Académie Française facts for kids
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Institut de France building
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| Formation | 22 February 1635 |
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| Founder | Cardinal Richelieu |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
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Membership
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40 members known as les immortels ("the immortals") |
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Perpetual Secretary
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Amin Maalouf (since September 28, 2023) |
The Académie Française (which means "French Academy") is the main group in France that looks after the French language. It was officially started in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, who was a very important minister to King Louis XIII.
The Académie was stopped for a short time in 1793 during the French Revolution. But it was brought back in 1803 by Napoleon Bonaparte as part of the Institut de France. It is the oldest of the five "academies" that make up this institute. The Académie Française's job is to be the official authority on the French language. It is also in charge of publishing an official dictionary of the language.
The Académie has forty members. They are known as les immortels, which means "the immortals." New members are chosen by the other members of the Académie. Members usually stay for life, but they can leave or be removed if they do something wrong. For example, Philippe Pétain, who was a French leader during World War II, was removed from his position in 1945 because of his actions during the war.
Contents
History of the French Academy
The Académie started as an informal group of writers. They met at Valentin Conrart's house in the late 1620s and early 1630s. There were nine members in this group.
Cardinal Richelieu, who was France's chief minister, became their protector. He helped make the group official. On February 22, 1635, King Louis XIII formally established the council. The goal was "to labor with all the care and diligence possible, to give exact rules to our language, to render it capable of treating the arts and sciences." This means they wanted to create clear rules for the French language. They also wanted to make sure it could be used for all kinds of arts and sciences. The Académie Française has been in charge of French grammar, spelling, and literature ever since.
Richelieu's idea for the Académie was inspired by a similar group in Italy. This was the Accademia della Crusca, founded in Florence in 1582. That group helped make the Tuscan dialect the standard for the Italian language.
During the French Revolution, many royal academies, including the Académie Française, were shut down. In 1793, all academies were abolished. They were replaced in 1795 by a single body called the Institut de France.
Napoleon Bonaparte later decided to bring back the old academies. He made them "classes" or divisions of the Institut de France. The second class of the Institut was responsible for the French language. This was like the old Académie Française. When King Louis XVIII became king in 1816, each class got its old name back. So, the second class became the Académie Française again. Since 1816, the Académie Française has continued to exist without interruption.
The President of France is the "protector" or patron of the Académie. Cardinal Richelieu first held this role. After he died, King Louis XIV took over. Since then, the French head of state has always been the Académie's protector. From 1672 to 1805, the Académie met in the Louvre. Since 1805, the Académie Française has met in the Collège des Quatre-Nations, now known as the Palais de l'Institut.
Members of the French Academy
The Académie Française has forty seats, each with a different number. People who want to join apply for a specific seat, not just to the Académie in general. A new member must give a speech praising the person they are replacing. Sometimes, candidates don't apply for certain seats if they don't like the previous member.
Members are called "les immortels" ("the Immortals"). This name comes from the Académie's motto, À l'immortalité ("To Immortality"). This motto is written on the official seal given by Cardinal Richelieu.
One of the immortels is chosen by the others to be the Académie's Perpetual Secretary. This Secretary is called "Perpetual" because they usually serve for life. However, they can resign. The Perpetual Secretary acts as the leader and main representative of the Académie. Two other officers, a Director and a Chancellor, are chosen for three-month terms. The oldest member, based on when they were elected, is called the Dean of the Académie.
New members are chosen by the Académie itself. The first members were appointed. When a seat becomes empty, a person can apply to become a candidate. Or, existing members can suggest other candidates. A candidate is elected if they get most of the votes from the members. At least twenty members must be present for the vote to count. If no one gets enough votes, another election is held later. The election is only official if the President of France, who is the protector of the Académie, approves it. This approval is usually just a formality.
The new member is then officially welcomed at a meeting. The new member gives a speech praising the person they are replacing. Then, another member gives a speech. Eight days later, a public event is held where the new member gives a speech thanking their colleagues.
Members stay in the Académie for life. However, the council can remove a member for serious bad behavior. The first time this happened was in 1638. The most recent removals happened after World War II. Several members were removed because of their connection to the Vichy regime during the war. In total, 20 members have been removed from the Académie.
