“The Weight of Words”: Anglicisms in the Mainstream French Magazine Paris Match, 2021-2022
Abstract
This study examines the ongoing cultural phenomenon known as Anglo-Americanization and its effects on the French language. Most notably, interactions between French and English have resulted in what is known as franglais, or “Frenglish,” against the backdrop of France’s long-standing pride in and protection of its language. Supplementing prior studies that have examined the position of French in the age of Americanization, this study examines instances of Anglicisms in ten articles recently published in the popular French news magazine Paris Match. I classified these Anglicisms into various categories used in a taxonomy created by Constance Forest, Gilles Colpron, and Denise Boudreau to obtain a clearer view of their uses and adaptations in the magazine. My findings help to suggest that the language in Paris Match both reflects and reinforces an open, active use of Anglicisms in mainstream French. Anglicisms arguably appear in popular publications such as Paris Match due to English’s language economy, as well as the growing perception of English as a form of cultural capital. The use of Anglicisms in conventional French adds new layers to French’s long-standing tradition as a codified language.
