Les Rectifications de l'orthographe dans les discours de l'Académie française Un arrière-gout d'Ancien Régime
The spelling reforms in the speeches of the French Academy: A hint of the Ancien Régime

Summary/Abstract: This article analyzes the official statements of the Académie française and the – less official ones – of its members concerning the Rectifications de l'orthographe of 1990. After briefly outlining the state of the 'rectified' spellings today, the article examines the rhetoric of the Académie française in three steps. Firstly, the study is contextualized by discussing language policies as issued by institutional bodies such as the Académie française. Secondly, a discourse analysis of the institution's statements (1986-2018) is presented that highlights its typical arguments and paradoxes. Thirdly, the analysis is interpreted historically in the light of the Académie's lexicographical tradition. The analysis shows that the Académie's discourse is marked by a struggle for the legitimization of the French language and attempts to adapt to contemporary society. The analysis suggests, though, that there remains an ideological incompatibility between the democratically-oriented orthographic project and the purist, conservative and elitist Académie française.

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