French lawbooks get word for 'hashtag'
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The French government is redefining hashtag with a Gallic touch.
The country that has an academy devoted solely to the use of the French language has given its official seal of approval to a new word for the Twittersphere: mot-diese.
Pronounced 'Mo-Dee-YEZ', it doesn't exactly trip off the tongue. But that's not the point. French law requires that government agencies use French terms — and teachers are required to spread the word. New words are approved by the Academie Francaise and written into the lawbooks.
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The French word for hashtag, published in the official journal on Wednesday, follows the government's somewhat successful redefinition of email — courriel — and its less successful attempt to persuade people to avoid the word "weekend."