New French Feminine Lingo To Learn
The French language is set to undergo quite the transformation after the council charged with safeguarding the French language abandoned it’s opposition to the feminization of job titles.
The Academie Francaise, or “French Academy,” has declared in a new report that the 36-member body saw “no obstacle in principle” to feminine versions of French words for professional titles and that they were open to “all developments in the language aimed at recognizing the place women have in society today.”
The French Academy was established in 1635 under Louis XIII and hasn’t made any decisions regarding the matter since 2014, when it ruled that the mayor of Paris was guilty of crimes against grammar by championing a gender-neutral version of her job title. While feminine versions of job titles, although technically unofficial, are already used widely in France, and several French-speaking countries such as Canada have already embraced feminizing nouns when appropriate.
Unfortunately the proposal was not welcome news for many French language purists. MP Julien Aubert recently tweeted that "For the first time in its history, language was reshaped under the pressure of politicians and lobbies, and the Academie Francaise eventually surrendered.” While the ultimate fate of these linguistic changes are still to be determined, the cultural impact will be certain.
Looking to avoid as much confusion as possible in your French linguistics journey? Our native instructors and immersive group classes can help you make sure you are up to to date on all of the new lingo! Click below to learn more.