GENDER-NEUTRAL FRENCH PRONOUN SPURS CRITICISM

The decision from a major French dictionary to add “iel,” a gender-neutral pronoun that has become popular in the non-binary community in recent years, to its lexicon has drawn heavy criticism from political leaders in France, a move that highlights once again the controversy around efforts to make the Romance language more reflective of an inclusive society.

Le Robert, an authoritative reference book on the French language, created an entry for “iel” after its researchers had noted “an increasing usage” of the thirdperson pronoun in “a large body of texts drawn from various sources,” the dictionary’s director Charles Bimbenet explained in a statement Wednesday. He added that the publication has received positive feedback from “a majority of ” its users.

The dictionary defines “iel,” which combines the words for “he” and “she,” as a third-person pronoun in singular form that could refer to a person of any gender.

“The mission of the [dictionary] is to observe the evolution of a French language in flux . ... Defining the words that describe the world helps us to better understand it,” Bimbenet added in defense of the editorial decision, which was made in October.

But this week, several French politicians expressed strong opposition to formally adopting the non-binary pronouns.

French Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer tweeted Wednesday that school-age children should not use Le Robert’s entry as a valid reference, adding that “inclusive writing is not the future of the French language.”

François Jolivet, a French parliament member from the ruling centrist party, similarly rejected the non-binary pronouns. In a letter addressed to Académie Française, a nearly 400-year-old institution created to be the gatekeeper of the French language, Jolivet asked its members to weigh in on the debate.

The storied organization issues guidance on French grammar and vocabulary, but many in the francophone world consider its non-binding advisories sacrosanct.