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Canada  

Le grilled cheese is OK

English-language words such as hashtag, grilled-cheese, and parking are now acceptable in everyday French-conversation in Quebec, according to guidelines recently updated by the province's language watchdog.

The changes were implemented in January, but the revised dictionary by the Office Quebecois de la Langue Francaise only became widely known recently.

OQLF spokesman Jean-Pierre Le Blanc said Tuesday it's the first time the watchdog's guidelines have been changed since 2007.

"We're always reviewing words to see if they're acceptable or not," Le Blanc said in an interview. "I'm sure it's several dozen (words) that have been anglicized."

Quebec's language office is infamous across Canada for its strict application of the province's language laws.

In some cases, using both the English or the French equivalent of words got the committee's seal of approval.

For example, the English word, "parking," may now be used in French, as can its proper French-language equivalent, "stationnement."

Other examples: Cocktail or Coquetel, Grilled-cheese or Sandwich au forage fondant, Hashtag or Mot-clic.



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