French tongue is twisting around not just alien words but also alien foods

There can surely be no more proof of the indisputable place Britain has in the life of mainland Europe than the increasing incidence of English words in the lexicons of linguistically snooty nations such as France. Even with the Brexit debate becoming increasingly acrimonious across the Channel, the dictionary called Le Petit Larousse — a must-have when schools reopen in France in the autumn — has added what seems to be an unusually large number of English and English-inspired words this week, including selfie, troll, emoticone, fanfiction and retrofuturisme. Some Frenchmen will see in this English (or American) language hegemony, courtesy the social media. And there is probably some basis for the French fear that some time in the future, merely speaking English with a French accent would be enough to be understood in La Belle France. But there is no doubt this crossfertilisation cannot ever be contained or rolled back.

Indeed, some of the neologisms produced by this very French mingling of tongues — such as complotiste, or conspiracy theorist — would just as easily find a place in the patois of Britain, not to mention other parts of the anglophone world. And India should take heart that biryani has also been included in this lexicon of a country that values its culinary legacy as much as its linguistic one.