English invasion of French adds ‘queer’ and ‘le dark net’

HOVERBOARD, chatbot and SUV are among a string of Anglicisms that have entered the French dictionary, despite attempts by language purists to stamp them out with local alternatives.

Every year Le Petit Robert, arguably France’s best-known dictionary along with Larousse, publishes a list of terms considered to have entered the French language. These can be local neologisms but also foreign expressions that have entered common speech.

The 2019 edition is a bumper year for English terms, despite a rearguard attempt to find Gallic alternatives by the Académie Française, the official guardian of the French language, and the culture ministry’s terminology department.

Usage is the only criterion for inclusion. Le Petit Robert inserted “le dark net”, despite the Académie coming up with a French alternative only last year, “internet clandestin”.

Alongside the above, queer – defined by the dictionary as “a person whose orientation or sexual identity doesn’t correspond with dominant models” – also made the grade. Other entrants were e-sport, cosplay, fashionista and globish, the term for rudimentary, internationally understood English.

Terrorism also features, with new terms including fiché S – an individual on the national terror watch list – cyberdéfense and “revenant” to describe a jihadist returnee to his or her home country.

And in an age of rising gender equality, the dictionary added some female versions of masculine words, including “mairesse” for mayoress, a role long referred to as “Madame le maire”.