A Sociolinguistic History of Parisian French

Paris mushroomed in the thirteenth century to become the largest city in the Western world, largely through in-migration from rural areas. The resulting dialect-mixture led to the formation of new, specifically urban modes of speech. From the time of the Renaissance social stratification became sharper as the elites distanced themselves from the Parisian 'Cockney' of the masses. Nineteenth-century urbanisation transformed the situation yet again with the arrival of huge numbers of immigrants from far-flung corners of France, levelling dialect-differences and exposing ever larger sections of the population to standardising influences. At the same time, a working-class vernacular emerged which was distinguished from the upper-class standard not only in grammar and pronunciation but most markedly in vocabulary (slang). This book examines the interlinked history of Parisian speech and the Parisian population through these various phases of in-migration, dialect-mixing and social stratification from medieval times to the present day. Maps......Page 8 Tables......Page 9 Figures......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 11 Phonetic symbols......Page 12 Part 1.Preliminaries......Page 14 Introduction......Page 16 1.1 Traditional approaches......Page 18 1.2 A sociolinguistic approach......Page 22 1.3 The ‘French of Paris’......Page 27 2.1 The data problem......Page 30 2.2 European urbanisation, 1000–1950......Page 37 2.3 Urban dialect formation......Page 40 2.4 Summary......Page 45 Part 2.The pre-industrial city......Page 48 3.1 The early history......Page 50 3.2 The demographic take-off......Page 52 3.3 The city and its hinterland......Page 56 3.4 The functions of the city......Page 61 3.5 The social structure of the city......Page 63 3.6 Summary......Page 65 4.1 The hinterland dialect......Page 66 4.2 Koin ́eisation, the standard language and Parisian speech......Page 84 4.3 Summary......Page 92 5 The medieval written evidence......Page 93 5.1 Manuscript evidence......Page 94 5.2 Variation and change in the administrative corpus......Page 98 5.3 Language diversity in medieval Paris......Page 110 5.4 Summary......Page 114 Part 3.The proto-industrial city......Page 116 6 Social and sociolinguistic change, 1350–1750......Page 118 6.1 Demography and society in the proto-industrial city......Page 119 6.2 Reallocation......Page 129 6.3 Summary......Page 136 7.1 Growing awareness of social differentiation......Page 137 7.2 The most salient variables......Page 143 7.3 The ‘Urban Peasant’......Page 148 7.4 Personal correspondence......Page 155 7.5 Summary......Page 159 8 Variation under the Ancien R ́egime......Page 161 8.1 A mid seventeenth-century sounding, c.1650......Page 163 8.2 A mid eighteenth-century sounding, c.1750......Page 173 8.3 Summary......Page 182 9.1 Salience and imitation......Page 184 9.2 Morphological variation and change......Page 188 9.3 Phonological variation and change......Page 192 9.4 Summary......Page 203 Part 4.The industrial city......Page 204 10 Industrial growth, 1750–1950......Page 206 10.1 Demographic change......Page 207 10.2 Social change......Page 210 10.3 Cultural change......Page 213 10.4 Data-sources......Page 215 10.5 Summary......Page 217 11 Standardisation and dialect-levelling......Page 218 11.1 Standardisation......Page 219 11.2 Dialect-levelling......Page 229 11.3 Aristide Bruant......Page 236 11.4 Summary......Page 239 12 Lexical variation......Page 241 12.1 Lexical variation and social structure......Page 242 12.2 Register variation......Page 244 12.3 Social dialect variation......Page 250 12.4 Summary......Page 261 Conclusion......Page 262 Appendix. Literary imitations oflow-class speech......Page 264 Bibliography......Page 280 Maps 8 Tables 9 Figures 10 Acknowledgments 11 Phonetic symbols 12 Part 1.Preliminaries 14 Introduction 16 1 ‘The French of Paris’ 18 1.1 Traditional approaches 18 1.2 A sociolinguistic approach 22 1.3 The ‘French of Paris’ 27 2 The analytical frame 30 2.1 The data problem 30 2.2 European urbanisation, 1000–1950 37 2.3 Urban dialect formation 40 2.4 Summary 45 Part 2.The pre-industrial city 48 3 The demographic take-off 50 3.1 The early history 50 3.2 The demographic take-off 52 3.3 The city and its hinterland 56 