Ateneo - UPO

READING RENAISSANCE FRENCH: LANGUAGE, TEXTS, SUPPORTS. Between the late 15th century and the early 17th century, France experienced a period of extraordinary linguistic ferment. This era was characterized by the spread of movable type printing, the expansion of the domains in which the vernacular language was used, and the rise of the humanist program to restore "bonae litterae". Within this context, there was a widespread tendency toward experimentation—linguistic, stylistic, and literary; parallel to this, the first tools designed to describe and standardize the language, such as grammars and dictionaries, were developed. This course aims to provide the historical-cultural coordinates and the essential linguistic tools required to study documents and literary texts produced during this period of exceptional vitality and complexity.

Mandatory bibliography: Mirelle Huchon, Histoire de la langue française, Paris, Librairie Générale française (« Le Livre de Poche »), 2002 (or more recent edition), chapters I-V; Gabriel Audisio, Isabelle Rambaud, Lire le français d’hier, Paris, Armand Colin, 2023, première partie. Additional texts, documents and materials published on the DIR platform. Complementary bibliography (optional): Sabine Lardon, Marie-Claire Thomine, Grammaire française de la Renaissance. Étude morphosyntaxique, Paris, Classiques Garnier, 2009; Yvonne Cazal, Gabriella Parussa, Introduction à l’histoire de l’orthographe, Paris, Armand Colin, 2022 (2e édition).

Primary objectives: (1) to acquire a basic knowledge of the lexical, morphological, syntactic, phonetic and graphic specificities of Renaissance French; (2) to acquire a basic knowledge of the historical and cultural context of reference; (3) to acquire elements of palaeography and material bibliography indispensable for the study of documents and texts produced in Renaissance France. Advanced objectives: (4) to master the basic tools for the linguistic and philological study of literary texts composed in Renaissance France.

Possessing a B2 language proficiency level (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

Lectures dedicated to the presentation of historical-linguistic and theoretical concepts (delivery-based teaching: 50%); reading, translation, and analysis of French Renaissance texts (interactive teaching: 50%).

The DIR platform will provide texts presented in class and supplementary documentation. Non-attending students (i.e. those who have not attended at least 70% of the lectures) will have to agree with the lecturer on complementary teaching materials. If you have any questions regarding the course programme, teaching materials, lecture content or the conduct of the examination, please contact the lecturer. Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via reference office consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities. Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the lecturer to define the examination modalities.

The examination (graded on a 30-point scale), designed to assess the achievement of learning objectives, will consist of an oral test lasting approximately 30 minutes in total, structured into three parts: (1) Two historical-linguistic and/or theoretical questions on topics covered in class and/or included in the mandatory bibliography (0 to 5 points will be awarded for each answer, considering both content and clarity of presentation). (2) A historical-linguistic and philological commentary on a text or a series of texts analyzed during lectures (0 to 10 points, based on the precision and depth of the analysis and the clarity of presentation). (3) A historical-linguistic and philological commentary on a text or a series of texts not analyzed during lectures (0 to 10 points, based on the precision and depth of the analysis and the clarity of presentation).The final grade will be calculated by adding the scores obtained in parts (1), (2) and (3). To pass the exam (18-23/30), students must demonstrate a sufficient mastery of the core historical-linguistic, philological, and theoretical concepts illustrated during the course, as well as a satisfactory ability to understand and place the assigned exam texts into a historical-linguistic perspective. To achieve a higher evaluation (24-27/30), students must show broader knowledge of historical-linguistic, philological, and theoretical concepts, along with enhanced skills in the historical-linguistic analysis of texts. To achieve excellence (28-30/30), students must demonstrate a confident mastery of every aspect of the syllabus and the ability to fully understand, appropriately contextualize, and analyze the assigned exam texts in depth. Cum laude (honors) will be awarded to students who perform a flawless analysis of the texts. Dedicated tools and services will be provided to students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), and Special Educational Needs (SEN).

The course will open with an overview of the distinctive features of the Renaissance language, illustrated alongside the presentation of historical events, socio-cultural phenomena, and literary movements that decisively influenced its evolution: the spread of movable type printing and the emergence of a book market; the debates on the dignity of the French language, on translation, and on relationships with other European languages; the compilation of the first dictionaries and grammars; the various forms of promotion of the national vernacular language carried out by patrons and authors. Furthermore, concepts of paleography and analytical bibliography will be presented, which are essential for the study of 16th-century manuscript or printed texts that have not been the subject of modern editions. The presentation of historical-linguistic and theoretical elements will be accompanied and supported by the reading, translation, and historical-linguistic and philological commentary of documents and literary texts. A part of the course will be dedicated to the edition of a short 15th-century literary text, analyzing the linguistic variants found in the 16th- and 17th-century printed tradition.

Basic learning objectives: (1) Knowledge of the main characteristics of 16th century French and the historical and cultural context of reference. (2) Awareness of the processes of lexical, morphological, syntactic, phonetic and graphic transformation of the French language in the period in question. Advanced learning objectives: (3) Ability to apply the tools of historical-linguistic and philological analysis acquired during the course to the study of documents and literary texts that were not analysed during the course.