Most gamers are not happy
A special body monitoring the purity of the French language has recommended that government officials stop using anglicisms when talking about computers, software and games. According to the Académie Française, all English terms in the IT field have a great alternative in French, reports the BBC.
According to the organization, “jeu video de competition” could replace “e-sports”, and “streamer” could become “joueur-animateur en direct”.
The French Ministry of Culture told AFP that Anglicism was an “obstacle”. However, gamers criticized the ban, saying it was “completely meaningless”.
France regularly issues warnings about the “devaluation” of its language through imported English words.
Among the recommendations is to replace “cloud gaming” with “jeu video en nuage”.
The Française Academy was founded in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu and is the official guardian of the French language.
The forty members of the Académie even have their own ceremonial uniform, including a sword.
The institution has long campaigned against the introduction of English words into French, something that technology often encourages.
According to academics, the devaluation of French, the use of many foreign languages and borrowings from other languages undermine the French national consciousness and have the power to make their country weaker.
Between 1109 and 1815, France and Britain fought dozens of wars, and some of the provinces of Normandy and Brittany were long ruled by England. Until the early 20th century, French and English competed for their role as the Lingua Franca, a language studied and understood by most nations around the world and used to communicate with each other.
