumed that the French may have been hosting the next Games so that was the reasoning behind it. Thanks guys for pointing it out.
  • Froggie72Froggie72 Posts: 5,733
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    Justabloke wrote: »
    Whilst it is widely spoken in France, half of Belgium some bits of Switzerland, tiny bits of North Africa and the odd tiny island dotted about here and there, it is no where near English in terms of its usage.
    Its the "Official Language of the IOC" which is why it preceded every other announcement but mainly its a little bit of French conceit.

    You've forgotten Quebec...
  • lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
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    Froggie72 wrote: »
    You've forgotten Quebec...

    And Saint Pierre and Miquelon :)
  • Froggie72Froggie72 Posts: 5,733
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    and Cameroon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Gabon... Francophone Africa had a population of 349 million in 2011 :)
  • hallstarhallstar Posts: 925
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    Isn't the IOC also based in the French speaking part of Switzerland as well?
  • jerseyporterjerseyporter Posts: 2,332
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    solare wrote: »
    It would have been helpful if the commentators had explained it as it seems a lot of people were confused about the announcements.

    They did! I had guessed what the reason was when I was watching the opening ceremony with my daughters, but shortly afterwards someone (can't remember which of them it was) explained about French being the 'first language' of the Olympics.

    So it was explained in the commentary on the night - it might only have been a passing comment, but it was there all the same!
  • roddydogsroddydogs Posts: 10,298
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    So why "on your marks" is in English?
  • lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
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    roddydogs wrote: »
    So why "on your marks" is in English?

    Doesn't each individual sport operate to the rules set by the governing body of that sport, I have a feeling some sports traditionally use some French words.

    The IOC control directly the languages used in the formal parts of the Games like medal presentations.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,402
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    roddydogs wrote: »
    So why "on your marks" is in English?

    Because it has nothing to do with the IOC?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4
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    Justabloke wrote: »
    Whilst it is widely spoken in France, half of Belgium some bits of Switzerland, tiny bits of North Africa and the odd tiny island dotted about here and there, it is no where near English in terms of its usage.
    Its the "Official Language of the IOC" which is why it preceded every other announcement but mainly its a little bit of French conceit.

    No it's because IOC is Swiss.
  • MissCultureMissCulture Posts: 704
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    Froggie72 wrote: »
    You've forgotten Quebec...

    Christ, they don't speak proper French in Quebec - even the French in France cannot understand them! :rolleyes:
  • MissCultureMissCulture Posts: 704
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    Paace wrote: »
    I thought it all began in Greece. So shouldn't they have announced in Greek first, then French and lastly English.

    The games were resurrected by Pierre de Coubertin in 1896 - he was French and as French was the language of international diplomacy back then so French became the first language of the Games. It remains so to this day and I am aghast at how ignorant people are about this aspect of the Olympic Games. It has never been a secret so why - given we have Google and Wiki at our fingertips today - are so many people asking 'why is everything said in French first' in 2012??? I mean...do some bloody homework! :confused:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,373
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    chriskross wrote: »
    No it's because IOC is Swiss.

    Why aren't the announcements in Swiss then?
  • PaacePaace Posts: 14,679
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    The games were resurrected by Pierre de Coubertin in 1896 - he was French and as French was the language of international diplomacy back then so French became the first language of the Games. It remains so to this day and I am aghast at how ignorant people are about this aspect of the Olympic Games. It has never been a secret so why - given we have Google and Wiki at our fingertips today - are so many people asking 'why is everything said in French first' in 2012??? I mean...do some bloody homework! :confused:

    So what!!! My point still stands. The Olympics originated in Greece and Greek should be the First language used.

    Of course I know the real reason and poor Greece is now considered a small player on the world stage while France is one of the main players in Europe/World.

    Of course the UK has to bend over backwards to be politically correct at all times.
  • lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
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    Paace wrote: »
    So what!!! My point still stands. The Olympics originated in Greece and Greek should be the First language used.

    Of course I know the real reason and poor Greece is now considered a small player on the world stage while France is one of the main players in Europe/World.

    Of course the UK has to bend over backwards to be politically correct at all times.

    I think the format of the modern Games has as much connection to the Games a couple of thousand years ago as the chaps in white robes at Stonehenge have to the original Druids.
  • JeffG1JeffG1 Posts: 15,243
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    lundavra wrote: »
    I think the format of the modern Games has as much connection to the Games a couple of thousand years ago as the chaps in white robes at Stonehenge have to the original Druids.
    True enough, since they used to compete naked - though the beach volleyball comes close :D
  • JohnnyForgetJohnnyForget Posts: 24,061
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    Why aren't the announcements in Swiss then?

    Because the Headquarters of the IOC is in Lausanne, which is in the French speaking part of of Switzerland, not the Swiss-German speaking part of that nation.
  • IphigeniaIphigenia Posts: 8,109
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    Par-ce que c'est la première langue des jeux Olympiques?
  • CrimsonmonCrimsonmon Posts: 1,116
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    roddydogs wrote: »
    So why "on your marks" is in English?

    The same reason the judo calls are in Japanese and the fencing in French.
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