There is an english verb "to parley" and german "parlieren".
They both mean "to speak a foreign language" (from French "parler" - to speak).
I wonder which word do French use?)I mean not a common word such as "parler" but some ironic (maybe not so often used) word with foreign rootsIn German, for example parlieren can be used in an ironical context and obviously come from "parler". In Russian we have "шпрехать" (shprehat', speak a foreign language) comming from German "sprechen" (to speak)

Question

There is an english verb "to parley" and german "parlieren".
They both mean "to speak a foreign language" (from French "parler" - to speak).
I wonder which word do French use?)I mean not a common word such as "parler" but some ironic (maybe not so often used) word with foreign rootsIn German, for example parlieren can be used in an ironical context and obviously come from "parler". In Russian we have "шпрехать" (shprehat', speak a foreign language) comming from German "sprechen" (to speak)

Answer

For a common use, we say well "parler", "parler une langue étrangère".
Possibly, "pratiquer" : "Je pratique une langue étrangère." = "I speak a foreign language".

Answer

The word you want is "baragouiner". It means to speak badly or to be hard to understand. So technically you can "baragouine" a foreign language (but you can "baragouine your own language too). The verb table is here http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/baragouiner  It does not have foreign roots though, apparently it's from Breton (France) meaning "bread and wine" (so I guess when you are drunk you "baragouine" a lot)

Answer

I guess you want "parlementer", if you mean something roughly like the English sense of "parley".  Even though "parley", "parlieren" and "parler" look similar, they are used in distinctly different contexts in each language. Beware of false friends. ;)

Answer

I juste remembered the verb "Tchatcher" which comes first from "Pied-Noir" slang, and which is now confused with "tchater". Perhaps this is what you're looking for ;)

source : http://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/tchatcher

Answer

'Parley' does sound similar to 'parle' but while it is used in a related way it is not the same word. To 'parley' usualy means that two or more parties are trying to reach a mutual agreement. For instance; if two sides of a war wish to stop the war and meet to discuss the terms of peace, they are 'parleying' or have 'met to parley'.

Answers · 9

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