Les origines et l'avenir de la langue française ! - C'est pas sorcier [Intégrale]

He cut the chicken and detached the soliless. And detached the... the soli-what? The soliless. Oh no, Jamy, that's not French, soliless. Yes, it's chicken and it's French. What are you doing? We're playing dictation. It's super funny. And I can tell you that they're really not good, but not good at all. Well, you have to go back to school, friends. It will do you a little training. He's right, it will do us the most good. Come on, Sabine, go back to school. All right, I'm going back to school. All right, all right, Marcel, to school. And no fault. No, sir, if I had such a nose, I'd have to get an amputation. Yes, well, what he means is that if he had a nose as long as that of Cyrano de Bergerac, he would prefer to be cut. This play was written by Edmond Rostand in the 19th century. It shouldn't be allowed to pollute the world like that. If I understand well, little mother, do you think your natural perfume is the same as that of the Rosiers? Well, you're wrong, little mother, you're wrong. What you're reading looks funny. What is it? It's Asia in the Metro by Raymond Queneau, written in the 20th century. I'll have to try that. I don't understand anything. Can you help me? Show me. You're right, I don't understand anything either. Well, it's normal. It was written by Rabelais in the early 16th century. That's what we call old French. And since then, the words have changed their spelling, they have changed their pronunciation and sometimes even their meaning. If we met Rabelais today, we would have a hard time understanding each other. Sometimes, from one generation to the next, we don't understand each other, so... You talk when you don't understand each other. Listen a little. They revisited a fable by La Fontaine, Le Cocher, Le Chat et le Sourisseau. In my opinion, La Fontaine wouldn't even recognize what he wrote. Valka? No, I don't see it. Take a sheet of paper and mark the date. Oh, no! Unprepared dictation. It's going to be difficult. I prefer self-dictation. Anyway, you'll see that French, like all languages, is a real museum. A sound museum, if you prefer. Some words traveled from country to country before reaching us. And others were born in France, but they traveled through the centuries. And you know, Jamy, some words come from the Neolithic. Do you know what the Neolithic is? It's prehistory. How do you write prehistory? Let's get straight to the point. So, where does French come from? Well, French belongs to a vast family of languages, the so-called Indo-European languages, among which we find languages as varied as French, so Russian, Persian or Hindi. Yes, all these languages are cousins. So, of course, it doesn't stand out. And yet, when you hear it, there are signs that are not wrong. Here, the word mother, for example, in French is madré in Spanish, mother in English, match in Russian, madar in Persian, mata in Hindi. Even if we don't know these languages, you have to realize that there is still a small family. While there is absolutely none with anya, which also means mother, but in Hungarian. Um, which means the same thing in Arabic. Ndiaye, which also means mother in Wolof, a language spoken on the banks of the Senegal. Or Moukine, in Chinese. Hey, Milou, can you give me your red pen? Thank you. But Jamy, I don't understand. I thought French was a Latin language. But one does not prevent the other. In the beginning, there is therefore a mother tongue, of which linguists have succeeded in reconstituting some bridges. According to them, the word mother should look like something like that. This mother tongue is part, either of Anatolia in Turkey, or of Ukraine, and it has followed two great directions, to the south and to the west. During its peregrinations, it has evolved considerably, and it has generated a multitude of languages, themselves gathered in subfamilies. There are therefore Latin languages, where we find Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Romanian. Hellenic languages, Slavic languages, Germanic languages, among which German, Dutch, Scandinavian languages, and English. And finally, Celtic languages, of which there is not much left, except for some regional languages, such as Breton. Very different from its neighbors, the Basque language is one of the oldest languages in Europe. It was spoken well before the arrival of the first Indo-European languages. By a curious mystery, it has survived through the millennia. Today, 700,000 people still speak it. They have the right to start their walk. A rictus deforms their faces. Hey, Jamy, I did some research, and it turns out that in France, well, on the territory of present-day France, people used to speak Gaul, a Celtic language inherited from Indo-Europeans. And then, in the first century BC, Julius Caesar and the Romans invaded Gaul. Look, this is how Latin, the language of the invader, was imposed. And today, 80% of French words are inherited from Latin. Rictus, for example. But also, lavabo. Lavabo, in Latin, is a verb that means, I will wash. The coccyx will be in time. It will be time. Time, how is it already written? T-E-M. P-S, like thumb. In Latin, thumb, yes, of course. T-E-M-P-S. You see, Jamy, it's sometimes practical to know the origin of words. Echo. Shhh. The little voice told me about you. I have the impression that he has it on his eye. Yeah, well, if she keeps going like this, she'll even get it out of his eyes. Well, she'll just