France bans gaming jargon in an effort to keep the language clean

The French authorities have vetoed the use of gaming jargon in an effort to keep the language clean. While some expressions find obvious translations - "pro-gamer" becomes "joueur professionnel" - others seem more intense as "streamer" becomes "joueur-animateur en direct". This is reported by The Guardian, citing local laws.

The Ministry of Culture, which is involved in the process, told AFP that the video game sector is rife with anglicisms that can act as a "barrier to understanding" for people outside the entertainment industry.

From now on, a number of terms must be used in France, including joueur professionnel ("professional player"), joueur-animateur en direct ("live player") and jeu video de competition ("video game competition"). They will replace the usual words "pro-player", "streamer" and "e-sports" respectively.

The relevant changes have been published in the official journal, making them mandatory for civil servants. The ministry said experts searched websites and video game magazines to see if French terms already existed. The general idea, according to the ministry, was to allow the population to communicate more easily.

According to The Guardian, the French authorities have long been fighting to purify the local language. This step towards the esports and gaming lexicon is one of the first in this direction.