There have been 740 immortels in total. Only eleven of them have been women. Marguerite Yourcenar was the first woman elected in 1980. People who are not French citizens can also be elected. Most members are writers, but you don't have to be a writer to join. The Académie has included politicians, lawyers, scientists, historians, philosophers, and religious leaders. Five French heads of state have been members, including Raymond Poincaré. Also, one foreign head of state, Léopold Sédar Senghor from Senegal, was a member. He was also the first African elected in 1983. Other famous members include Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and Louis Pasteur.
Many famous French writers have not become members of the Académie Française. Some were never elected, some never applied, and some died before a spot opened up. Famous authors who were never members include Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Jean-Paul Sartre, Honoré de Balzac, and Molière.
Official Uniform
The official uniform for members is called l'habit vert, or "green clothing." This uniform is worn at the Académie's formal ceremonies. It was first used when Napoleon Bonaparte reorganized the Institut de France. The uniform includes a long black coat and a black hat with two points (a bicorne). Both are decorated with green leaf designs. Members also wear black trousers or a skirt. Members who are not clergy (religious leaders) also carry a special ceremonial sword.
Members pay for their own uniforms. The robes can cost a lot of money. The swords can be especially expensive because they are designed uniquely for each person.
Role as the Authority on French Language
The Académie is France's official authority on how the French language is used. This includes its words, meanings, and grammar.
The Dictionary
The Académie publishes a dictionary of the French language. It is called the Dictionnaire de l'Académie française. This dictionary is considered the official one in France. A special group of Académie members creates this dictionary.
The Académie has published many editions of its dictionary over the years. Some were early versions, and others were complete editions. They also made extra books for special words in science, arts, and technology.
The Académie is still working on its ninth edition of the dictionary. The first part came out in 1992, and they are continuing to publish more sections.
English Words in French
As more English words appeared in media over the years, the Académie has tried to stop French from using too many English terms. For example, the Académie has suggested using new French words instead of English ones like walkman, computer, software, and e-mail. They prefer words like baladeur, ordinateur, logiciel, and courriel.
The Académie knows that English words have been in French since the 1700s. They don't think all English words are an "invasion" of the French language. They divide English words into three types:
- Some are useful because French didn't have a good word for them before. For example, the word "confortable" came from the English "comfortable."
- Others are harmful because they change the original meaning of a French word.
- Some are useless or can be avoided. These are often used by people who want to seem "in style" or special. The Académie says these words usually don't last long in French.
The Académie Française has even told government officials to stop using English gaming terms. For instance, "e-sports" should be "jeu video de competition" (competitive video game). Also, "streamer" should be "joueur-animateur en direct" (live player-host).
Being Too Traditional?
Sometimes, the Académie is criticized for being too traditional. This happens even though they work on updating French spelling. For example, in 1997, the French government started using the feminine word "la ministre" for a female minister. This was already common in Canada, Belgium, and Switzerland. But the Académie said that the traditional masculine word, "le ministre", should be used for a minister of any gender, following old French grammar rules. In 2017, many language experts disagreed with the Académie. Using either form is still a topic of debate.
Prizes Awarded
The Académie Française gives out many different prizes. These prizes are for various fields like literature, painting, poetry, theater, cinema, history, and translation. Most of these prizes were created in the 1900s. The Académie awards more than sixty prizes, most of them every year.
The most important prize is the Grand prix de la francophonie. It started in 1986 and is funded by the governments of France, Canada, Monaco, and Morocco. Other important prizes include the Grand prix de littérature (for a literary work), the grand prix du roman (for a novel), and the Grand prix de poésie de l'Académie française (for poetry).
Opposition to Regional Languages
In June 2008, the Académie Française spoke out against a plan by the French Government. This plan was to officially recognize and protect regional languages in France. These languages include Flemish, Alsatian, Basque, Breton, Catalan, Corsican, Occitan, Gascon, and Arpitan. The Académie's role is to protect the main French language.
Current Members
The current members of the Académie Française are:
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See Also
In Spanish: Academia Francesa para niños
- Academy of sciences
- Conseil international de la langue française
- Former prizes awarded by the Académie française
- French art salons and academies
- Language policy in France
- List of language regulators
- Language council
- Montyon Prize – prizes awarded annually by the Académie française and the Académie des sciences
- Office québécois de la langue française
- Paschimbanga Bangla Academy
- Proposals for an English Academy
- Royal Spanish Academy
- Swedish Academy
- Mademoiselle Cloque by René Boylesve