have to make his eyes soft. Leave her alone, Sabine, she's our friend. Let's calm down and go back to the Latin origin of the words of our language. The word horse, for example, which has a Latin origin. In classical Latin, horse is said ecus. It has nothing to do, you tell me, with horse. It's true. Simply because the Gauls were more influenced by the Roman soldiers they were in contact with than by the people of the high Roman society. However, the Roman soldiers used to designate their mounts a term of slang, not ecus, but caballus. And caballus then gave rise to caval, cavalcad, cavalier, horse. That said, ecus also made a great career, since on its side it gave rise to equid, equestre, equitation. It seems to me, Jamy, that you forget Greek. Hippie, that doesn't mean anything to you? There is also alphabet, athlete, democracy, sympathy, geography, spelling. Yes, migraine too, it's Greek. I don't know about that, but would you like to let me know that I'm bothering you? Oh, how he causes me! So, very often the Greek root is already in the Latin word. Indeed, the Romans were largely inspired by Greek. And as Latin then influenced French, well, indirectly, the Greek root is found in French. Here, let's take the word hippopotamus. When the Greeks discovered this animal on the banks of an island, they called it the horse of the river. Hippos for horse, potamos for river. Hippopotamos, which in Latin became hippopotamus, which became in French hippopotamus. So, the Greek was also imitated in our language by less detoured paths. Thus, in the 19th century, scientists used it to baptize their discoveries. The word dinosaur is directly inspired by Greek. Indeed, soros means in Greek lizard, and deinos means who is afraid. Dinosaur, the lizard, who is afraid. But let's go back to hippy, of which we are part. And the Gauls in all this? Only a few dozen of their words have come to us, such as beck, ruche, alouette, a vocabulary that corresponds well to their agricultural lifestyle. In fact, they left their language for the benefit of Latin. It must be said that the Gauls learned Latin quite quickly. So, you always have to beware of a linguist who tells you quite quickly, because as far as Gaulish and Latin are concerned, five centuries. So, you see that it is not quite, quite quickly. But still, you should know that from the 5th century AD, Gaulish was no longer spoken. Thus, there is almost nothing left of this Celtic language in our French today. So, Sabine, did the dictation go well? The dictation? Oh, yes, yes, no, very well. You'll see, I got a great grade. Well, get in the truck, I made you a snack. Oh, but not right now, Jamy. I would first like to go to the French Academy. The French Academy is an institution responsible for taking care of the French language. It is located in this building in Coupole, on the outskirts of Seine, in the heart of Paris. We'll see a little later what it's for and how it works. For now, what interests us is its library. Even today, this library contains real treasures. Since its inception, for example, it contains the complete collection of books that belonged to Cardinal Mazarin, the Prime Minister of Louis XIV, but also small pearls such as this one, the Song of Roland. We're going to read an excerpt, you'll see. In his hand, a red apple is dyed. So far, everything is fine, but then it gets complicated. Here, beautiful wax, Roland said to his uncle. From Tresto Reis, the crowns are worth presents. And again, I didn't pronounce all the letters. What we have here is a text written in the 11th century. So it's no longer Latin. Between the 4th and the 11th century, the language evolved, but it's not yet the French we speak today. In fact, Jamy, what we have here is one of the first novels written in Doyle's language. Let's go back. As long as the Romans ruled Gaul, there was only one language to nominate the others, Latin. In 476, a change of chorus, the Roman Empire of the West collapsed. As a result, Latin gradually disappeared in favor of a multitude of regional languages. At the same time, these dialects are influenced by the languages spoken by the Germanic peoples that invade France. This influence will be more sensitive in the north of the country than in the south. Still, around the year 1000, three great trends are drawn throughout the territory. In the north, the Doyle languages. In the south, the Dock languages. And between the two, the Franco-Provençal. Doyle and Dock are in fact two ways of saying yes. From the 11th century, Doyle's languages began to win over the others. They are the ones that are at the origin of French. That said, French will only become official from 1539, when François I will sign the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts. From that date on, all official acts are written in French, which is called François, and no longer in Latin. Do you recognize him? He is Cardinal Richelieu, Prime Minister of Louis XIII. He founded the National Academy in 1635. A century after the adoption of French as an official language, the academicians are in charge of fixing this language, giving it rules. Because at the time, words were not necessarily written in the order we know today. Subjects were not always before verbs, and verbs before complements. As for spelling, it was even more complicated than today. The first task of the academicians was to edit a dictionary, and today they are at the 9th edition. Not bad, huh? Despite the efforts of Richelieu and