Choosing a film à la français

[krasnoludek]

Jean-Louis came over after dinner to watch a movie and I'm trying to describe the choices in French:

P: C'est le film avec Kate Winslet.
J-L: Ah, ouaïs! Je connais Kate Winless.
P: Kate Winslet.
J-L: Kate Witless.
P: Kate Winslet.
J-L: Kate Witlet? Comment tu le dis? Wizzlé?

I love French people.

Comments

[lingboy]

Yes, bad consonant cluster for French speakers. You never get /nz/ as a coda cluster, let alone followed by another consonant in onset position. So, he is attempting to assimilate the cluster to his own phonology by creating codas with only one consonant (/n/? /t/?). He clearly hears the following onset as [l]. He just can't accept the coda cluster.

[krasnoludek]

another Frenchism today from Jean-Louis: he's the first person I've heard say completely unprovoked, "on y go" (instead of "on y va"). Before that I've only heard people complain that it's this awful mélange of French and English that's slipped into the slang, but I've never actually heard anyone use it naturally.

And he better get used ot the coda cluster. He's started giving me the nickname "le polonais" and I'm not afraid to use consonant clusters to intimidate him as punishment. :-)