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→L'Académie française: this dictionary has no official character.
==L'Académie française==
==L'Académie française==
Unlike English, French vocabulary and grammatical rules (at least in France) are determined by an official body, l'Académie française (French Academy). The Academy publishes the official French dictionary. While the Academy's recommendations have no legal power as such, they are instrumental in shaping the French language.
Unlike English, French vocabulary and grammatical rules (at least in France) are determined by an official body, l'Académie française (French Academy). The Academy publishes its own dictionary. While the Academy's recommendations have no legal power as such, they are instrumental in shaping the French language.
The Academy is often criticised for being a brake on the development of the language. For example, the last fully completed edition of its dictionary was completed in 1935 while it has yet to complete the next edition. Because of this, common usage dictates, as in English, what words can be used but are then often changed by the Academy later, especially if they are loan words from English.
The Academy is often criticised for being a brake on the development of the language. For example, the last fully completed edition of its dictionary was completed in 1935 while it has yet to complete the next edition. Because of this, common usage dictates, as in English, what words can be used but are then often changed by the Academy later, especially if they are loan words from English.