Sociolinguistic Variation in Seventeenth-Century France
Sociolinguistic Variation in Seventeenth-Century France
This book provides a systematic study of sociolinguistic variation in seventeenth-century France. Drawing on a range of case studies, Wendy Ayres-Bennett makes available data about linguistic variation in this period, showing the wealth and variety of language usage at a time that is considered to be the most 'standardising' in the history of French. Variation is analysed in terms of the speaker's 'pre-verbal constitution' - such as gender, age and socio-economic status - or by the medium, register or genre used. As well as examining linguistic variation itself, the book also considers the fundamental methodological issues that are central to all socio-historical linguistic accounts and, more importantly, addresses the question of what the appropriate sources are for linguists taking a socio-historical approach. In each chapter, the case studies present a range of phonological, morphological, syntactic and lexical issues, which pose different methodological questions for sociolinguists and historical linguists alike.
- Upon original publication the first study of sociolinguistic variation in seventeenth-century France which is still important in its observations today
- Of interest both to specialists in linguistics and in French history
- Considers a broad range of sociolinguistic issues relating to language variation in seventeenth-century France, such as gender, socio-economic status, age, register and genre
Reviews & endorsements
"a truly unique, rich, and precise encyclopedic work on a past language variety that is worth all the efford and pleasure of writing and reading it." - Zsuzsanna Fagyal, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
"This is a richly documented and carefully argued analysis of linguistic variation in the seventeenth century by a leading expert in the field. It will be of interest not only to linguistics scholars but to anyone interested in the cultural history of France, of which language is undeniably a core componant." - William J. Ashby, University of California, Santa Barbara
Product details
February 2010Paperback
9780521129039
280 pages
229 × 152 × 16 mm
0.42kg
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction: methodological issues
- 2. Spoken and written French
- 3. Social and stylistic variation
- 4. Women's language
- 5. Age, variation and change
- 6. Conclusion.
