# Non-English languages used for international business

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-languages-used-for-international-business/551806>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 28, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-languages-used-for-international-business/551806 "2010-08-28T17:24:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-languages-used-for-international-business/551806/21 "2010-09-16T21:16:31Z")

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> [@Waffle\_Decider](#):
>
> French is also supposed to be the international postal language. I remember receiving a package from Germany, and its custom declaration form is in German and French only. This may no longer be observed in many countries nowadays though.

I came in to comment on this. When I lived in Indonesia during the 1970s, we would send and receive air mail envelopes that had “Air Mail” and “Par Avion” on them. (“Par Avion” being French for “air mail”, of course.)

As an aside, look at the image in the upper-right corner on this Wikipedia page: [Airmail - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airmail). The air mail stamp used in Kyrgistan is French.

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**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-languages-used-for-international-business/551806/22 "2010-09-17T06:09:21Z")

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> [@Johnny\_Angel](#):
>
> There has been a rumor going around that in Europe they’re going to start labeling potential food allergens in Latin. I think the rationale is that the _scientific names_, which are Latin, are universal, at least in Europe. So, everyone with a deadly peanut allergy doesn’t have to learn the name for “peanut” in every European language in order to be safe on the road.
> 
> [According to this site](http://www.allergyuk.org/fs_nutfreediet.aspx), they’ve already done it with personal care products:
> 
> **European Labelling in Latin**
> 
> All Soaps, Cosmetics and Personal Care Products from 1st January 1999 have to carry a FULL ingredients list printed in LATIN. This is to try and standardise the wording in all European Community Countries.
> 
> Products also included under this European Directive are as follows:-
> 
> Toiletries, Perfumes, Toothpaste, Shampoo, Hair Care Products, Creams and Deodorants.

Guess I just found out the answer to “why the %(% is this thing’s label in Spanish except for the water? Bloody snobs!” which my older relatives ask periodically. “Well, Grandma, someone thought that, now the Church has abandoned Latin for daily life, Pharma should keep it alive.”

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-languages-used-for-international-business/551806/23 "2010-09-17T15:18:43Z")

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> [@Nava](#):
>
> Guess I just found out the answer to “why the %(% is this thing’s label in Spanish except for the water? Bloody snobs!” which my older relatives ask periodically. “Well, Grandma, someone thought that, now the Church has abandoned Latin for daily life, Pharma should keep it alive.”

So, wait, are you attesting that you’ve seen toiletries labeled in Latin?

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