Any language will do. I can think of lots of (English) words that describe properties of people who seek praise, but not that apply exclusively to that class of people.
Attention whore?
No, but seriously, something as simple as "praise seeker" would probably do.
Oh, I'd prefer something deliberately obscure if anyone can think of anything. Sorry — I should have said.
Cornflaggety. When all else fails, just make it up.
There's something some entities of the female species do, called "fishing for compliments". Not quite what you meant (I guess), but the sentiment is about the same.
Males fish for compliments too. 
Males fish for compliments too.
Oh, shut the hell up.
Human?
We all seek praise at some level or other.
Males fish for compliments too.
No, we dish out compliments in a vain hope of getting sex. We only fish for compliments when we don't want sex, which is never.
"pompous", "obsessed with image", "politician"?
Laudemquaeror?
Is 'histrionic' too loose?
Nevermind.
Crusader?
better off being a praise seeker than being a linux neckbeard.:-*
Oh wow, yves, that was so funny and witty! Yes, you have convinced me to stop compiling Gentoo and shave my beard, merely by the wittiness of that comment!
Note the sarcasm.
Oh Neil! You've finally come out of your room! And you've cleaned yourself up! You make a mother proud! Now help me with this Windows thing, how do I get this picture in the Kodak thing into my email?
[M$rant]
The mouse cursor in XP here is disappearing whenever it's stationary.
[/M$rant]
And would this help?
http://thesaurus.reference.com/
Narcissist is the word.
Now help me with this Windows thing, how do I get this picture in the Kodak thing into my email?
Funny.
Seriously, my landlady and her son are often bugging me to get pictures from the camera into email attachments. I try to show them, but it's advanced stuff they shouldn't have to bother with, as are passwords to accounts and unplugging the cable modem when not in use.
Narcissist isn't quite correct.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! When is the cable modem ever not in use? Besides, unplugging it isn't easy when you're stealing your neighbor's wifi.
Narcissist isn't quite correct.
I was going to say the same thing. Someone who is a narcissist is in love with themselves, but there's no requirement for them to seek confirmation of their beliefs from others. Narcissus just loved his own reflection.
Speaking of which: if there isn't a word, is there a well-known example of a specific someone who always seeks praise from fiction?
i just realized what Richard Phipps avatar is.
I saw so many thing one of witch was a praying mantis .
but base on his old avatars i know see what it really is its the head of a happy bear.
Is there a word for one who seeks praise?
human?
I quite liked the word I came up with. 
Someone who is a narcissist is in love with themselves, but there's no requirement for them to seek confirmation of their beliefs from others.
Actually, in the clinical sense, it is a requirement: "They demand and expect to be admired and praised by others and are limited in their capacity to appreciate others' perspectives." (DSM-IV-TR)
I quite liked the word I came up with.
Stop fishing for compliments!
A narcissist is someone who loves their own appearance. Not the same thing.
Maybe the psychological profession misuse the term because there isn't a better single word?
Actually, in the clinical sense, it is a requirement: "They demand and expect to be admired and praised by others and are limited in their capacity to appreciate others' perspectives." (DSM-IV-TR [behavenet.com])
The childish, petty part of my personality makes me point out that it isn't a requirement — a patient must only demonstrate five of the nine symptoms listed in DSM-IV to be diagnosed as narcissistic, meaning that none of them is a necessary part of a diagnosis. It's possible to get four without expecting praise from others, and I'm pretty sure that the diagnostic criteria are the main authority on whether you have a thing, not the précis in the introduction.
I have no idea what ICD says. I can find from online sources that I should look at entry F60.8, but that's about it as I oddly don't have an actual copy to hand.
However, the more mature part of my personality wants to thank you greatly, as you've probably found what I needed. Thanks!
Narcisism is an internal focus. You are seeking somebody with an external focus on other people.
I realise that the distinction becomes blurred due to external things causing internal pleasure (narcisism), but there is a real difference here.
For example a narcisist wouldn't be good at doing things for other people, where as someone seeking praise would be.
Narcisism is an internal focus. You are seeking somebody with an external focus on other people.
It's my understanding that casey is drawing a distinction between non-inflected/dictionary-sense narcissism and clinical narcissism. It seems that the latter doesn't quite align with the former.
Glory hound?
Well, I know the answer but this guy is offering $5 for it 
Is this some kind of competition?
The essential difference between a narcissist and a praise-seeker is that the narcissist would carry on preening themselves on a desert island. They would miss their mirror more than their friends.
Hmmm. Is lobsuchend really a [German] word?
Is this some kind of competition?
No, I'm just trying to write something.
Speaking of which: if there isn't a word, is there a well-known example of a specific someone who always seeks praise from fiction?
Not from fiction, but an answer: Paris Hilton. As to the word, I would suggest catesque (or feline) based on how my roommate's cats act.
It's my understanding that casey is drawing a distinction between non-inflected/dictionary-sense narcissism and clinical narcissism. It seems that the latter doesn't quite align with the former.
Maybe it's because I am tired, but I didn't quite understand that.. 
I understand Narcisism to be a focus on the self to the exclusion of properly connecting with the outside world. The opposite of that is a focus on the external world, to the detriment of the internal. That can take the form of seeking praise due to a damaged sense of self.
Is lobsuchend really a [German] word?
Yes and no, probably. I don't think you'd find it in a dictionary, but you can form new words by stringing together existing words. You can do the same thing in Dutch (lofzoeker would be the word you're looking for in this case).
I can give you the Hebrew slang for "attention whore", will that help?
I can give you the Hebrew slang for "attention whore", will that help?
I can't see why it wouldn't.
EDIT: so would an attention seeker be a lobsuchend, or would they be performing the act of lobsuchend?
EDIT: so would an attention seeker be a lobsuchend, or would they be performing the act of lobsuchend?
None, "lob" is praise and "suchend" is "seeking". So its not "a" or performing an act. But rather he is lobsuchend.
I have an answer.
Grandiosity (Grandiose)
An inflated appraisal of one's worth, power, knowledge, importance, or identity. When extreme, grandiosity may be of delusional proportions.
www.indianpsychiatry.com/Glossary.htm
That definition doesn't describe a need to seek praise.
is there a well-known example of a specific someone who always seeks praise from fiction?
glory-hunter ?
Facebook user?
That definition doesn't describe a need to seek praise.
Well, I fail. The only thing I could find was narcissist which of course has negative connotation. Google "healthy narcissism" for some interesting results.
Similar to William's, glory hog.
צומי, pronounced "Tsumi" is Hebrew slang for "attention whore"
so would an attention seeker be a lobsuchend, or would they be performing the act of lobsuchend?
It's like the Dutch example I quoted above.
My German is somewhat rusty, but lobsuchend would be the adjective (or adverb), lobsuchen would be the verb and Lobsucher would be the person doing the seeking.
And every German speaking human on the planet will do . Trust me...
Sycophant?
No, a sycophant is a suckup, an asskisser.
No, a sycophant is a suckup, an asskisser.
Or in America, a Republican.