Abstract
Discover how the French language evolves through modern expressions, slang, and foreign influences. Explore the debate around the impact of SMS language, social networks, and anglicisms on the richness of French. Learn why institutions like the Académie française play a crucial role in safeguarding linguistic practices while embracing the language's perpetual evolution. Dive into the discussion on whether dialects, regionalisms, and contemporary linguistic turns enrich or threaten the French language, and understand the importance of context in shaping language use.
Extract
[...] Using the emoticon of a little angry man, for example red with smoke coming out of his nostrils rather than exploring the full lexical nuance of anger: irritated, annoyed, out of sorts, to name but a few examples. We then risk being at a loss for words face to face or not knowing how to express ourselves with nuance. It's not the same thing to be slightly irritated or furious, and yet we will, for example, indifferently use furious in everyday language or use the same emoticon for different degrees of anger. The 'globish' threatens the French language The English language, the international language par excellence, is increasingly present in the world. [...]
[...] We can use a more relaxed language with friends, on social networks, use slang, verlan which is still doing well in the end, but use a more formal language in a more formal context. It is therefore irrational to think that the use of a more casual language in certain contexts leads to a poverty of the French language. The French language is in perpetual evolution As explained by the authors of the tract cited above: 'Since the Oaths of Strasbourg, in the 9th century, the time of birth of Old French in relation to Latin, the language has never stopped evolving and we will never return to Molière's language'5 ». [...]
[...] That would be to fail to understand that there is not one French language, but several. The French spoken in France, in Paris, is not the same as that spoken in Quebec, for example, and this diversity should be seen as a richness. Speakers know how to adapt according to the context. It is also important to understand that the French language is in perpetual evolution, and that a golden age during which an ideal French was spoken, to which one should refer, has never existed. [...]
[...] Borrowing from foreign languages brings new nuances for which there is not always a French equivalent. And Molière himself gave a place to dialects that are often unfairly disparaged. Thus, if we can be wary of a mastery of the French language that would become more fragile due to social networks, for example, let us not close ourselves too much to the novelty of a language that must be alive. - Bibliography and sitography « The linguists are shocked, 'French is doing very well, thank you', Gallimard editions. https://www.academie-francaise.fr/linstitution/statuts-et-reglements Boileau, Art poétique. [...]
[...] The newspaper Le Figaro denounces this intrusion of English into our daily lives: 'You are discussing with a friend a dispute that has violently erupted with your partner. You are narrating the facts. 'You understand, he can no longer stand you lament. Problem. You didn't want to say here that he can no longer see you in the picture. But that he no longer brings you the support you need. The appropriate verb would have been: 'to support', 'to bring support', 'to encourage', rather than 'to stand', built from the English 'to support », which means: 'to support', 'to back'1» ». [...]
