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freeski919 t1_ixzysik wrote

A lot of international sports organizations have French names.

FIS- Federation Internationale du Ski

FINA- Federation Internationale de Natation (swimming)

FIA- Federation Internationale d'Automobile (Formula 1, WEC, etc)

FIM- Federation Internationale de Motorcyclisme (MotoGP etc)

FIBA- Federation Internationale de Basket-ball

The list goes on.

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adaza t1_iy0btsq wrote

FIDE - Fédération Internationale des Échecs - Int’l Chess Federation

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useablelobster2 t1_iy0oqge wrote

OTAN is their abbreviation for NATO, which is why it's part of the branding.

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locks_are_paranoid t1_iy03llv wrote

There's a ton for the non-sports world, including the International Organization for Standardization, abbreviated ISO.

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bruinslacker t1_iy0z519 wrote

False. The ISO in French would be OIS except in French it’s known as the Organisation internacionale de normalization so it would actually be OIN.

The name ISO was chosen because it is NOT the organization’s initials in any of its official languages (English, French, Russian). To treat all of their languages equally they didn’t want an acronym that only made sense in one language. Instead they chose an acronym that was close but not quite right in all three languages. It has the added benefit of meaning “the same” in Greek, which is fitting for their mission.

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GreenDemonSquid t1_iy0ziyf wrote

For why there’s more members than the UN, it’s because you don’t have to be a recognized independent state to participate separately. So many non-independent territories, regions, and disputed states participate on their own accord.

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811545b2-4ff7-4041 t1_iy3r99q wrote

Quick example : The United Kingdom is a single member of the UN - but England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all seperate FIFA members.

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MyDiary141 t1_iy79des wrote

Also places like Gibraltar have their own team!

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BXCellent OP t1_iy00jf2 wrote

And they have CERN. It amazes me that despite only have about 4% of the world's language speakers the French have such a high impact on the naming of international bodies.

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greenbags125 t1_iy01xe0 wrote

It’s a few reasons. French was the global lingua franca for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries and the language of a lot of global Royal courts, similar to English today. Second, as the capital of European culture, politics, and finance, a lot of organizations were formed in Paris, which gave them French names. Finally, French speaking Switzerland was highly influential with Geneva holding international status so a lot of French names was due to that.

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axck t1_iy09q0l wrote

French used to be the global language of diplomacy

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LipTrev t1_iy32lxe wrote

If it's on your land you get to name it. I'll assume that that part of Switzerland speaks French, but I know that part of France speaks French.

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marek196c t1_ixzylc4 wrote

Not for long, Scandinavian countries prob will leave..

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Best_Peasant t1_iy03frj wrote

Hopefully a lot more leave, let's start with UEFA leaving.

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Draconiondevil t1_iy1cvu8 wrote

Same for SI units (système international d’unités).

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ThatBassPlayer t1_iy07bps wrote

Although FIFA is the governing body for football, its IFAB (International Football Association Board) that maintains the laws of the game.

So, that's 1 French name and one English name.

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Leticron t1_iy0lgrp wrote

And probably a bigger budget as well due to the rampaging corruption

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Panamaned t1_iy1kla3 wrote

Wouldn't it be IFFA? International Federation of Football Associations?

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ksdkjlf t1_iy2grx7 wrote

It's the International Federation of Association Football. "Association" here is an adjective, not a noun.

Back in the day, each school that played "football" had their own rules. There were Cambridge rules, Eton rules, etc. Eventually a group — the Football Association — got together to try to agree to a standard set of rules. The result was "association football". The folks that didn't agree to the rules that barred running with the ball in hand and heavy contact broke off and formed the Rugby Football Union, whose rules were based off those used at Rugby School. Eventually some of those rugby folks would give us American and Canadian football (aka "gridiron football")

"Association" is the source of the word "soccer", though British school slang (association > assoc > soc > soccer; compare "rugger" for rugby).

You'll still sometimes hear football/soccer called "association" in places like Australia, which has an abundance of footballs they need to differentiate (rugby league, rugby union, Aussie rules).

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Panamaned t1_iy3hbnf wrote

Thank you very much for your very informative comment. I am going to fall back on English being my third language which will enable me to justify to my self about just how wrong I was. Cheers.

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ksdkjlf t1_iy4f9g9 wrote

Ha, no worries. 99.99% of the time "association" is a noun, and it's rare to hear it referred to in full as "association football", so your confusion was understandable, even if you'd been a native English speaker. Hence my giving the rather drawn-out explanation, rather than simply leaving it at that first line :)

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ovationman t1_ixzxg8w wrote

More members than the UN because members get the best bribes.

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GreenDemonSquid t1_iy0ykxy wrote

More along the lines that you don’t have to be independent to join FIFA. So many territories, regions, and partially recognized states participate.

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xxxxDREADNOUGHT t1_ixzxm08 wrote

More members than the UN and more corrupt...

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herbw t1_iy4zeoz wrote

well, Fifi was their pet poodle, thus.......

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bearsnchairs t1_iy0kl8x wrote

Funny enough IFAF is the international governing body for American football.

I watched the world championship a few years back and the play is awful. Most teams are near a D3 college level. A competent FCS team would be able to win the whole thing.

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HPmoni t1_iy0plak wrote

And just as corrupt!

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Competitive-Log4210 t1_ixzytuy wrote

IFAF doesn't make sense. In English it's still the same. Federation of International Football Associations

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BXCellent OP t1_iy0064d wrote

International Federation of Association Football?

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Ythio t1_iy074bc wrote

IFAB, International Football Association Board, maintains the "laws of the game", the official set of rules.

So you can write either Association Football or Football Association.

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Noch_ein_Kamel t1_iy03ga9 wrote

> Association Football

Thats the problem.

IFFA could work - International Federation of Football Associations Or IFAF as international Football Associations Federation

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ElatedAndElongated t1_iy03xlw wrote

The sport is called "Association Football"

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LordUpton t1_iy0569l wrote

Yeah that's why the sport is also called soccer. Take the soc out of association and add a er sound onto the end.

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Noch_ein_Kamel t1_iy056rb wrote

OH, well. TIL :-)

But anyway it's the federation of all assocations and not of "the sport"?!

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LittleKidLover83 t1_iy0a9x8 wrote

Well no, because it's a federation (group) of national football associations. Together it's an international one.

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