Analogy in the French lexicographic tradition (17th–19th centuries)

Analogy is one of the most stable traveling concepts in the history of linguistics, grounded in similarity and contiguity between phenomena. This chapter explores analogy through the lens of conceptual history, which emphasises the importance of spatiotemporal context. While analogy possesses an atemporal core meaning, it can be studied either in specific historical moments or across long-term discursive developments. Focusing on the French lexicographic tradition, this study traces definitions and examples of analogy from 17th- to 19th-century monolingual dictionaries, revealing both continuities and discontinuities in its linguistic and scientific significance. Beyond offering a systematic lexicographic inventory, this diachronic approach highlights the deep intellectual engagement behind each entry, reflecting broader grammatical, linguistic and discursive considerations surrounding the concept of analogy.