Linguistic Insecurities and Authorities

This book offers two new perspectives on language attitudes and ideologies. First, it compares language commentary from two thus far relatively neglected time periods: the 19th and 21st centuries. Second, it draws on non-traditional, dialogic sources to explore not only the well-studied “expert” views on language but also the perspectives of the “audience” engaging with these texts. Using France and the French language as its case study, the book explores the areas of stability and change in questions of linguistic authority, insecurity, and correctness. It sheds new light on the evolution of the long-established genre of language commentary and deepens our understanding of the language attitudes and ideologies that shape how language is viewed, discussed and judged. This book will appeal to linguists interested in language attitudes and ideologies in both historical and contemporary contexts.