Explore France’s approach to promoting the French language during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Learn about recent controversies involving English and how new terms were created for emerging sports.
With the world’s eyes on the City of Lights, the French government sought to ensure their national language took center stage in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
French is the fifth most spoken language globally, with around 320 million speakers. Yet, it’s been facing challenges from the growing use of English in sports. One notable exception is fencing, where referees still use French commands like “En garde. Etes vous prets? Allez!” (“On guard. Ready? Go!”).
To counter the influence of English, France took steps to keep its language front and center throughout the Games. This included creating new French terms for the emerging sports featured at Paris 2024.
In this blog post, we’ll delve into France’s language strategy at the Olympics and how it influences language preservation.
A Deep-Rooted Love for the French Language
France’s commitment to its language goes way back. In 1549, poet Joachim du Bellay made a strong case for France to focus on building its own literary traditions. He believed French writers should create works in their language, rather than relying on translations.
This set the stage for a centuries-long dedication to promoting and preserving French.
French Language and the Olympics
French has always had a special connection with the Olympic Games. After all, it was a French aristocrat, Pierre de Coubertin, who founded the modern Olympics in the late 19th century.
French was the main language at the early Games and remains one of the official languages of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Plus, with the IOC headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland—a French-speaking region—the ties between French and the Olympics are as strong as ever.
Recent Language Controversies
Protecting the French language is a top priority for French politicians, who are keen to curb the increasing influence of English.
A notable example of this effort was the controversy over the Paris 2024 bid slogan “Made for Sharing.” French officials were not pleased with the English version. And the Académie Française even likened it to a pizza advertisement. As a result, the slogan was transcreated into “Venez partager.”
Other instances that drew significant criticism include:
- A government-backed campaign that featured the English slogan “Make it iconic. Choose France.”
- The French rugby team’s use of “Rugby World Cup” on their jerseys, instead of “La Coupe du Monde de Rugby”
These cases underscore a growing emphasis on promoting French in public and official contexts.
Paris 2024: Creating French Terms for New Sports
With new sports like breakdancing, sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing making their Olympic debut in Paris 2024, the French Ministry of Culture and the Ministry for Sport stepped in to ensure the national language remained relevant.
They assembled an expert panel to create French terms for these sports and prevent English jargon from taking over. Led by the Ministry of Culture’s General Directorate of the French Language and the Languages of France (DGLFLF), the group focused on translating technical terms into French.
Their proposals were then reviewed by the Académie Française, the institution responsible for shaping official French dictionaries for over 300 years, to ensure the terms aligned with the language’s traditions.
The goal was to help journalists, spectators, and the public engage with these new sports in French.
– Finding the Right Words
The language committees worked hard to create French equivalents for terms used in new Olympic sports. Here are some examples:
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- Breaking: Instead of “crew,” the term “équipe” (team) was chosen. “Cypher” became “cercle” (circle), and “battles” were translated to “challenges.”
- Surfing: The “curl” of a wave was creatively adapted to “cœur” (heart), and “tube” became “barrel.”
Beyond these new sports, the committee also updated terminology for rugby, in preparation for the Rugby League World Cup that was to be held in France in 2025 (it’s been rescheduled to 2026 and will eventually take place in Australia).
Simultaneously, they created French terms for Paralympic sports. This was done to ensure French speakers had the necessary vocabulary to appreciate and engage with these events.
Is this Purism or Adaptability?
Some might view the French government’s initiative as linguistic purism. But France’s approach to creating new French terms for emerging sports demonstrates how languages can evolve while staying rooted in their traditions.
French has a long history of adapting and incorporating words from other cultures. And the inclusion of borrowed terms like “break” illustrates this flexibility.
By blending creation, translation, and borrowing, France has proven that language preservation isn’t about resisting change. It’s about adapting to new trends and ensuring the language evolves without losing its cultural essence.
As languages change, keeping communications up-to-date and culturally relevant can be challenging.
At Montero Language Services, we help you stay ahead of shifting language trends. Whether you need assistance with translation, localization, or adapting content for diverse audiences, we’re just one email away.
Reach out to at info@montero-ls.com, and let’s discuss how we can support your language needs.
