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FRE 5845 HISTORY OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE Prof. Machonis

FALL 2010 Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:30 - 1:45PM CBC 140

Office phone: 348-2379 Office: (DM 498 B) E-MAIL: machonis@fiu.edu
Office hours: TuTh 2:00 - 3:30 PM, or by appointment

PREREQUISITE:
Graduate student status or advanced undergraduate in linguistics. If you need a quick
review of the French phonetic alphabet and articulatory description, you should consult the
following e-book that in available from FIU Library: Walker, Douglas C. 2001. French Sound
Structure. Calgary: University of Calgary Press.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Historical linguistics is the study of how and why languages change through time. The
main course objective is to give students an understanding of the complexity of these changes, of
the major linguistic theories that attempt to explain these processes, as well as an appreciation of
the changes French is undergoing today. In particular, we will study the internal and external
history of the development of the French language from Latin to the end of the Old French
period. Students will be able to explain how Latin words evolved regularly to Old French, be
able to explain exceptions by consulting sources such as Bourciz, and be able to decipher texts
written in Old French with minimal use of an Old French dictionary.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is taught entirely in French. In the first part of the course, we will study
generalities about language change, sound change, borrowing, and analogical change, and take an
in-depth look at the Latin language from which French evolved. In the second part of the course,
we study the internal and external history of the development of the French language from Gallo-
Romance to proto-French and examine some of the very first French texts. In particular, we
will examine diglossia, the problems associated with naming languages, and the question of
whether speakers considered early Romance and Latin the same language. In the last part of the
course we will continue to learn how words evolved from Latin to Old French, and examine some
of the dialectal differences in Old French texts. Students will also research and write a term paper
on an approved topic in French linguistics.

TEXTBOOKS:
Required: Machonis, Peter A. 1990. Histoire de la langue : Du latin l'ancien franais.
University Press of America. ISBN: 0819178748
Recommended (Optional) Old French Dictionary: Greimas, A.-J. 2007. Grand dictionnaire
Ancien franais - La langue du Moyen ge de 1080 1350. Larousse. ISBN
9782035827074
Extra readings with links posted on Moodle:
Leclerc, Jacques. Histoire de la langue franaise
Wright and Lloyd. Latin and the Romance Languages in the early Middle Ages.

MOODLE:
Excerpts, updated/revised exercises, as well as extra exercises are posted on class
Moodle site. Go to http://ecampus.fiu.edu/ and click on the eCampus Login button. Only
students registered for this course have access to this material. This site also has many links to
electronic resources including online dictionaries. Any changes to the syllabus and to the
exercises to be done for class will be posted on this site. If you are absent, please check to make
sure you are doing the updated exercises.

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CLASS FORMAT:
Class format will vary: short lectures, question and answer, discussion, in-class
exercises, word derivations and translation of Old French excerpts.
There will be two exams and a final exam, as indicated on the syllabus.
Students are expected to participate in class discussion and exercises. Please be on time,
turn off electronic devices, and do not leave and come back during class. Exercises are to be
prepared before coming to class. We will do them in class, and they will count toward your
participation grade. Attendance is very important. You will receive a participation grade for
each class. Absence = 0. If you must be late or leave early for emergencies, please do so
discreetly. As a graduate student, you are expected to take a particularly active role in classes
marked by an asterisk. On those days, we will be discussing topics pertaining to extra readings
and you will be responsible for leading the discussion.
Some exercises are assigned as written work, indicated by PAR ECRIT and underlined
on syllabus). These will be collected and used to determine your homework grade and must be
handed in at the beginning of class to get full credit.
Students will also research and write a 10-15 page term paper on an approved topic in
French linguistics. Topic should be discussed with professor and approved by mid-October.
Bibliography and preliminary description are due by Oct. 19; first draft is due on Nov. 16; final
term paper is due on Dec. 2. All term papers will be run through turnitin.com for originality
reports.

