B717th

__The French Academy__

The French academy was a development in literature and education and communication in the 17th century by Cardinal Richelieu, a French absolutist ruler. Cardinal Richelieu’s efforts at centralization extended to even literature and in 1635 he decided to give recognition to a group of philologists who were greatly interested in grammar and the ability to use the language effectively. This group became to be known as the French academy and began to develop a dictionary intended to standardize the French Language and was finally completed in 1694. The French academy survives as a prestigious society, and its members now include people outside the field of literature.

 McKay, John P. __History o____f Western society__. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003.