Addition of the pronoun “iel” in the online version of the dictionary The Robert sparked a controversy in France which resonates even in Quebec. Explanations.
Controversy
“Iel, iels. Personal pronoun. Rare. Subject of the third person singular and plural, used to evoke a person whatever his gender ”, can we read recently in the Online dictionary – Le Robert. The entry in the dictionary of this pronoun formed by the contraction of the pronouns “he” and “she” provoked strong reactions in France and on social networks. “Inclusive writing is not the future of the French language,” the Minister of National Education, Youth and Sports, Jean-Michel Blanquer, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. The latter at the same time expressed his support for deputy François Jolivet, who wrote to the French Academy to denounce the decision of Le Robert editions. He made his letter public with a tweet in which he accuses the authors of the dictionary of being militants of “wokism”.
Reply
The heated debate on social networks prompted the general manager of Le Robert editions, Charles Bimbenet, to explain his team’s decision to include the pronoun in his online dictionary. “If its use is still relatively low […], it has been growing strongly for several months. Moreover, the meaning of the word “iel” cannot be understood from its sole reading. […] and it seemed useful to us to clarify its meaning for those who meet it, whether they wish to use it or on the contrary… reject it, ”he wrote on the dictionary’s website. Charles Bimbenet, however, refrained from propaganda of any current of thought.
The reaction of lexicographers
Nadine Vincent, lexicographer and professor of communication at the University of Sherbrooke, believes that the decision of Le Robert editions is premature. “A dictionary is behind use. The word must be fairly frequent, fairly well distributed, therefore used in different fields, in different groups of society, and afterwards it can enter the dictionary ”, explains the one who is also a member of the editorial committee and of the editorial committee. governance of Usito, Quebec dictionary available free online.
PHOTO MICHEL CARON, PROVIDED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF SHERBROOKE
Nadine Vincent, lexicographer and professor of communication at the University of Sherbrooke
Although the pronoun “iel” appeared a long time ago, it has not passed into general use, she says. “There are many different propositions for the neutral pronoun,” adds Nadine Vincent, stressing that militant groups do not agree on a single term to use. The lexicographer also deplores that in the definition of the pronoun, The Robert does not specify how to use it. How should we accord the adjectives attached to it? The Robert gives no example.
You can’t put in a word like that and explain it and let people deal with it. I consider that The Robert does not do its job.
Nadine Vincent, lexicographer
For its part, the Office québécois de la langue française indicated by email that it “does not recommend using the pronoun“ iel ””. Rather, he encouraged the use of epicene writing. Bernard Cerquiglini, lexicographer at Larousse editions, believes that the decision of Le Robert editions “is part of a militant approach”. “We touch a pronoun, the language system. However, the pronouns have not changed since the IVe century ”, he argued in an interview with Le Figaro.
“There is still a long way to go”
The appearance of the pronoun “iel” in The Robert is seen as a step in the right direction by people from trans and non-binary communities (whose members generally prefer “non-binary” spelling) to whom Press talked. “I find it interesting that some institutions end up recognizing non-binary people and their vocabulary. Of course, there is still a long way to go, ”says Ash Paré.
“If we look at the definition of the word“ iel ”, it is a bit strange,” notes Séré Gabriel Beauchesne Lévesque, from the organization TransEstrie.
It doesn’t refer to the fact that non-binary people are using it. It is not a pronoun that was invented to be used in the plural to denote men and women.
Séré Gabriel Beauchesne Lévesque
“It’s really a pronoun that was first invented and used by non-binary people who say, ‘Me, I’m not a man. I am not a woman. I want there to be a way to refer to me. ” ”
Ash Paré, who lectures on inclusive French, emphasizes the importance of the neutral and inclusive pronoun for members of his community. “This pronoun is a tool that allows you to respect a person’s dignity. “We still do not have recognition of a non-binary identity from a legal point of view,” recalls Séré Gabriel Beauchesne Lévesque, who is worried about the impact of Bill 2 recently tabled by the Coalition d’avenir Québec.