The Académie Française has finally presented the ninth edition of the Dictionnaire de l’Académie Française to President Macron, nearly four hundred years after its first commission. The academy, founded by Cardinal Richelieu in 1635, aimed to provide clear rules for the French language but has faced heavy criticism for the extensive time taken to complete the dictionary. With work beginning in 1986, the dictionary features 21,000 new entries, but many "modern" terms have already become outdated.
Despite adding contemporary concepts like feminized job titles, popular words like "tiktokeur" and "vlog" are absent, raising doubts about its practicality. Critics argue that increasingly online dictionaries are more up-to-date and relevant, questioning the Académie's ability to serve as a linguistic reference. The committee plans to discuss the next edition, but it seems French speakers may continue to find gaps in the evolution of their dictionary.
Despite adding contemporary concepts like feminized job titles, popular words like "tiktokeur" and "vlog" are absent, raising doubts about its practicality. Critics argue that increasingly online dictionaries are more up-to-date and relevant, questioning the Académie's ability to serve as a linguistic reference. The committee plans to discuss the next edition, but it seems French speakers may continue to find gaps in the evolution of their dictionary.
