I did ask the reader never to drop or let go your informative, educative and entertaining, “The Catholic Herald newspaper for its engaging and must read articles and write ups put together by what clergymen and scholars who are not only contributors, but ardent readers of the paper, described as world class writers; best in the land. Yours truly would serve you better just as the weekly publication bask in the euphoria of achieving 100 years of existence, from 1924 to 2024, and still rolling. In the same vein, follow us as we treat you to those foreign languages that make up the English vocabulary.
Just a reminder that rather than see them as strange words, use them to increase or advance your word power. You would surely be happy for it. No matter how long it’s going to take you to familiarise yourself with them. The old saying that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step would suffice; go ahead, start now and engage them to enrich your grammar. In our previous attempt to acquaint you with some of the popular and most used foreign languages of the world, adopted by English to expand the dictionary, Latin, French, German and to some extent, Danish, Swiss and Spanish dominated or are favoured with numerous entries.
Is that not enough worry for Africa and Nigeria in particular? Are our dialects too inferior to be looked in, at least, to make the list? We rather blame it on racial considerations and prejudices, than that African languages are subordinate, as the West, who are compilers of the reference book would think. A quick reminder, however, it takes nothing away from us not to follow the borrowed version of the language, as English still serves as a unifying force, owing to our diversity and cultural differences that also limit us to our local or regional languages. That is enough inhibition to promote English language and make it acceptable to the majority of Nigerians and indeed, Africans and Asians, and taught in schools as compulsory core subject, without which one may be denied admission into higher institution.
If you couldn’t follow us in our last edition of the publication, here is a quick rundown of the most used foreign vocabularies, and then march on to the next; French provided ‘a la mode, fashion; ‘a la cart, food and eatery served in a restaurant; cache, a hiding place where weapons are kept; cart blanche, complete freedom; cartel, group of firm or people that agree, especially illegally, on similar fixed prices for their products. Latin entries; bona fide, something genuine, or carried out in good faith; per se, in itself; person non grata, not acceptable; person grata, acceptable, especially one who is liked in the diplomatic circle; sine qua non, indispensable pre conditions to be met. German and Swiss entries: Putsch, secret attempt to remove a government; angst, expressing anxiety, feeling of apprehension. German, Danish entry; piccadillo, minor offence.
And now these entries, that we come across and make little use of them, if at all we do; ipso facto, it is an adverb taken from Latin, meaning or because of the very fact, thereby; it could also be understood as intrinsically, from the adjective intrinsic, belonging to something or someone-as an inherent or essential part of their nature, Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, submits. Rapprochement, pronounced ‘ra’profm’a’ is another French word, indicating the establishment of a friendly relationship between states or countries, perhaps, after a quarrel or disagreement.
Some us may be familiar with this one; volte face – French expression for reversal of opinion, when, for instance, the people kicked against government that may not favour them; a sensitive President or Prime Minister would make a U-turn to assuage the citizens. As Catholics, we at home with the Latin phrase, ex cathedra, figuratively meaning “from the chair,” the dictionary explains. Authoritative, especially, the full authority of the Pope. So much so that, when the Pope speaks ex cathedral, no one can reverse it, because he is speaking from the authority of the Chair of Peter, prompted and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Watch out for more of these foreign languages of the world that you may not only find fascinating, but to improve on the spoken and written word.
