Paris (AFP)
The French Academy is "gravely concerned" by the development of "franglais" and asked Thursday to the public authorities to better respect the Toubon law of 1994 on the defense of French.
"The French Academy has never been hostile to
the introduction and use of foreign terms. But today it is seriously concerned about the development of the franglais, "said the institution in a statement to AFP.
"The repeated violations of the Toubon law, which laid down the rules for the use of French in the public sphere, distort our language, as much by the invasion of Anglo-Saxon terms as by the deterioration that they entail in its syntax. ", laments the Academy.
"Faithful to the mission entrusted to him to watch over the French language and to defend it, the Academy solemnly alerts the public authorities and invites them first and foremost to respect the law themselves," the Academy said. "If they do not react vigorously, if the public does not measure the danger that threatens it, French will cease to be the living and popular language we love," she warned.
Last woman welcomed at the French Academy, the philologist Barbara Cassin had taken advantage of her inaugural speech under the Dome to lash out in October to denounce the "global English" and plead for plurilingualism.
"We want to help build a resilient Europe, which refuses to stick to the non-language of pure communication that is global English," said the academician. "We refuse that our languages, those we speak, French, English itself (Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson or Churchill), become simple dialects, to talk at home," she added .
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