GRADES: 2 exams 35% participation 10%
final exam 25% homework 10%
term paper 20%

BOOKS ON RESERVE AT LIBRARY Premier tage ( droite)

Bourciez, douard. 1967. Phontique franaise. tude historique. (Trs utile pour la drivation
des mots)
Greimas, A.-J. 1997. Dictionnaire de l'ancien franais : le Moyen Age. Paris: Larousse.
(Dictionnaire pour vous aider avec la lecture des textes d'ancien franais)
Machonis, Peter A. 1990. Histoire de la langue: du latin l'ancien franais.
Robert, P. Le Petit Robert. (Pour les exercices de l'tymologie)

BOOKS ON HISTORY OF FRENCH LANGUAGE AT FIU LIBRARY
(not on reserve in stacks)

Anglade, Joseph. 1965. Grammaire lmentaire de l'ancien franais.
Baldi, Philip. 1983. An Introduction to the Indo-European Languages.
Cohen, Marcel. 1947. Histoire d'une langue: le franais.
Haudricourt, Andr et Alphonse Juilland. 1949. Essai pour une histoire structurale du
phontisme franais.
Kibler, William. 1984. An Introduction to Old French.
Mallory, J.P. 1989. In Search of the Indo-Europeans. Language, Archaeology and Myth.
Martinet, Andr. 1975. volution des langues et reconstruction. (Exercice no. 20 p. 77)
Pope, Mildred Katherine. 1934. From Latin to Modern French with especial consideration of
Anglo-Normand.
Price, Glanville. 1971. The French language: present and past.
Renfrew, Colin. 1987. Archaeology and Language. The Puzzle of Indo-European Origins.
Rickard, Peter. 2003. A History of the French Language. e-book
Walter, Henriette. 1988. Le Franais dans tous les sens. English Translation in e-book format
Yaguello, Marina. 2003. Le grand livre de la langue franaise.
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DICTIONARIES/BOOKS IN REFERENCE SECTION (PC 2625 - 2889)
(premier tage) gauche

Chaurand, Jacques. 1999. Nouvelle histoire de la langue franaise. PC2075 .N68 1999
Godefroy, F. Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue franaise. 10 vol.
Littr, E. Dictionnaire de la langue franaise. 4 vol.
Rey, Alain. Dictionnaire historique de la langue franaise. 3 vol.
Robert, P. Dictionnaire alphabtique et analogique de la langue franaise.
Trsor de la langue franaise. CNRS.

SYLLABUS FALL 2010

le 24 aot : Introductions; phnomne du langage; linguistique; histoire d'une langue

le 26 aot : Indo-europen; arbre gnalogique; langues romanes; thorie des ondes; cinq
priodes dans l'volution de la langue franaise
lire : Introduction
prparer: exercices 2 & 3 (p. 23) #3 voir MOODLE

le 31 aot : L'histoire externe de la priode gallo-romane lire : chap. 1
prparer : exercices 6, 9, 10 (p. 23-4) et 1-2 (p. 73)
PAR ECRIT: exercice 5 (p. 24) voir MOODLE

le 2 septembre : Structure du latin
lire : chap. 2 prparer : exercices 7 (p. 24) et 4 (p. 73)
PAR ECRIT: exercice 11 (p. 24)

le 7 septembre : Notions de changement phontique
lire : chap. 3
PAR ECRIT: exercices 5 (p. 73) Traduisez les phrases en franais, mais montez aussi
votre analyse linguistique des phrases latines; par exemple, identifiez le cas et le nombre
de tous les noms, etc.

