From Newsgroup: sci.lang


in 2015, Hen Hanna <henhanna@gmail.com> wrote:

I've wondered....

Are the English "make the rounds"
and the French "faire des courses"
actually cognate-expressions?

or is it just coincidence?

Are there similar expressions in German, Spanish
& other languages?

Thanks, HH

_________

French "faire des courses" (go shopping) -- esp. grocery shopping?

Can it have other meanings, as in English?

[make the rounds]

1. Follow a given circuit, as in The watchman makes the rounds every hour, or The gossip soon made the rounds of the school. Versions of this expression, such as go the rounds, follow the rounds, march the rounds, date from about 1600.

2. make rounds. Visit each hospitalized patient who is under the care of a specific physician, as in The surgery residents make rounds with their chief every morning. [c. 1900]

1. to be passed from person to person

-- [The rumor making the rounds in Washington is that the ambassador will be leaving.]

2. to go from place to place

-- Tony and I made the rounds of the cheap bars in the city.

-- Every new executive must do the rounds of all the departments in the company.

__________

Nowadays, I ask these Yes-No questions to AI

or 3 AI's.


Is there an old French (nursery rhyme) song that goes

Courez, Courez (to a river) ?


_________________

Yes, there are two famous, old French children's songs that closely
match your memory. Depending on whether "Courez, courez" or "the river"
is the main action, you are likely thinking of one of the following:

_________________


## Option 1: Il |-tait un petit navire (The most likely match) [1, 2]
This classic 18th-century French traditional song doesn't use the exact
word "courez" in its main chorus, but it is entirely about traveling on
the water, and its rhythm features a highly repetitive, fast-paced
chanting structure that mimics running or urgent sailing. [3]

* The River/Water Theme: The entire song is about a little ship sailing
on the sea and running out of food.
* The Repetitive Refrain: The song is famous for its fast, rhythmic
repetition of phrases:

"Il |-tait un petit navire (x2)
Qui n'avait ja-ja-jamais navigu|- (x2)
Oh|- ! Oh|- ! M|otelot, m|otelot navigue sur les flots..."


_________________


## Option 2: Bateau sur l'eau (The Literal River Song)
If you specifically remember the imagery of a river and children
mimicking a fast movement, it is likely the nursery rhyme [Bateau sur l'eau](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m434F7hCjH4). [4, 5]

* The Lyrics:

"Bateau sur l'eau, la rivi|?re, la rivi|?re...
Bateau sur l'eau, rivi|?re au bord de l'eau."

* The Action: When children sing this, they usually sit facing each
other, holding hands, and rock back and forth faster and faster
(mimicking running or rushing water) until the end of the song where the
boat "plops" into the water ("Plouf ! Dans l'eau !"). [4, 5]


_________________


## Option 3: O|| est le loup ? or Courez, courez petits rats
If the words "Courez, courez!" are exactly what you remember being
yelled urgently, it may be a standard French playground tag song where
children run away from a "danger" toward a safe zone (often themed as a riverbank or a home base). Common variations include:

* [O|| est le loup ?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaCWLKdueoE):
"Courez, courez, courez, courez et cachez-vous !" (Run, run, run, and
hide!)
* [Courez, courez petits rats](https://orpheecole.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Cahier-de-sons-P%C3%A9riode-1.pdf):
A traditional nursery rhyme used to teach fast rhythms to children. [6,
7]

Do any of these melodies or specific actions sound like the song you are
trying to find? If you can remember what happens next in the song or if
a specific animal is involved, I can pinpoint the exact track for you!



[1] [https://en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_%C3%A9tait_un_petit_navire)
[2] [https://officerofthewatch.com](https://officerofthewatch.com/2015/05/17/il-etait-un-petit-navire-there-was-a-little-ship/)
[3] [https://global-exam.com](https://global-exam.com/blog/en/general-french-20-french-learning-songs-for-all-levels-and-for-children/)
[4]
[https://www.youtube.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m434F7hCjH4)
[5]
[https://www.youtube.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m434F7hCjH4)
[6]
[https://www.youtube.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaCWLKdueoE)
[7] [https://orpheecole.com](https://orpheecole.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Cahier-de-sons-P%C3%A9riode-1.pdf)


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