The Académie Française, tasked with preserving and refining the French language since its establishment in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, has produced this monumental new edition that aims to encapsulate the French lexicon from the 1950s to the present. However, critiques about the dictionary's pace and outdated entries raise doubts regarding its practicality for users today.
Presented in a formal ceremony at the Collège des Quatre-Nations, this new edition replaces the eighth version, which was completed in 1935. Work on this project began in 1986 and, despite the enthusiasm surrounding the completion of the last section covering letters R-Z, the academic community is skeptical about the dictionary's applicability in modern society. Linguists voiced their opinions in the Liberation newspaper, asserting, “The effort is praiseworthy, but so excessively tardy that it is perfectly useless.” With more than 21,000 new entries included, the dictionary is intended as a reflection of contemporary language; yet, many of these additions are already considered outdated, and prevalent modern terms such as "tiktokeur," "vlog," "smartphone," and "émoji" remain conspicuously absent.
The Académie has made some strides in addressing current societal norms, with the inclusion of feminizations of occupations such as "ambassadrice" and "professeure," though previous print versions do not reflect this progressive approach, highlighting an ongoing resistance within the institution against evolving language practices. Furthermore, traditional definitions, like marriage being between a man and a woman, clash with contemporary understanding, prompting critics to question the dictionary’s viability as a language reference.
With its president, Amin Maalouf, leading weekly discussions, the committee's pace has been scrutinized as too slow amid the urgency of fast-moving digital dictionaries that continually introduce new terminology. As the discussion about the next edition commences, the question remains: can the Académie Française adapt to the current linguistic reality before it's too late? Discussions about the tenth edition are reportedly already in the works, hopefully addressing the disconnect between the dictionary and contemporary language usage moving forward.
Presented in a formal ceremony at the Collège des Quatre-Nations, this new edition replaces the eighth version, which was completed in 1935. Work on this project began in 1986 and, despite the enthusiasm surrounding the completion of the last section covering letters R-Z, the academic community is skeptical about the dictionary's applicability in modern society. Linguists voiced their opinions in the Liberation newspaper, asserting, “The effort is praiseworthy, but so excessively tardy that it is perfectly useless.” With more than 21,000 new entries included, the dictionary is intended as a reflection of contemporary language; yet, many of these additions are already considered outdated, and prevalent modern terms such as "tiktokeur," "vlog," "smartphone," and "émoji" remain conspicuously absent.
The Académie has made some strides in addressing current societal norms, with the inclusion of feminizations of occupations such as "ambassadrice" and "professeure," though previous print versions do not reflect this progressive approach, highlighting an ongoing resistance within the institution against evolving language practices. Furthermore, traditional definitions, like marriage being between a man and a woman, clash with contemporary understanding, prompting critics to question the dictionary’s viability as a language reference.
With its president, Amin Maalouf, leading weekly discussions, the committee's pace has been scrutinized as too slow amid the urgency of fast-moving digital dictionaries that continually introduce new terminology. As the discussion about the next edition commences, the question remains: can the Académie Française adapt to the current linguistic reality before it's too late? Discussions about the tenth edition are reportedly already in the works, hopefully addressing the disconnect between the dictionary and contemporary language usage moving forward.