3.4 The functions of the city 61 3.5 The social structure of the city 63 3.6 Summary 65 4 The beginnings of Parisian French 66 4.1 The hinterland dialect 66 4.2 Koin ́eisation, the standard language and Parisian speech 84 4.3 Summary 92 5 The medieval written evidence 93 5.1 Manuscript evidence 94 5.2 Variation and change in the administrative corpus 98 5.3 Language diversity in medieval Paris 110 5.4 Summary 114 Part 3.The proto-industrial city 116 6 Social and sociolinguistic change, 1350–1750 118 6.1 Demography and society in the proto-industrial city 119 6.2 Reallocation 129 6.3 Summary 136 7 Variation in the Renaissance city 137 7.1 Growing awareness of social differentiation 137 7.2 The most salient variables 143 7.3 The ‘Urban Peasant’ 148 7.4 Personal correspondence 155 7.5 Summary 159 8 Variation under the Ancien R ́egime 161 8.1 A mid seventeenth-century sounding, c.1650 163 8.2 A mid eighteenth-century sounding, c.1750 173 8.3 Summary 182 9 Salience and reallocation 184 9.1 Salience and imitation 184 9.2 Morphological variation and change 188 9.3 Phonological variation and change 192 9.4 Summary 203 Part 4.The industrial city 204 10 Industrial growth, 1750–1950 206 10.1 Demographic change 207 10.2 Social change 210 10.3 Cultural change 213 10.4 Data-sources 215 10.5 Summary 217 11 Standardisation and dialect-levelling 218 11.1 Standardisation 219 11.2 Dialect-levelling 229 11.3 Aristide Bruant 236 11.4 Summary 239 12 Lexical variation 241 12.1 Lexical variation and social structure 242 12.2 Register variation 244 12.3 Social dialect variation 250 12.4 Summary 261 Conclusion 262 Appendix. Literary imitations oflow-class speech 264 Bibliography 280 Paris Mushroomed In The Thirteenth Century To Become The Largest City In The Western World, Largely Through In-migration From Rural Areas. The Resulting Dialect-mixture Led To The Formation Of New, Specifically Urban Modes Of Speech. From The Time Of The Renaissance, Social Stratification Became Sharper, As The Elites Distanced Themselves From The Parisian 'cockney' Of The Masses. Nineteenth-century Urbanisation Transformed The Situation Yet Again, With The Arrival Of Huge Numbers Of Immigrants From Far-flung Corners Of France, Levelling Dialect-differences And Exposing Ever-larger Sections Of The Population To Standardising Influences. At The Same Time, A Working-class Vernacular Emerged Which Was Distinguished From The Upper-class Standard Not Only In Grammar And Pronunciation, But Most Markedly In Vocabulary (slang). This Book Examines The Interlinked History Of Parisian Speech And The Parisian Population Through These Various Phases Of In-migration, Dialect-mixing And Social Stratification From Medieval Times To The Present Day.--jacket. Pt. 1. Preliminaries -- 1. 'the French Of Paris' -- 2. The Analytical Frame -- Pt. 2. The Pre-industrial City -- 3. The Demographic Take-off -- 4. The Beginnings Of Parisian French -- 5. The Medieval Written Evidence -- Pt. 3. The Proto-industrial City -- 6. Social And Sociolinguistic Change, 1350-1750 -- 7. Variation In The Renaissance City -- 8. Variation Under The Ancien Regime -- 9. Salience And Reallocation -- Pt. 4. The Industrial City -- 10. Industrial Growth, 1750-1950 -- 11. Standardisation And Dialect-levelling -- 12. Lexical Variation -- App. Literary Imitations Of Low-class Speech. R. Anthony Lodge. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Paris became the largest city in the Western world during the thirteenth century, and has remained influential ever since. This book examines the interlinked history of Parisian speech and the Parisian population through various phases of immigration, dialect-mixing and social stratification from the Middle Ages to the present. It reveals how new urban modes of speech developed during periods of expansion, how the city's elites sought to distinguish their language from that of the masses, and how a working-class vernacular eventually emerged with its own "slang" vocabulary. This book explores the interlinked history of Parisian speech and its speakers during various phases of in-migration, dialect-mixing and social stratification from the middle ages to the present. It tracks the emergence of specifically urban modes of speech, including the working-class vernacular of recent times