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| End of the circumflex? Changes in French spelling cause uproar | End of the circumflex? Changes in French spelling cause uproar |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Suggested new spellings for more than 2,000 French words have sparked controversy. | Suggested new spellings for more than 2,000 French words have sparked controversy. |
| The Academie Francaise proposed changes in 1990, including the deletion of the circumflex accent (ˆ) and hyphens in some words, but they were optional. | The Academie Francaise proposed changes in 1990, including the deletion of the circumflex accent (ˆ) and hyphens in some words, but they were optional. |
| Now publishers say they will include the new spellings in schoolbooks. | Now publishers say they will include the new spellings in schoolbooks. |
| France's education minister has said the changes will not culminate in the end of the circumflex, and that old and new spellings will both remain correct. | France's education minister has said the changes will not culminate in the end of the circumflex, and that old and new spellings will both remain correct. |
| Despite this, the news sparked furious reaction on social media, with users arguing the changes constituted dumbing down. | Despite this, the news sparked furious reaction on social media, with users arguing the changes constituted dumbing down. |
| Some tweets even used the hashtag #JeSuisCirconflexe (I am circumflex). | Some tweets even used the hashtag #JeSuisCirconflexe (I am circumflex). |
| What is a circumflex? | What is a circumflex? |
| The peaked accent (^) looks like a hat, or so children are told when they are learning French. It goes over vowels - in some cases it changes the word's pronunciation, in others it serves to distinguish homonyms (words that are spelled and pronounced like another word but are different in meaning). | |
| The changes will see it being used on a, o and e, but dropped from i and u (with some exceptions). | The changes will see it being used on a, o and e, but dropped from i and u (with some exceptions). |
| The outrage reportedly started after a report by the TF1 website (in French) said the reforms would take effect in the upcoming academic year. | The outrage reportedly started after a report by the TF1 website (in French) said the reforms would take effect in the upcoming academic year. |
| It quoted a note from the education ministry last year saying that the new spellings should be adopted and reported that publishers have decided to add the changes in textbooks from September. | It quoted a note from the education ministry last year saying that the new spellings should be adopted and reported that publishers have decided to add the changes in textbooks from September. |
| Students will then have a choice to use either the old spellings or the new ones and teachers will have to accept both ways as correct. | Students will then have a choice to use either the old spellings or the new ones and teachers will have to accept both ways as correct. |
| 'Comment dire?' Some of the new spellings | 'Comment dire?' Some of the new spellings |
| The proposed changes followed a review of the French language to simplify learning, but they were not binding and had faced strong opposition in the country, Le Monde reported (in French). | The proposed changes followed a review of the French language to simplify learning, but they were not binding and had faced strong opposition in the country, Le Monde reported (in French). |
| They include the deletion in some words of the hyphens and the circumflex. The accent disappears from above the letter i and u in certain words and not from the letter o. | They include the deletion in some words of the hyphens and the circumflex. The accent disappears from above the letter i and u in certain words and not from the letter o. |
| The new spelling would reportedly impact around 2,400 words. | The new spelling would reportedly impact around 2,400 words. |
| '#JeSuisCirconflexe' | '#JeSuisCirconflexe' |
| Users on social media were furious over the changes, and the hashtags #ReformeOrthographe (orthographic reform) and #JeSuisCirconflexe (I am circumflex) were one of Twitter's trending topics in France on Thursday. | Users on social media were furious over the changes, and the hashtags #ReformeOrthographe (orthographic reform) and #JeSuisCirconflexe (I am circumflex) were one of Twitter's trending topics in France on Thursday. |
| Many users shared pictures showing their dissatisfaction with the changes, and most of the anger was directed at the alleged end of the circumflex. | Many users shared pictures showing their dissatisfaction with the changes, and most of the anger was directed at the alleged end of the circumflex. |