Au revoir ‘hashtag’ and bonjour ‘mot-dièse’.
French officials have officially banned citizens from using the word ‘Hashtag’ online and have suggested a Gallic replacement, ‘mot-dièse’—which translates to ‘sharp word’ in English—as an alternative.
According to Time, the ban is part of the French government’s ongoing effort to “encourage the presence of the French language on social media networks”—this is despite the fact that English is already commonly used across the country.
Was it wise for French officials to ban the 2012 ‘word of the year’?
[via Time]