The update of the 2024 edition of Petit Robert, the dictionary of the French language, was presented by Franceinfo this Tuesday, May 9. As in each new edition, the approximately 150 added words testify to changes in society as a whole. And digital is no exception: by listing the new “tech” entries in the dictionary, we trace the strengths of recent years in the sector.
Here’s a term that has monopolized digital news: the “metaverse,” that space based on virtual reality that Facebook has made its workhorse by renaming itself Meta. From then on, a large number of companies, including French ones, jumped on the concept, sometimes leading to innovative and comical communication tricks. Since then, the souffle has largely fallen off, innovations have slowed, and only the massive expenses and losses of those who have tried it remain.
Almost inseparable from the previous one, the term “crypto art” has also been added: it is a form of digital art linked to non-fungible tokens (NFT), which makes it possible to make an individual’s ownership of a work authentic and unfalsifiable. Enthusiasm for the metaverse had given a major boost to crypto art. If the latter generates extremely polarized debates (utility, environment, scams), the term has nevertheless become an inevitable part of the digital world.
Also in crypto, we find “cryptocurrency mining”, which illustrates the fact of offering a service to a cryptocurrency, in particular in exchange for income.
instagrammable, ghoster, cloud computing
Le Petit Robert also includes the term “instagrammable”: an instagrammable place is simply a photogenic place. The term comes from the Instagram social network, which is dedicated to photos and videos. Some tourist places called “instagrammable” are now so broadcast on social networks that they are victims of overcrowding and inconvenience. This is for example the case of tulip fields in the Netherlands, certain cultural centers in Nepal or even closer, the famous rue Crémieux in the 12th arrondissement of Paris.
Two other terms related to web cultures also enter the dictionary: “ghoster” which comes from “ghost”, ghost in English, which consists of stopping giving news to someone overnight.
We also find “spoilers”, that is, revealing to someone the end of a book or a series, for example, that they have not yet discovered. If the spoilers do not have a purely “technological” origin, they were strongly encouraged by social networks, especially during the broadcast of the fantasy series seen around the world. game of Thrones or, week after week, Internet users amused themselves by distilling information to those who had not yet had time to see the latest episode.
Finally, in pure and hard computing, we find “data collection”, that is, the massive collection of digital data, and the Quebec term “cloud computing”, which comes from “cloud” in English, which we will translate into French. by “online data storage system”.
Finally, in the pantheon of those whose attempt ended in failure, we find the word for recess classes “quoicoubeh”, which has been a hit on the networks since the beginning of the year. A term rejected by the Petit Robert. Perhaps also because no one, to date, has yet found the definition.
Source: BFM TV
