> French speakers feel guilty when they say 'email' instead of 'courriel'
"Courriel" is the word proposed by the Québec institution (OQLF). It is used in France as well, but not as much as "email", which nobody feels guilty about.
Courriel is also a newly coined word, and an elegant one as well, so it fits right into your "languages are fluid, living breathing things" remark.
My experience here in France has been folks simply use "mail" when speaking of emails, rather than "email" or "courriel". I've run across "courriel" a handful of times in four years, and almost never heard French friends use the word "email". Personally, I like "courriel" as a word, but given that "mail" is the most used word in my francophone circles for email, I tend to say "mail" like my friends and colleagues do.
"Courriel" is the word proposed by the Québec institution (OQLF). It is used in France as well, but not as much as "email", which nobody feels guilty about.
Courriel is also a newly coined word, and an elegant one as well, so it fits right into your "languages are fluid, living breathing things" remark.