French language - Revision history

Beza 1598: /* External Links */

2016-03-11T14:50:26Z

External Links

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	* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language Wikipedia Article on French language]		* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language Wikipedia Article on French language]

			{{Donate}}

Nick at 16:58, 2 February 2011

2011-02-02T16:58:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:58, 2 February 2011
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			French (Français, [fʁɑ̃sɛ]) is a [[Romance language]] spoken as a first language by around 136 million people worldwide.<sup>[1]</sup><sup>[8]</sup> A total of 500 million speak it as either a first, second, or foreign language.<sup>[3]</sup><sup>[9]</sup> Moreover, some 200 million people learn French as a foreign language.<sup>[10]</sup> French speaking communities are present in 56 countries and territories.<sup>[11]</sup> Most native speakers of the language live in [[France]], the rest live essentially in [[Canada]], particularly the province of [[Quebec]], with minorities in the [[Acadians\|Atlantic provinces]], [[Franco-Ontarians\|Ontario]], and [[French Canadian#Elsewhere in Canada\|Western Canada]], as well as [[Belgium]], [[Switzerland]], [[Monaco]], [[Luxembourg]], <sup>[12]</sup> and the U.S. state of [[Louisiana]].<sup>[13]</sup> Most second-language speakers of French live in [[African French\|Francophone Africa]], arguably exceeding the number of native speakers.<sup>[14]</sup>

			French is a descendant of the [[Latin]] language of the [[Roman Empire]], as are national languages such as [[Italian language\|Italian]], [[Portuguese language\|Portuguese]], [[Spanish language\|Spanish]], [[Romanian language\|Romanian]] and [[Catalan language\|Catalan]], and minority languages ranging from [[Occitan language\|Occitan]] to [[Neapolitan language\|Neapolitan]] and many more. Its closest relatives however are the other [[langues d'oïl]] and [[French-based creole languages]]. Its development was also influenced by the native [[Celtic languages]] of Roman [[Gaul]] and by the ([[Germanic languages\|Germanic]]) [[Old Frankish\|Frankish]] language of the post-Roman [[Franks\|Frankish]] invaders.

			It is an [[official language]] in [[List of countries where French is an official language\|30 countries]], most of which form what is called, in French, ''La [[Francophonie]]'', the community of French-speaking countries. It is an official language of all [[United Nations]] agencies and a [[List of international organisations which have French as an official language\|large number of international organizations]]. According to the [[European Union]], 129 million (or 26% of the Union's total population), in 27 member states speak French, of which 65 million are native speakers and 69 million claim to speak French either as a second language or as a foreign language, making it the third most spoken second language in the Union, after [[English language\|English]] and [[German language\|German]]. Twenty-percent of non-Francophone Europeans know how to speak French, totaling roughly 145.6 million people.<sup>[15]</sup>

			In addition, from the 17th century to the mid 20th century, French served as the pre-eminent international language of diplomacy and international affairs as well as a [[lingua franca]] among the educated classes of Europe.<sup>[16]</sup> The dominant position of the French language has only recently been overshadowed by English, since the emergence of the USA as a major power.<sup>[17]</sup><sup>[18]</sup><sup>[19]</sup>

			As a result of extensive colonial ambitions of France and Belgium, between the 17th and 20th centuries, French was introduced to America, Africa, Polynesia, South-East Asia, and the Caribbean.

	==See Also==		==See Also==

Nick: /* External Links */

2011-01-07T08:48:48Z

External Links

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	* [http://www.kingjamesfrancaise.com/ French King James Bible]		* [http://www.kingjamesfrancaise.com/ French King James Bible]
	* [http://desmond.oshea.free.fr/ A French Site supporting the Textus Receptus]		* [http://desmond.oshea.free.fr/ A French Site supporting the Textus Receptus]
	* [http://desmond.oshea.free.fr/BibleMartin/changements%20de%20mots%201744%201855.html/KJV_DAVID_MARTIN_1855_LOUIS_SEGOND.html Differences Between the ]		* [http://desmond.oshea.free.fr/BibleMartin/changements%20de%20mots%201744%201855.html/KJV_DAVID_MARTIN_1855_LOUIS_SEGOND.html Differences Between the KJV David Martin 1855 and Louis Segond]
	* [http://desmond.oshea.free.fr/BibleMartin/NT_1855_Audio/Bible%20David%20Martin%201855%20Audio%20mp3.html French Audio Bible based upon the 1855 Martin version]		* [http://desmond.oshea.free.fr/BibleMartin/NT_1855_Audio/Bible%20David%20Martin%201855%20Audio%20mp3.html French Audio Bible based upon the 1855 Martin version]

	* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language Wikipedia Article on French language]		* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language Wikipedia Article on French language]

Nick: /* External Links */

2011-01-07T08:47:56Z

External Links

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:47, 7 January 2011
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	==External Links==		==External Links==

			* [http://www.kingjamesfrancaise.com/ French King James Bible]
			* [http://desmond.oshea.free.fr/ A French Site supporting the Textus Receptus]
			* [http://desmond.oshea.free.fr/BibleMartin/changements%20de%20mots%201744%201855.html/KJV_DAVID_MARTIN_1855_LOUIS_SEGOND.html Differences Between the ]
			* [http://desmond.oshea.free.fr/BibleMartin/NT_1855_Audio/Bible%20David%20Martin%201855%20Audio%20mp3.html French Audio Bible based upon the 1855 Martin version]

	* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language Wikipedia Article on French language]		* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language Wikipedia Article on French language]

Nick at 08:47, 7 January 2011

2011-01-07T08:47:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:47, 7 January 2011
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			==See Also==

			* [[French Portal]]

	==External Links==		==External Links==
	* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language Wikipedia Article on French language]		* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language Wikipedia Article on French language]

Nick: Protected "French language" [edit=autoconfirmed:move=autoconfirmed]

2010-04-05T05:01:43Z

Protected "French language" [edit=autoconfirmed:move=autoconfirmed]

← Older revision	Revision as of 05:01, 5 April 2010
(No difference)

Nick: New page: ==External Links== * [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language Wikipedia Article on French language]

2010-04-05T05:01:39Z

New page: ==External Links== * [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language Wikipedia Article on French language]

New page

==External Links==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language Wikipedia Article on French language]