عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

French Linguist Alain Rey Passes Away

Alain Rey, October 28, 2015. JOEL SAGET / AFP
Alain Rey, October 28, 2015. JOEL SAGET / AFP
TT
TT

French Linguist Alain Rey Passes Away

Alain Rey, October 28, 2015. JOEL SAGET / AFP
Alain Rey, October 28, 2015. JOEL SAGET / AFP

Famous French linguist Alain Rey, one of the major creators of the iconic dictionary Le Robert, died Tuesday at the age of 92, announced his wife and publishers les éditions Le Robert.

Rey, winner of many literary awards, was a member of the team brought together by French-Algerian lawyer Paul Robert to create a new French language dictionary. The six-volume dictionary known as Le Grand Robert saw the light in 1964, followed by le Petit Robert in 1967, and many other later versions.

Alain Rey was among the toughest defenders of the French language's evolution in its hybrid origin from different languages (such as Latin, Celtic, and German) and its constant interference with other languages like Italian, and Spanish. The late linguist had also overseen the creation of the Historical dictionary of the French language (1992).

His audience knew him through a daily morning segment discussing words and language on France Inter FM from 1993 to 2006. Rey won many prizes, and worked as a university professor in the US, and at the Sorbonne University in Paris. He also headed the terminology committee in the ministry of culture, and was known for his support to feminizing professions' names.

"Alain Rey had always insisted to represent the French language in all its challenges, richness, and mystery," a joint statement by his wife and Le Robert publishing house wrote.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Hundreds Living in Floodwater in Vietnam

A man rowing a boat through floodwaters in Ben Voi village on the outskirts of Hanoi on July 28. Nhac NGUYEN / AFP
A man rowing a boat through floodwaters in Ben Voi village on the outskirts of Hanoi on July 28. Nhac NGUYEN / AFP
TT
TT

Hundreds Living in Floodwater in Vietnam

A man rowing a boat through floodwaters in Ben Voi village on the outskirts of Hanoi on July 28. Nhac NGUYEN / AFP
A man rowing a boat through floodwaters in Ben Voi village on the outskirts of Hanoi on July 28. Nhac NGUYEN / AFP

Hundreds of people are living submerged in floodwater in the suburbs of Hanoi, a week after torrential rains in northern Vietnam caused rivers to overflow their banks.
Residents of Ben Voi village -- around 40 kilometers (25 miles) from central Hanoi –- are traveling through the streets by boat and sleeping in homes partially inundated by muddy water.
"I cannot go anywhere, and neighbors are finding it difficult to come to my shop to buy things," Tran Thi Ly, who runs a convenience store from the ground floor of her home, told AFP on Sunday.
The 70-year-old waded through water almost knee-high as she tried to keep her food supplies dry, moving her instant noodles and soft drinks onto higher shelves.
All her furniture was sitting in the dirty water.
Since early July, flooding and landslides have killed at least 18 people in the country's northern mountainous areas.
Ben Voi village is a low-lying area prone to flooding after heavy rain, according to authorities.
It usually experiences two or three days of high water a year, particularly if Hoa Binh hydropower plant -- located in a neighboring province -- needs to discharge water.
When that happens, "the water level of the Red river and the Day river passing Hanoi will rise quickly... affecting communities lower down the river," a report in Saigon Giai Phong newspaper said.
But around 500 people in Ben Voi have been living in floods for a week now, with no signs of the water receding.
"We have been traveling by boat," said resident Hoang Van Su, adding that the floodwater in the village reached 1.5 meters (5 feet) in places.
"It's hard for us as we struggle to find a dry place to grind rice husks for our daily meal," the 51-year-old told AFP.
Weather forecasters said more heavy rain will fall in northern Vietnam between Monday and Wednesday.
The country is often struck by heavy downpours, triggering flooding and landslides.
But scientists have warned that extreme weather events globally are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change.
Natural disasters left 169 people dead or missing in Vietnam last year.