From: Rick DeNatale Date: 2009-11-10T04:25:44+09:00 Subject: Re: Ruby doesn't implement x++ for Fixnum's because ??? On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 11:14 AM, Aldric Giacomoni wrote: > I don't understand this block. > Aussi, si je puis me permettre - le Francais est une langue, et Ruby est > un langage (de programmation). Yet another one of those french > subtleties! Actually I think the subtleties are similar between French and English here In French une langue denotes the same concept as tongue in English. The primary meaning is that muscle in the middle of a mouth. It can also mean a language, in the same sense that tongue can in English phrases such as "His native tongue." or "Speaking in tongues." Although such usage is more frequent in French than in English. This is a secondary meaning though, from "Le Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française": LANGUE désigne aussi l’Idiome d’une nation, d’une race And the French word idiome (another slightly false cognate) means The language of a Nation, or province. The French un Langage is first what is used by humans to express their thoughts and sentiments by means of "articulations of the voice", by extension it also can mean written language, the 'language' of animals (bird song, dog's barking etc.) and finally a system of communication by any means "The symbolic language of flowers." "Pantomime is a silent language." these last being translated examples from Le Dictionnaire. -- Rick DeNatale Blog: http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/RickDeNatale WWR: http://www.workingwithrails.com/person/9021-rick-denatale LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickdenatale