The French language watchdog has advised government employees to use French terminology for gaming rather than English terms.
“Jeu video de compétition” should replace “e-sports,” and “streamer” should become “joueur-animateur en direct,” according to the Académie Française.
According to the AFP news agency, Anglicisms are a “block to comprehension” in France.
The prohibition, however, has been criticized by gamers, with one calling it “totally meaningless.”
France has issued many warnings against the “debasement” of its language as a result of the use of imported English terminology.
Other official translations include “cloud gaming” and “jeu video en nuage.”
Cardinal Richelieu established the Académie Française in 1635 as the official custodian of the French language.
The forty members of the Académie have their own lavishly embroidered outfit, complete with the ceremonial sword – an outfit that wouldn’t be out of place in a game like Assassin’s Creed Unity from 2014.
The organization has long opposed the infiltration of English terminology into French, which has been aided by technological advancements.
However, a prior attempt to replace “le wifi” with “l’accès sans fil à internet,” as reported by news site Thelocal.fr, failed.
One player expressed his displeasure with the recent verdict on Twitter, writing: “I’m French, and I think this is absurd; no one will ever use those phrases. This form of prohibition is utterly ineffective.”
However, in response to a tweet from Eurogamer, numerous people shared memes implying that the French versions sounded more intelligent than their English counterparts.