*le 9 septembre : Latin populaire
lire : chap. 4 prparer : exercice 7-8 (p. 74)
lire : Leclerc, Jacques. Histoire de la langue franaise chap. 1 L'expansionnisme
linguistique du monde romain voir MOODLE

le 14 septembre : Le gallo-roman : premiers changements phontiques
lire : chap. 5 prparer : exercice 9 (p. 74) PAR ECRIT: exercice 11 (p. 74-75)

le 16 septembre : Le gallo-roman: changements morphologiques
prparer: exercices 16 & 18 (pp. 76-77)
prparer PAR ECRIT: exercices 12-15 (pp. 75-76) voir MOODLE

le 21 septembre : Rvision
prparer PAR ECRIT: exercice 20 (p. 77) voir MOODLE pour lextrait du livre

le 23 septembre : EXAMEN no. 1 (Introduction et Chap. 1 - 5)


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*le 28 septembre : Histoire externe de la priode du protofranais
lire : chap. 6 prparer: exercices 4 & 5 (p. 124) et 18 (p. 127)
lire : Wright and Lloyd Latin and the Romance Languages in the early Middle
Ages. (extrait) voir MOODLE

le 30 septembre : Le protofranais: phonologie
lire : chap. 7 prparer PAR ECRIT: exercices 6 & 7 (p. 124)

le 5 octobre : Le protofranais: morphologie et syntaxe
prparer PAR ECRIT: exercices 9-11 et exercice 13 (pp. 124-126) no. 1-10 seulement
voir MOODLE

le 7 octobre : Gloses de Reichenau et Serments de Strasbourg
lire : chap. 8 prparer: exercices 19-21 (p. 127)
prparer PAR ECRIT: exercice 13 -- no. 11-20 (pp. 125-126) voir MOODLE

le 12 octobre : Serments de Strasbourg; Squence de sainte Eulalie;
Histoire externe de la priode de l'ancien franais
prparer PAR ECRIT: exercices 23-25 (pp. 127-130)

*le 14 octobre : Concept de l'ancien franais
lire : chap. 9 prparer: exercices 2, 3, 7, 8 (p. 204)
PAR ECRIT: exercices 26 & 29 & 30 (pp. 130-131)
lire : Leclerc, Jacques. Histoire de la langue franaise chap. 3 La priode fodale :
l'ancien franais voir MOODLE

le 15 octobre Deadline to drop a course with a DR grade

le 19 octobre : Dialectes de l'ancien franais
lire : chap. 10 & 11 prparer: exercices 10, 13,16, 17, & 18, (pp. 204-205)
Research topic, bibliography, and abstract of term paper due.

le 21 octobre : PAS DE CLASSE (confrence)

le 26 octobre : Dialectes de l'ancien franais (cont.) et rvision
prparer PAR ECRIT: exercices 19, 21, 22, 24 (pp. 205-207)

le 28 octobre : EXAMEN no. 2 (chap. 6 - 11)

le 2 novembre : L'ancien franais: phontique lire : chap. 12

le 4 novembre : volution des mots
prparer PAR ECRIT: exercice 25 (pp. 207-208) no. 1-10 seulement voir MOODLE

le 9 novembre : Grammaire de l'ancien franais
lire : chap. 13
prparer PAR ECRIT: exercices 25 (no. 11-20) et exercices 26, 27, 28 et 36 (pp. 207-
209) voir MOODLE

le 11 novembre : PAS DE CLASSE Veterans Day

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le 16 novembre : Chanson de Roland
prparer PAR ECRIT: Traduisez le texte et rpondez aux questions pp. 212-214
Notez : il faut traduire le texte en franais moderne en consultant un dictionnaire
dancien franais et puis rpondre aux question. ATTN : Il faut faire la traduction vous-
mme; il nest pas permis de copier un texte dj traduit -- ni des livres, ni de lInternet.
Preliminary Draft of term Paper Due

le 18 novembre : Marie de France
prparer PAR ECRIT: Traduisez le texte et rpondez aux questions pp. 216-217

le 23 novembre : Chrtien de Troyes
prparer PAR ECRIT: Traduisez le texte et rpondez aux questions pp. 218-219

le 25 novembre : PAS DE CLASSE Thanksgiving

le 30 novembre : Roman de Renard
prparer PAR ECRIT: Traduisez le texte et questions pp. 220-221

le 2 dcembre : Rvision
Final Term Paper Due

le 7 dcembre EXAMEN FINAL (chap. 1 14): 12:00-2:00