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PARIS — The French government, in a bid to turn back the tide of English words in the field of technology, has banned its civil service from using the term "email" instead of its approved French equivalent, the culture minister announced.

All government ministries, websites, publications and documents must now use "courriel" - a shortening of "courrier electronique" (literally: electronic mail) - when they are referring to the messages sent via the internet, the ministry said in a statement.

The move, made law by its publication in the official government gazette on June 20, will put the French administration out of step with the majority of the French public, who still prefer to use "email" to communicate between computer accounts.

— Agence France-Presse,  July 10, 2003