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Introduction. Négocier la norme : discours, usages, idéologies

Benjamin Peter and Verena Weiland

« J’aime right ton accent » : approches de la linguistique anthropologique pour la conceptualisation des normes linguistiques

Benjamin Peter
The overall goal of this article is to contrast the different theorisations of norms in linguistics. Starting from the branches of structural linguistics, the article shows how linguistic norms are conceived in anthropological linguistics. Whereas the former separates linguistic usage from the speakers and tries to describe and analyse the linguistic structures which form different linguistic norms, the fields of anthropological linguistics as well as qualitative sociolinguistics and pragmatics focus on the contextually bound social functions and ideological implementations of the linguist signs that linguistic norms consist of. This way, linguistic norms can be understood more broadly as norms of conceiving and structuring social behaviour of which linguistic behaviour forms an integral part. Consequently, the social functionality of norms and the signs they consist of are theorised in this article. In order to demonstrate their social underpining, the example « J’aime right ton accent » in Acadian French will be analysed in more detail.

Hostilité et ambivalence entre la langue et la norme dans le discours normatif des remarqueurs et chroniqueurs de langue

Sybille Große
Normative discourse plays a predominant role in discourse relating to language and its use. This applies to pre-scientific, non-scientific and scientific discourse. The relationship between “language” and “norm” can generally be described as ambivalent in these discourses. But could it be conceived and staged in discursive construction as a relationship imbued with enmity? This is the general question that will guide our analysis based on a variety of documents, including remarques on the French language in the 17th and 18th centuries and chronicles of language and critiques of French in the 20th century. We will also ask to what extent any hostile attributions and representations are ideologically motivated and are therefore an expression of the relationship between language practices and social positions.

« On ƒent bien que c’eƒt-là du plus Haut-Allemand » : les dénominations de langues comme formules évaluatives dans le genre des remarques / “On ƒent bien que c’eƒt-là du plus Haut-Allemand”: Language Designations as Evaluative Expressions in the Genre of Remarques

Karina Slunkaite
In this paper, we analyze the function of language denominations in the normative discourse of 17th-century remarques, as well as in Éléazar de Mauvillon’s Remarques sur les germanismes (1753 [1747], 1754). Stemming from the initial observation that certain denominations may appear descriptive, but in reality, fulfil a normative function, this analysis identifies the evaluative dynamics associated with different languages. The results reveal that language denominations are generally used in a normative manner, and yet, the degree of prescriptiveness varies in relation to the linguistic group and its status. A significant divergence is found in the use of Germanic language denominations. While they are used descriptively in 17th-century remarques, Mauvillon employs them in a strongly prescriptive manner. These conclusions reflect the impact of linguistic ideology on the conception of normative discourse across different works.

Entre « bon usage » et colloquialisation : analyse des recommandations d’un manuel de journalisme contemporain

Mirjam Sigmund
The starting point for this article is the question of whether newspaper language in France is subject to a colloquialisation process. The diglossic situation of contemporary French is characterised by a strict separation of written and spoken language and the prescriptive norm appears very stable, making a profound change unlikely. Nonetheless, it is not implausible to hypothesise that a specific transformation is occurring: namely, a colloquialisation, which pertains to these oral phenomena that are not regarded as deviations from the prescriptive norm. The present article provides an examination of the manner in which Yves Agnès approaches colloquialisation tendencies in his Manuel de journalisme. Aside from the explicit mention of the bon usage and the critique of the mauvais usage, the focus is directed towards the readability and recommendations for a creative writing style. The analysis demonstrates that the manual’s recommendations oscillate between puristic commentaries and a surprisingly liberal attitude regarding linguistic innovations.

Cartographier la langue : frontières linguistiques, traduction, colonialisme

Arianne des Rochers
This article explores, from a theoretical angle and through the lens of translation, the notion of linguistic borders, specific to European and colonial ideologies of language, which continue to define the dominant approach to language in the Canadian colonial context. Refuting the conventional idea that translation stems from linguistic borders, and following instead the hypothesis that translation is precisely one of the main activities that create such borders, the article suggests that a transformation of Western and colonial conceptions of language will require a radical redefinition of translation. The article first explores the centrality of borders in the modern definition of translation, before outlining the colonial discursive regime on language. It then explores the role of translation in the (re)production of linguistic boundaries today, and offers avenues for a redefinition of translation, with a postlingual and decolonial aim.

