She is celebrated globally for her groundbreaking work across the music and movie industry. But, in what comes as a linguistic coup, Beyoncé is now accorded the status of a noun in the Larousse dictionary.
Her name has been included in a 2024 version of Petit Larousse Illustré, according to The Sunday Times. She has been defined as an “American singer of R&B and pop” and the renowned singer is among 40 personalities, both French and international, who have been added to this year’s encyclopedic dictionary.
A panel of experts selects new entries for the publication based on a yearly list of 150 words and individuals. These additions must resonate with French speakers and reflect the values of the Petit Larousse — the promotion of French culture.
Beyoncé’s inclusion is due to her familial ties to French culture, with both her maternal grandparents being Louisiana Creoles who spoke French, as reported by The Times.
The inclusion of Beyoncé’s name comes two decades after another term connected to the iconic singer was added to the Oxford English dictionary – Bootylicious.
The term “Bootylicious,” derived from a track by Beyoncé’s former band Destiny’s Child, was defined as “sexually attractive” and subsequently added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
The inclusion of the singer’s name in the French dictionary comes on the heels of a bustling season for her. Her eighth studio album, “Country Carter,” released just over a month ago, catapulted her to the historic position of being the first Black woman with a number-one country album.
The album features a cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” earning praise from the country music icon herself who wrote on her social media page “Wow, I just heard Jolene”.
