Published by the Académie Française, France’s historic institution that strives to uphold the purity of the French language, the new four-volume tome contains “only” 59,000 words. This is remarkable as the most comprehensive edition of the OED contains ten times that number. This fact is a bit less surprising perhaps, when you remember that two thirds of our words come directly or indirectly from Latin and – guess what – French. Par contre, the very raison d’être of the Académie is to prohibit the use of foreign words, especially English!
Of the many new words & phrases in the latest editions of the French dictionary, let me share my personal favourites:
1. un vocal
This word has been around for centuries as an adjective in French, but has only recently taken off as a noun. It means voice message.
- Je lui ai envoyé un vocal pour lui expliquer tout ce que j'avais à dire.
- I sent him a voice message to explain everything I had to say
2. sapiosexuel
This one doesn’t need translating, as it would be the same in English, but maybe some explanation is required: As well as providing another letter in the ever-lengthening list of sexual orientations (LGBTQ++), it refers to a person who considers intelligence, wisdom, and learning more attractive than physical appearance.
The root of the word is the Latin “sapere” from which the French language also gets “savoir” (to know), “savoureux” (tasty, full of flavour), “sage” (wise; well-behaved)…
English also has “to savour” and of course, the immodest way in which we named our own species: homo sapiens.
3. boss des bécosses
I’ve saved the best till last! This one comes from Canadian French, and despite the alliterative elegance of the phrase, I’m afraid it has to be classed as a slam: les bécosses is a corruption of the English “backhouse” which apparently means toilet in certain parts of the Anglophone world. “Boss” is exactly what we think it is, so “a boss of the toilets” is referring to someone who attempts to wield more power than their pay-scale would entitle them. Someone who gets above their station; a big fish in a small pond, or may I suggest: “a toilet tyrant”.
The word has already been officially banned in the Assemblée nationale du Québec, after a representative used it to describe the Prime Minister!
Do you have a stand-out new French word or phrase? Please share it!
Andrew Wenger | SameSky Languages
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