Launch of the first Dictionary of Francophones
Screenshot of the site of the first Dictionary of Francophones.
© Dictionaries of French speakers
Text by: Muriel Maalouf
2 min
The Dictionary of Francophones, the first of its kind, was launched on Tuesday March 16 during the Semaine de la Francophonie.
This online dictionary was created following an order from French President Emmanuel Macron.
It is drawn up by a scientific council of academics from several French-speaking countries.
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The 300,000 Francophones around the world now have their dictionary which lists nearly 600,000 terms and expressions.
Some examples cited by Paul de Sinety, general delegate for the French language at the Ministry of Culture: “giraffer”, in West Africa, means “copy” when you are at school;
"Relief", in Reunion, is "drunkenness" ...
There is also "lower your feet", which means "to be discouraged" in Senegal, while in France we say "lower your arms".
And as of yesterday, a new word entered the dictionary, suggested by Louise Mushikiwabo, the secretary general of La Francophonie.
It is the verb "to technic", used in Rwanda, or "to find a solution with few means".
Because this dictionary is evolving and participatory.
“
Each user will be free to suggest terms or expressions,”
remarks Paul de Sinety.
And after having been validated by the scientific council coordinated by the eminent linguist Bernard Cerquiglini alongside which work more than 15 academics from all over the world of the spaces of the Francophonie, from the moment these terms or expressions have been validated, they can appear. in free access in this dictionary of French speakers
”.
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The Dictionary of Francophones is downloadable and accessible free of charge.
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To read also:
“Imaginécole” an educational platform for 6.6 million French-speaking students in Africa
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