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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National
Alison Hird

War on words highlights opposing visions of French society

Emmanuel Macron receives the ninth edition of the Dictionary of the French Academy from the perpetual secretary of the Académie Française, French-Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf, on November 14, 2024. AP - Ludovic Marin

The Académie Française, founded in the 17th century under Louis XIV, views itself as the guardian of the French language – but a group of linguists says the words the institution chooses to protect or refuses to admit to its prestigious dictionary reveal an ideological bias.

What's in a word? In France, plenty.

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