France bans English gaming tech jargon in push to preserve language purity

From The Guardian: "French officials on Monday continued their centuries-long battle to preserve the purity of the language, overhauling the rules on using English video game jargon.

While some expressions find obvious translations – “pro-gamer” becomes “joueur professionnel” – others seem a more strained, as “streamer” is transformed into “joueur-animateur en direct”.

The culture ministry, which is involved in the process, told AFP the video game sector was rife with anglicisms that could act as “a barrier to understanding” for non-gamers."

[SullysCigar]

Pathétique.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Yes

[ManMarmalade]

Wee wee (oui oui)

[CrimsonWing69]

You sir, win comment of the week! This made me legit chuckle.

[The_Hooligan]

Lmao!

[DefaultComment]

Pathetic for persevating their native language from dirty English? I say good for them.

[JackBNimble]

You must be a french Canadian

[monkey602]

If they wanted to go this route then they really should have picked something a little more simple than "joueur-animateur en direct" to replace single word names. Theres no way the shorthand culture of online users will get on board with that.

[Christopher]

Countries really should take after the Maltese for language. Incorporate languages into one, don't try and hold yours above others. We're a global people now. It's only better that we understand each other better through common meanings. I get the historical value of language history preservation, but you don't need to be this stubborn about incorporating new words into your own. It's like English speakers saying "eat out place" instead of "restaurant." Makes little sense.

[SullysCigar]

Exactly. We use French, Greek, Latin and other foreign words and phrases in everyday English. There's nothing wrong with that and it doesn't put the language or our heritage at risk.

The French can be funny about this kind of thing though. There are international meetings within which every other nation speaks English, for a widely understood, common understanding. All except the French, who insist on speaking in their native tongue.

Another example would be the Eurovision Song Contest. Scores and official dialogue are spoken twice, every time. Once in English and once in French, despite none of the dozens of other languages being catered for.

[Minute Man 721]

English is the official business language and that's because America has the world reserve currency

[Eonjay]

Language separates us and being able to understand each other is clearly beneficial to all of us. There is a whole conversation to be had about the dangers of things like Elon Musk's Neuro Link but there is no denying the awesome power people as citizens of Earth would gain simply by removing various communication barriers.

The French language is well documented and will not be forgotten to time. Neither will English. In the not so far flung future it won't even matter what you speak... Anyone will be able to understand you whether the speak you language or not. And still I expect an overriding dialect to emerge.

[FPS_D3TH]

If Elons Nero Link allows me to kiss the virtual homies good night and they can actually feel the warmth… then it’s absolutely something we should keep exploring

[FPS_D3TH]

3 disagrees? Y’all obviously hate your homies

[KingofBandits]

I agree with this to a point but in reality a people being able to preserve their own culture and history is a must. Becoming some global Pangea is not the future that anyone should want. Cultural purity needs to be maintained as its what creates unique perspectives and a sense of individuality.

[Shane Kim]

Agree with this. The beauty in a bouquet of flowers is its diversity. I don't want to live on a planet where everything is the same.

[Christopher]

Cultural purity? Sounds like a pretty massive dog whistle there.

Last I checked, Americans pretty much flaunt unique perspectives and sense of individuality while speaking, on average, way fewer languages than most Europeans. Let's not act like a few words in the global culture of online gaming and streaming are breaking the foundation of one countries culture. Anyone who has played an MMO on a French server can easily see they are steeped in their own culture aplenty.

[senorfartcushion]

It’s easy enough writing that if you speak English fluently.

[Christopher]

I mean, you have to completely miss my point here to write this.

We have words in English that are used daily that are French. They have words that are used commonly with just gamers that are English in origin but really are more technical in concept similar to internet and cellular. Using restaurant, boutique, entrepreneur, apostrophe, mirage, facade, brunette, chauffer, critique, and on and on and on doesn't make English any less relevant and neither would the handful of words gamers use in those French nations.

The French are trying to divide the terminology of the gaming community for the fear of losing the identity of a language that is pervasive in the English language already.

[Mr_cheese]

"The overall idea, said the ministry, was to allow the population to communicate more easily."

