Periodization, Translation, Prescription and the Emergence of Classical French
Accepted version
Peer-reviewed
Repository URI
Repository DOI
Change log
Authors
Abstract
jats:titleAbstract</jats:title>jats:pIn this article we demonstrate how fine‐grained analysis of salient features of linguistic change over a relatively short, but significant period can help refine our notions of periodization. As our case study, we consider whether it is appropriate to distinguish a period called jats:italicfrançais préclassique</jats:italic> (‘Pre‐Classical French’), and if so, what its temporal limits are. As our contemporary informants we take, on the one hand, the comments of writers of remarks on the French language, who were highly conscious of language change, and, on the other, usage in successive French translations of the same Latin source text which can be exploited to track and date the adoption of ‘modern’ linguistic variants. We find atypical patterns of change – and notably changes which move rapidly through Labov's different stages – that contribute to the sense of discontinuity or periodization. However, this sense of ‘rupture’ does not coincide with the chronological boundaries hitherto suggested for jats:italicfrançais préclassique</jats:italic>, thus throwing the validity of this period into question.</jats:p>
Description
Keywords
Journal Title
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
1467-968X