STANDARD FRENCH AND THE NORM: THE HISTORY OF A FRENCH “LINGUISTIC AND LITERARY NATIONALISM”

This article offers a reflection on the relationship between the concepts of “language” and “nation” in France. The distinctive feature of this study lies in its focus on understanding the concept of standard French at both linguistic and cultural levels. This analysis thus seeks to define this concept, its function, and its role at the national level, recognizing that it is merely a linguistic component of the norm, which, before it, had delineated the linguistic and literary field of good usage in the 17th century. From this observation, the analysis we propose leads us to reflect on the history of the linguistic and then literary creation of the norm, from the publication of the first grammars in the 16th century to the present day. In terms of “nation”, we will address the national(ist) role of this invention. Finally, we will attempt to reassess its relevance considering the current importance of the Francophonie.