Recueil des expressions vicieuses et des anglicismes les plus fréquents by Gingras

Featured

Recueil des expressions vicieuses et des anglicismes les plus fréquents by Gingras

(5 User reviews) 3776

By Emily Rodriguez Posted on Dec 25, 2025

In Category - Adventure Classics

Authors: Gingras, Jules Fabien, 1826-1884 Published By : Gingras, Jules Fabien, 1826-1884

Book Language: French

Hey, you know how we sometimes say 'faire du sens' instead of 'avoir du sens' because it sounds like the English 'make sense'? This book is a 19th-century time capsule all about that exact fight. Written by a Quebec school inspector named Jules Gingras, it's basically a grumpy, passionate rulebook from 1880 trying to protect the French language from English creeping in. It's not a novel—it's a list of 'bad' phrases and anglicisms, but it feels like a detective story for words. Reading it today is wild; you realize how many of the 'mistakes' he hated are now just normal French, especially in Quebec. It's a short, fascinating look at a language war that's still going on.

Read "Recueil des expressions vicieuses et des anglicismes les plus fréquents by Gingras" Online

This book is available in the public domain. Start reading the digital edition below.

START READING FULL BOOK

Instant Access Mobile Friendly

Book Preview

A short preview of the book’s content is shown below to give you an idea of its style and themes.

WITH THE CAMEL CORPS UP THE NILE. By COUNT GLEICHEN, Grenadier Guards. With numerous Sketches by the Author. Second Edition. Large crown 8vo, 9s. _By W. FRASER RAE._ AUSTRIAN HEALTH RESORTS; and the Bitter Waters of Hungary. By W. FRASER RAE. Crown 8vo, 5s. _By EDWARD KENNARD._ NORWEGIAN SKETCHES: FISHING IN STRANGE WATERS. By EDWARD KENNARD. Illustrated with 30 beautiful Sketches printed by The Automatic Engraving Co. Second Edition. Oblong folio, 21s. A Set of Six Hand-coloured Plates, 21s.; in Oak Frames, 42s. _By ATHOL MAUDSLAY._ HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. By ATHOL MAUDSLAY. With numerous Illustrations. Demy 8vo, 21s. _ILLUSTRATED WITH PORTRAITS AND VIEWS._ A GIRL’S LIFE EIGHTY YEARS AGO. Selections from the Letters of ELIZA SOUTHGATE BOWNE. With an Introduction by CLARENCE COOK. Illustrated with Portraits and Views. Fcap. 4to, 12s. _By COLONEL G. B. MALLESON, C.S.I._ PRINCE EUGENE OF SAVOY. By COLONEL G. B. MALLESON, C.S.I. With Portrait and Maps. Crown 8vo, 6s. _By PROFESSOR WRIGHTSON._ THE PRINCIPLES OF AGRICULTURAL PRACTICE AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL SUBJECT. By Prof. J. WRIGHTSON, M.R.A.C., F.C.S., etc.; Examiner in Agriculture to the Science and Art Department; Professor of Agriculture in the Normal School of Science and Royal School of Mines; President of the College of Agriculture, Downton, near Salisbury, etc. With Geological Map. Crown 8vo, 5s. _By PROFESSOR J. LE CONTE._ EVOLUTION AND ITS RELATIONS TO RELIGIOUS THOUGHT. By J. LE CONTE, Professor of Geology and Natural History in the University of California. Crown 8vo, 6s. BOOKS PUBLISHED BY CHAPMAN & HALL, LIMITED. _ABLETT (T. R.)_— WRITTEN DESIGN. Oblong, sewed, 6d. _ABOUT (EDMOND)_— HANDBOOK OF SOCIAL ECONOMY; OR, THE WORKER’S A B C. From the French. With a Biographical and Critical Introduction by W. FRASER RAE. Second Edition, revised. Crown 8vo, 4s. AFRICAN FARM, STORY OF AN. By OLIVE SCHREINER (Ralph Iron). New Edition. Crown 8vo, cloth, 2s. _ANDERSON (ANDREW A.)_— TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN A WAGGON IN THE GOLD REGIONS OF AFRICA. With Illustrations and Map. Second Edition. Demy 8vo, 12s. AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE (LECTURES ON), and OTHER PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE, SOUTH KENSINGTON, 1883-4. Crown 8vo, sewed, 2s. _AVELING (EDWARD), D.Sc., Fellow of University College, London_— MECHANICS AND EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCE. As required for the Matriculation Examination of the University of London. MECHANICS. With numerous Woodcuts. Crown 8vo, 6s. Key to Problems in ditto, crown 8vo, 3s. 6d. MAGNETISM AND ELECTRICITY. Crown 8vo. LIGHT AND HEAT. Crown 8vo. _BADEN-POWELL (GEORGE)_— STATE AID AND STATE INTERFERENCE. Illustrated by Results in Commerce and Industry. Crown 8vo, 9s. _BARKER (G. F. RUSSELL) and DAUGLISH (M. G.), of Lincoln’s Inn, Barristers-at-Law_— HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL HANDBOOK. Second Edition. Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d. _BARTLEY (G. C. T.)_— A HANDY BOOK FOR GUARDIANS OF THE POOR. Crown 8vo, cloth, 3s. BAYARD: HISTORY OF THE GOOD CHEVALIER, SANS PEUR ET SANS REPROCHE. Compiled by the LOYAL SERVITEUR. With over 200 Illustrations. Royal 8vo, 21s. _BEATTY-KINGSTON (W.)_— A WANDERER’S NOTES. 2 vols. demy 8vo, 24s. MONARCHS I HAVE MET. 2 vols. demy 8vo, 24s. MUSIC AND MANNERS: Personal Reminiscences and Sketches of Character. 2 vols. demy 8vo, 30s. _BELL (JAMES, Ph.D., &c.), Principal of the Somerset House Laboratory_— THE CHEMISTRY OF FOODS. With Microscopic Illustrations. PART I. TEA, COFFEE, COCOA, SUGAR, ETC. Large crown 8vo, 2s. 6d. PART II. MILK, BUTTER, CHEESE, CEREALS, PREPARED STARCHES, ETC. Large crown 8vo, 3s. _BENSON (W.)_— UNIVERSAL PHONOGRAPHY. To classify sounds of Human Speech, and to denote them by one set of Symbols for easy Writing and Printing. 8vo, sewed, 1s. MANUAL OF THE SCIENCE OF COLOUR. Coloured Frontispiece and Illustrations. 12mo, cloth, 2s. 6d. PRINCIPLES OF THE SCIENCE OF COLOUR. Small 4to, cloth, 15s. _BINGHAM...

