Date:  Thu, 16 Mar 1995 18:51:36 -0500

From:  jeffrey howard allen <jhallen[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UCS.INDIANA.EDU>

Subject: French coupe'



Saw Cathy Bodin's questions on the French word <<coupe'>> meaning "sedan"

in American English. This words has more or less been replaced in

popular French by the word <<berline>> and is contrasted to a <<break>>

"station wagon" or a <<trois portes>> "hatchback". In the 1994 Petit

Robert you can still find the example of "les berlines et les coupe's" in

the entry for Berline. I have never seen the English word "coupe", when

it means sedan, with an accent mark. Changing the spelling may just

follow the pronunciation at times.



A good example of the use, orf lack thereofof accents in English borrowed

from French is the word in American English that is the equivalent of a

Curriculum Vitae. Some people write resume with no accents, others

re'sume with one only on the first e, others resume' with an accent only

on the second e, and still others re'sume' on both e's. French-speakers,

at least in France, do not use any of these forms of <<re'sume'>> for the

word curriculum vitae (CV). It only means a short form, either oral or

written, or something longer. How do the rest of you spell "resume" in

English? Is this also a pronunciation issue like Cathy brought up?



Jeff Allen

jhallen[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]indiana.edu