Routledge A History of the French Language Through Texts - Routledge

Explore how French evolved from the ninth century to today with this comprehensive linguistic history by Routledge. The book combines original texts and extracts with detailed, readable commentary that lets you examine the language both synchronically and diachronically. Core texts spanning centuries highlight central features of French, whilst shorter passages illustrate specific linguistic points. By including both literary and non-literary sources across legal, scientific, epistolatory, and administrative domains, the work demonstrates the full range of French varieties and registers. This approach allows readers to witness language evolution firsthand through authentic historical documents rather than abstract analysis alone.