One and indivisible? Rethinking French national identity through its regional languages
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Abstract
This article investigates the paradoxical coexistence of Standard French and France’s langues régionales within a republican framework historically committed to linguistic assimilation. It addresses the central question of how these languages survive and interact in a legal and social environment designed to ensure the supremacy of French. Through a critical analysis of France’s political-legal history, from the absolutist ideology of the French Revolution to the restrictive constitutional interpretations of the 21st century, the study examines the mechanisms of state-led linguistic suppression and the corresponding strategies of community-led revitalization. The findings reveal that this coexistence is not a stable equilibrium but a dynamic and deeply asymmetrical struggle. While the French state relegates regional languages to the symbolic status of “heritage,” denying them substantive rights through its non-ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and recent legal challenges like the Loi Molac, linguistic communities have forged resilient pathways for survival. These pathways include the creation of successful immersive school networks (e.g., Diwan, Calandretas), the use of cultural production as a space for innovation and prestige-building, and the development of vibrant digital communities. A key finding is the emergence of “new speakers,” a demographic recasting the terms of language legitimacy and transforming linguistic practice from an inherited tradition into a conscious act of political and cultural identity. The article suggests that the future of France’s linguistic diversity hinges on the Republic’s capacity to reconcile its foundational monolingual ideology with the persistent, lived reality of its multilingual populace.
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