By replacing the terms they already use with longer, less relatable ones

[Knightofelemia]

Just like Quebec

[Petebloodyonion]

OK ppl have to understand that there's 2 topics here.
1) le ministre de la culture française et l'office de la lange francaise are not just in charge or the language in France but basically for the whole International french language level used by all medias around the world.
So it's normal they will make this kind of change for a basic common ground between french speaking societies.
But a quick note, english word like " streaming, Selfie,e-sport, hacker, etc... are still added to french language dictionary as anglicisms so they are accepted in the language but are not to be used when using an International french level (official media).

2) The other topic is the problem with the lack of official portmanteau (Ex esport or Streamer) in french.
This is the real issue because time is money so this will not help ppl use the french word or expression because who want to say Joeur animateur en directe when Streamer is quite easy to say in french.
A good example of a success conversion is "e-mail" who failed as Courrier électronique but the word "courriel" is now widely accepted and used by all.

[isarai]

Ok? But here's the thing why does a language need someone to control it? And what is wrong with using terms from another language? Just about every language on erath uses a mix of latin, greek, french and english phrases in their everyday language. How f@#king up your own prejudice b-hole do you have to be to go through so much trouble to be sure you ONLY use french terms?

Im not even angry about it, it's just extremely useless and stupid.

[Petebloodyonion]

"Ok? But here's the thing why does a language need someone to control it?"
Short answer: political power and independence.

"And what is wrong with using terms from another language?"
Nothing, Don't expect political instances to validate how you speak in your day to day just like they don't validate how ppl write on the net.

"How f@#king up your own prejudice b-hole do you have to be to go through so much trouble to be sure you ONLY use french terms?"
I'm pretty sure that the same level of trouble is requested by lots of English American citizens who live close to Mexico and see a decline in English in favor of Spanish.
And if you want to see an example of political control well, do you know why we say an astronaut instead of a cosmonaut?

"it's just extremely useless and stupid"
With you, I agree.

[Knightofelemia]

Most streamers are not going to use Joeur animateur en directe. Because it's too long and sounds mundane and boring. Even that some French streamers I see use English as a title for their stream.

[Vengeance1138]

What is with the French language having such a God complex?? You don't see other more sane and rational languages doing this.

[Christopher]

Well, that's not true. Americans have done it to remove Russian references during the Cold War and we literally had an attempt at Freedom Fries.

Many former USSR countries have worked to permanently remove Russian versions of words as well. Barcelona is huge on separating Catalan from Spanish. And so on.

We're all stupid at least some of the time. All of this to hold onto a meaning of a region that will end up changing regardless of attempts to pause their place in time let alone with the people of the world.

[moriarty1889]

Ok……..

[DaniMacYo]

Lunatics.

[Knushwood Butt]

The French for smartphone is smartphone, although there also seems to be the option of telephone intelligent (can't type the aigu on my phone).

[Rainbowcookie]

What do you mean my le- motherboard is in great condition.😄

[isarai]

This is so stupid it literally sounds like sature

[ApocalypseShadow]

Oh yeah? Oh yeah? Then I say we ban David Cage from making any more English speaking games based in American cities with English lingo (love his games. Bought them all. Ok. Omikron isn't in America. So what. Lol) until this ban is reversed.

We demand change. Or David's next game.

[P4rrot]

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!

[Angyobangyo]

“ “streamer” is transformed into “joueur-animateur en direct”

Rolls off the tongue.

[Germaximus]

LOL

[Extermin8or3_]

Lol pretty stupid tbh. They get worked up about this too much. Makes French aa less attractive language as its so rigid. Benefit of English is that its so flexible.

[Pedrof]

Je trouve la plupart des expressions jolies et pertinentes.
Liste complète : https://www.legifrance.gouv...
Les deux qui me chiffonnent : "jeu à la demande" pour "game as a service" et "appariement de joueurs" pour "matchmaking" (mais pour ce dernier, j'imagine que l'usage sera surtout juridique, et pour ce contexte ça me semble bien).

[Petebloodyonion]

Actually like the word squelettage instead of rigging.

[Obelisk92]

Cultural preservation is a good thing, and there's nothing wrong in having a national "gaming" glossary. The only problem is that gaming is a worldwide phenomenon, and everyone should be allowed to communicate with other people from all over the world.

So, having new national terms is not a bad idea per se, but banning english terms is just plain stupid.

[anast]

Banning language...I think a few other unsavory historical characters have tried this...

[mastershredder]

Nice way to dictate what people do and say, even via popular cultural adoption. That is some backward thinking lame ass language-preservation fear mongering shi7.

May as well go after code and meta data next lol.