The year 2012 was tumultuous in Quebec politics. Students took to the streets to protest a tuition hike and the province turned a harsh spotlight on municipal corruption.
The result: new words have been added to what is considered the authoritative reference book for the French language, Le Petit Robert dictionary.
“Le Printemps érable” (the “Maple Spring”) was one of the most common phrases given to the student upheaval. That phrase in now in Le Petit Robert.
Quebec’s efforts to investigate corruption through a government inquiry, known as the Charbonneau Commission, and the creation of a permanent anti-corruption unit resulted in a new reference to a cash bribe in the dictionary: an “enveloppe brune” (brown envelope).
The events also prompted the addition of other new words. They include: “bombasse” (floozie), “chelou” (shady or dubious) and “chialage” (annoying whimpering).
Le Petit Robert employs a team of lexicographers who decide which new entries are included. They then rely on a broader group of people that works year-round to identify words or turns of phrase that have become part of daily speech.
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