Representing the Mythical French Tower of Babel:The Representation of Patois in the French Literary Arts

This paper explores the longitudinal evolution of the connotations associated with the word 'patois' in an electronic corpus of the French literary art, which includes works of fiction written between 1700 and 2000. There is evidence that the events which took place after the edict Villers-de Cotterets (1539), and particularly after the French Revolution (1789) have transformed the perceptions and meanings of patois. The analysis of the word 'patois' in the French literary arts, as 'langage parlant' will contribute in understanding the development of negative language attitudes towards the regional languages of France.