In a nutshell | Gathering pitfall

The French language is evolving at breakneck speed. Each week, our language advisor dissects the words and expressions that make the headlines or give us trouble.

The words collection and picking both have the meaning of harvest, collection, but the second is used almost exclusively for plants.

We can therefore speak of the apple picking, Mushroom Where flowers. But also of shellfish picking. It’s the same gesture. As one detaches a fruit from its branch, one detaches a shell from its rock. Shellfish harvesting area. When we write the words picking and gather, care must also be taken to put the letters in the correct order. It is not uncommon to read “ceuillir”.

We should avoid “gathering data, information, garbage”, terms that are used under the influence of English.

In this sense, it is collection – which means action to collect donations or to bring together, to collect products or elements with a view to processing – which must be favored in writing. Collection of perishable foodstuffs, of donations, of data, of signatures, clothing. Blood collect (not “blood clinic”).

You can also prefer Fund raising – Where fundraiser – to the term “fundraising » always criticized because it is seen as a copy of English. Subscription campaign for charity. But we also read raise capital, fundsin the Robert. Garbage collection, selective collection of household waste. We should also avoid the “selective sorting” pleonasm. To sort is to select.

names like pickup, harvest Where research may be used, depending on the context. Gather observations, research information. Dig up the potatoes. We can to harvest wheat or grapes, but we have more precise verbs: to reap wheat, to reap a field, to harvest, to harvest. Scrap metal recovery. Removal, garbage collection. Collect mushrooms, dead wood. the Larousse recommend to prefer School transportation at school busbut not the Robert.