Six immortals, or "les immortels" as the French call them, died last year -- all members of the "dictionary committee," where half the seats are vacant, The (London) Independent reported Thursday. Starting Thursday a series of elections to fill the vacancies in the academy will be conducted during the next year.

The academy's dictionary is a permanent work-in-progress. The 20th-century edition, the ninth, has been under discussion since 1935. The committee is up to "P."

The academy, founded to protect the language's purity and integrity, is the oldest of French institutions in years -- Cardinal Richelieu founded it in 1635 -- and in membership -- the average age is 78, with the oldest 98.

Even though half of the 40 numbered seats in the academy are vacant, people aren't rushing for a chance at becoming "les immortels." Immortal wannabes must apply for a specific seat and are encouraged to wait a few years if their applications are rejected.

Its usefulness has come under fire by journalist Louis-Bernard Robitaille, who said the academy "does nothing or next to nothing" and whose linguistic pronouncements are largely ignored.