🏛️ The Immortals: Inside the Académie Française

"Paris cannot be rushed."

In this episode, we cross the Pont des Arts to uncover the secrets of one of Paris's most prestigious institutions: the Académie Française. What started as a mistaken identity of a building turned into a deep dive into the "Immortals," the 40 members tasked with guarding the purity of the French language.

Join Paul as he discusses the etymology of "Palais," the influence of Cardinal Richelieu, and the modern battle against "Anglicisms" in the digital age.

• The Palace vs. The Palate: Unpacking the 11th-century Latin roots of the word Palais and its surprising connection to the roof of your mouth.

• Cardinal Richelieu’s Legacy: How the "gang" of intellectuals was formalized in 1635 to give rules to the French language.

• The Snail’s Pace of the Dictionary: Why it took from 1638 to 1694 to finish the first edition, and where we stand today with the 9th edition.

• Breaking the Glass Ceiling: The history of women in the Académie, from the inadmissible Pauline Savary in 1893 to the first female Permanent Secretary, Hélène Carrère d’Encausse.

• French vs. English: Discover the official French terms for podcast, clickbait, and food truck.

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🗝️ Key Takeaways