Normes linguistiques à l’épreuve du numérique : une étude comparative des discours en ligne

Elmar Eggert
Interactive internet platforms allow speakers to comment on linguistic variation in utterances from around the world to which they are exposed. Digital platforms thus function not only as spaces for discussing linguistic usage but also as arenas for negotiating language norms. Participants in these discussions often adopt strongly asserted normative positions. In this context, a project developed at the University of Kiel is presented in the article. It aims to analyse such normative discourses from a comparative perspective, with the goal of highlighting the specificities of different linguistic cultures. The article draws attention to a gradual shift in the conception of linguistic norms: traditional regulatory institutions increasingly see their authority challenged by a significant portion of language users, who formulate normative claims grounded in social arguments. This shift reflects a normativisation process that is now shaped by more participatory and transnational dynamics.

Le discours sur les normes épistolaires : oscillations, transitions et interactions entre la description et la prescription

Katharina Fezer
This contribution focuses on metalinguistic and metaepistolary discourse in seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century France. By analysing six epistolography manuals using S. Große’s model of normative discourse, it seeks to determine how these texts articulate norms, whether they differ in this respect, and whether any diachronic evolution can be observed. The study shows that all the texts contain a wide range of (rather) prescriptive and (rather) descriptive formulations. It is also shown that these formulations must nevertheless always be read in context to capture their full prescriptive force. Moreover, more recent printed texts seem to tend to use explicitly prescriptive formulations more frequently. Finally, the paper outlines a possible future quantitative analysis supported by digital tools, which could provide even more accurate results.

« Ne dites pas… Dites avec élégance… » : la construction de l’autorité déontique dans le discours prescriptif des premières chroniques de langage belges (1922-1956)

Franz Meier
In French-speaking Belgium, language columnists were among the main representatives of a language correction movement. Because of their prescriptive approach which dominated from the birth of the genre in the early 20th century until the 1980s, language columns helped to fuel the conflictual relationship Belgians have long had with their variety of French. The aim of this article is to examine the discursive construction of deontic authority in prescriptive Belgian language columns. More specifically, we will focus on the linguistic means used by columnists to position themselves about the actions to be taken in terms of ‘good’ language use. Within this framework, the uses promoted can be described as more or less obligatory, optional, permitted or prohibited. The qualitative analysis is based on a corpus of texts published between 1922 and 1956 in the language columns of Joseph Deharveng and Philippe Baiwir.

Du Vocabulaire de Marc et Philippe au Dictionnaire Acajun de Marc à Paul à Jos : entreprises populaires de description du parler de la Baie Sainte-Marie

Chantal White
First published in 1988, Le Parler de la Baie Sainte-Marie: le vocabulaire de Marc et Philippe by Félix Thibodeau forms part of a collective, amateur, and deliberate effort to distinguish the variety of French spoken in southwestern Nova Scotia. Similar to other initiatives that linguists have described as instances of folk metalanguage (Preston 2004), Le Parler de la Baie Sainte-Marie and subsequent works contribute to the construction of this variety, setting it apart from other forms of Acadian French and codifying certain features as specific to the region (Johnstone 2006). Through what Asif Agha (2005: 38) terms a process of “enregisterment,” these features come to symbolize the Acadian identity and culture of Baie Sainte-Marie. To better understand how particular linguistic traits have come to be regarded as emblematic of the variety now known as acadjonne, this article analyzes four popular initiatives of linguistic description published in the region since 1976.

Attitudes face à la réforme de la politique linguistique au Mali : analyse des discours sur X

Luana Sommer and Marc Chalier
This article examines attitudes toward Mali’s 2023 constitutional reform of language policy, which replaced French as the official language with thirteen national languages. The analysis is based on a corpus of 1,003 comments posted on X. The findings highlight broad support for the transitional president, Assimi Goïta, as well as an emphasis on national sovereignty and Pan-Africanism. Somewhat surprisingly, language is not the central theme of the discussions, yet the comments nonetheless reveal both a rejection of French, due to its colonial associations, and concerns about the fair representation of national languages. After the adoption of the new Constitution, language issues become more marginal, though some criticisms persist regarding the continued use of French in official communications, accompanied by calls to strengthen the status of national languages.

Baldi, Benedetta (2023), Le parole del sessismo («Pillole. Linguistica», 17), Firenze, Cesati, 2023, 136 p. [ISBN: 979-12-5496-102-5]

Giuseppe Zarra

Gheno, Vera (2024), Grammamanti. Immaginare futuri con le parole, Torino, Einaudi, 142 p. [ISBN: 9788806260224]

Marco Gargiulo