Vocabulary enrichment in French during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only transformed social life around the world, it has also broadened the vocabulary of language, which has become a mirror of the new reality in which humanity has had to exist. Therefore, linguistic scientists have focused their research on identifying and studying new words associated with the pandemic. The article shows how the French vocabulary expanded as the new coronavirus infection and the disease associated with it spread, based on a study of publications on the websites of French online publications and French electronic dictionaries. It is noted that the definition of the gender of the word COVID is debatable, which in French is used in both the feminine and masculine genders, despite the fact that the French Academy has fixed the feminine version. Along with the debatable COVID, many new words have appeared in the French dictionary, and some existing words and expressions have expanded their semantic field. English terms related to the pandemic, which had no translation into French, were not always understood by many French speakers, so experts explained them and suggested adequate correspondences in French. The French dictionary revision organisations sought to provide a key to understanding the nuances of words, justifying the correctness and validity of their use. Along with the restrictive measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, many words and expressions have entered the French language, reflecting the ingenuity and inventiveness of the people to describe their daily lives in a time of restriction, isolation and online work. The article suggests that the process of enriching the vocabulary of the French language with specific terms and expressions will continue with the end of the pandemic. © 2022 Belgorod State National Research University. All rights reserved.