Despite the controversy, Le Robert defended the inclusion of the word “iel” in his online edition.

Managing Director of Publishing The RobertCharles Bimbenet on Wednesday defended the addition of the gender-neutral pronoun “iel” to the online version of his prestigious dictionary following criticism from Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanker.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Mr. In a letter to the French Academy, Blanker expressed his support for Majority Deputy Francois Jolivet, who condemned the introduction of the term, which is mainly used by young audiences.

“I strongly support నిరసన FJolivet36’s protest against PetitRobert. Inclusive writing is not the future of the French language.

In a press release published on the website of Robert, Charles Bimbenet confirmed that he included the word “IL” in his online edition “a few weeks ago” and that he defended himself against any activism.

If he finds the use of the term “still relatively weak,” he says, “for months, documentaryists RobertIt has been found to be overused.

“Furthermore, the meaning of the word ‘iel’ cannot be deduced from its singular reading […], And it seemed useful to us to explain its meaning to those who meet it, whether they want to use it or vice versa … reject it, ”he wrote.

And to remember it “Mission Robert Observing and interpreting the evolution of a French language in a different way ”. “Defining words that help the world understand it better.”

“Some are not guilty,” he said. The Robert Suddenly serious vociferous did not develop, which is a word that lacks transparency [pas encore défini, NDLR], The definition we promise you soon ”, he concluded.