This is a limited preview. Download the book to read the full content.

Continue Reading Full Book

Okay, let's be clear: this isn't a storybook. There's no plot in the usual sense. Recueil des expressions vicieuses et des anglicismes les plus fréquents is exactly what the title says: a 'Collection of Faulty Expressions and the Most Frequent Anglicisms.' Published in 1880, it's a list. Author Jules Fabien Gingras, a school inspector in Quebec, was on a mission. He saw the French language in Canada changing, picking up English habits, and he wanted to stop it.

The Story

Think of Gingras as a linguistic hall monitor. He went through daily life in Quebec and wrote down all the phrases he thought were corrupting proper French. He'd hear someone say 'bienvenue' to mean 'you're welcome' (from English) instead of 'de rien,' and he'd put it in the book as a mistake. He lists hundreds of examples, from 'un char' for a car (from 'car') to 'faire du shopping.' For each one, he gives the 'wrong' version people used and then the 'correct' French alternative he believed they should use instead.

Why You Should Read It

It's a snapshot of a language in a panic, and it's incredibly personal. You can feel Gingras's frustration and his deep love for French. The real magic, though, is reading it 140 years later. So many of the 'anglicisms' he fought against—like 'fin de semaine' for weekend—won the battle and are now standard Quebec French. It makes you think about who really gets to decide what's 'correct' in a language. Is it the rule-makers, or the people who actually speak it every day?

Final Verdict

This is a niche but super rewarding read. It's perfect for word nerds, anyone interested in the history of Quebec, or people who love seeing how languages live and breathe. If you've ever wondered why Canadian French has its own unique flavor, this book is a big part of the answer. It's a short, direct, and surprisingly human look at the never-ending tug-of-war between linguistic purity and practical, evolving speech.

🟢 Legacy Content

This work has been identified as being free of known copyright restrictions. Share knowledge freely with the world.