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Le selfie' enters dictionary as France learns to embrace the unbearable

Two of the bibles of the French language, the Petit Larousse encyclopaedic dictionary and Le Petit Robert, have developed a few new culinary and artistic tastes.

On Monday, the editors announced the latest editions would contain 300 new words and expressions including “focaccia”, “biryani”, “goji” and “vegan”.

Showing it is moving with the times, and in defiance of the Académie Française’s diktat’s on anglicisms, the 2016 Larousse will include what Libération described as the “unbearable” word “selfie” – plus its Québécois equivalent “égoportrait” – as well as “big data” and “open data”, “community manager” and “bitcoin”. It will also include the term “captcha” for those annoying series of numbers and letters websites demand to prove the user is human.

Notable cultural additions will be the celebrated veteran French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, actor Michael Caine, the British street artist Banksy as well as the Rosetta space probe and Pixar studios.

Stéphane Charbonnier, known as Charb, the editor-in-chief of Charlie Hebdo, and his cartoonist colleague Jean Cabut, aka Cabu – both killed by Islamic fundamentalists in January – have also been included in Le Petit Robert, as has the Nobel peace prize-winning Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai in the new Larousse.

While Libération says the inclusion and definition of “bolos” – with one “s” and described as “a naive person, someone with little courage, completely ridiculous, even stupid” – will cause controversy and is possibly plain wrong, some of the new terms need little translation: “électrosensibilité”, “ghettoïser”, “recyclerie” and “climatosceptique” among them.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/18/selfie-french-dictionary-english-language

Looks like the French are finally becoming more accepting to foreign, English words. Language evolves, with new words always being made. I hate selfie personally, but I have no good equivalent, and I don't want to be one of those people always moaning about 'proper English'.

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Reply 1
Avatar for Arbolus
Arbolus
13
It's hard to call words like these borrowings from English when they've only recently been invented in English. So I think they should instead try to come up with French equivalents.

"Égoportrait" is a good example. I would prefer "autographe", which has a Greek derivation, but unfortunately that already has a meaning. Maybe "autoicône" might be suitable?

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Sacrebleu :pierre:
Finally! When are they gonna put "pélo", "miskin" and "go"?
Original post by jedanselemyia
Finally! When are they gonna put "pélo", "miskin" and "go"?


you guys use miskin? hahhahahaha
Original post by yasmin#2
you guys use miskin? hahhahahaha


Yes, defo, Miskin and Miskina :tongue: It comes in handy when to take the piss out of someone
It's Arabic, right?
Original post by jedanselemyia
Yes, defo, Miskin and Miskina :tongue: It comes in handy when to take the piss out of someone
It's Arabic, right?


yeah it is loool, but do french people say it? it means poor person and can be used to take the piss yeah hah
Original post by yasmin#2
yeah it is loool, but do french people say it? it means poor person and can be used to take the piss yeah hah


Yes young French people say it all the time!! :biggrin:
heuheuheu

je fais le selfie avec le duckface

heuheuheu

:pierre:
Original post by navarre

Looks like the French are finally becoming more accepting to foreign, English words. Language evolves, with new words always being made.



That's a bit unfair, we've embraced many English words into our own language for decades now: sandwich, weekend, rush, cool, super, hyper, scotch (as in the tape), fooding, etc ...

We've even avoided using the French translation of such film as "Le Dark Knight" and "Les Avengers".

Of course we have changed "Hangover" and "No strings attached" to "Very bad trip" and "Sex friends" ... but we're not as stubborn as we used to be!!

The English have been using French words for centuries too ... like "Risqué", "Faux-pas", "a la carte", "a gogo" ...

Don't think it's just us French people who have "finally" accepted to open our dictionaries up! ... because watch out, you sound quite xénéphobique :wink:
Original post by the bear
heuheuheu

je fais le selfie avec le duckface

heuheuheu

:pierre:



Ahhh oui baguette .... voulez vous ... mon passport :colone:
Original post by yo radical one
Sacrébleu :pierre:



Fixed :colondollar:
Original post by VotreAltesse
Fixed :colondollar:


Er no.


The e without the accent is acceptable in fact.
Original post by yo radical one
Er no.


The e without the accent is acceptable in fact.


Don't get mad, I'm French. I'm just pointing out the correct way of spelling it :wink:
Reply 14
Avatar for Josb
Josb
6
Original post by yasmin#2
you guys use miskin? hahhahahaha

What does it mean?

Original post by jedanselemyia
Yes young French people say it all the time!! :biggrin:

Ok I got it. :colonhash:
Original post by Josb
What does it mean?


Ok I got it. :colonhash:


Ahh miskinnnn you don't know what it means :tongue:
Face it, you're getting old.
qu'elle a fait vendredi dernier (malala)
Original post by VotreAltesse
Don't get mad, I'm French. I'm just pointing out the correct way of spelling it :wink:


I couldn't care less if you are Louis IV himself


Being French does not make you right in the same way that most British people don't use correct English 'I am French' is not an argument


Sacrebleu is a valid spelling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacr%C3%A9_Bleu
Pas mal!
Original post by yo radical one
I couldn't care less if you are Louis IV himself


Being French does not make you right in the same way that most British people don't use correct English 'I am French' is not an argument


Sacrebleu is a valid spelling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacr%C3%A9_Bleu



Do you even realise how much of an ass you're being lol

Pompous prat.

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