François I, the patois remains the mother tongue of the French. Only a century ago, the majority of us were still bilingual. It was with the First World War that French really entered everyday life. Man-to-man communication became the only possible means of communication. Throughout the 20th century, regional languages were declining, to the point that some have almost disappeared. Others are back in fashion among young people, such as Occitan or Ch'timi. Ah, you're fucking proud, huh? With your accent, Perrigo, you look good! Fortunately, you're better, otherwise you'd have to say clac-clac-dif! Hey, hey, hey, come this way, come closer. I'd like to introduce you to an academician, Mr. Poirot d'Elpeche, who is a journalist and a writer. Can you explain to us what the Academy is for today? If you think that there is a role of sanction, of discipline, of police, that's not true. We have no power, and we cannot impose our version without the intervention of the professors who say that the Academy recommends this or that. For example, to fight against the abuse of posters or advertising, the Academy recommends the use of decisive play instead of tie-break, or the use of walkers instead of walkmans, this type of recommendation. Indeed, you are right to cite these two examples, because advertising, in particular, makes an extremely polluting use of language. When a word, there is a word in French, a well-formed word, which means something, it is a shame that it is replaced. Man of letters, of science, or former statesman, our anti-mortals are chosen for life. And if at the time of Pagnol or Cocteau there were no women, the mistake is still repaired. At their head, their perpetual secretary is still a woman, Hélène Carrère d'Encausse. As for four centuries, they meet every week to watch over the French language. But beware, their famous green clothes are only for big occasions. Hey, Jamy, you know that normally, we should not be able to say « c'est pas sourcier », we should say « ce n'est pas sourcier ». Oh, it does not matter. Jamy, it does not matter. Ok, I will not say it anymore. So, the first works of the academicians consisted in simplifying the life of the readers. Take the word « mauvais », for example. Until the 17th century, it was written in the following way. The « V » does not exist in our alphabet. We used the « U ». To the reader, to guess if the letter was pronounced « U » or « V ». Not simple. Well, the academicians solved the problem by adding the letter « V » to our alphabet. Same thing with the « J ». It was written « I ». The academicians therefore added the « J ». They also removed letters that were not pronounced. The « C » of « fait », for example, or the « G » of « chacun ». The « S » also, of the word « fenêtre ». But here, they added a circumflex accent on the « E » for the sound « E ». And since we are talking about accents, it is also at this time that we put a grave on the « A » when it is a preposition, so as not to confuse it with a third person of the verb « avoir ». All this is to avoid confusion. Imagine the following sentence. In « le compte », « le compte » with his fingers, to know how much he owes. Behind the word « compte », there are several meanings. The goal is therefore to recognize these meanings by simple reading. « Compte », the one we tell children, is always written « C-O-N-T-E ». « Le compte du comté » is written « C-O-M-T-E ». On the other hand, « le compte », the one we get after calculation, was originally written « C-O-N-T-E ». So there is a risk of confusion. This is why we added a « P » and an « M » that we looked for in its Latin root « compiutare ». Same thing with « doigt ». Originally, there was no « G ». So there is a risk of confusion with « doigt » of the verb « devoir ». Well, we looked for a « G » in the Latin « digitus ». Despite the efforts of the French Academy, our spelling kept many oddities. Some of them are due to small etymological errors. The word « pois », why this « d » ? Well, because a grammarian thought it came from « pondus » in Latin. In fact, it came from « pensum » in Latin, with an « s ». And yet, French people are rather hostile to any reform that would simplify spelling. They are even very proud when they only make a dozen mistakes in the famous dictionary of Mr. Bernard Pivot. I don't know if you noticed, but we don't always find the same words from one dictionary to another. Here, for example, there is the word « texto », which is chosen by private editors. And it is these editors who choose the words and the definitions in their dictionaries. So, a dictionary doesn't dictate the language, it's… how should I put it… I'm looking for the word! The word you're looking for, Fred, is « photographie ». The dictionary is a photograph of the French language at some point in its evolution. Here, for example, your word « texto », it's a new word, but before entering the dictionary, it followed a true path of the fighter. Let's go back to these traces and you'll understand. The editors of Petit Robert are constantly looking for new words. They find at least a hundred for each new edition. « Texto », that comes from you? Yes, he was the one who found it in 1997. And what do you do, sir? I look for new words. I look for new words everywhere, in the press, in magazines, even in advertising magazines, you see, where you can find a lot of very interesting things about food, so everywhere. We also find them in books. Tell me, madam, wouldn't there be « texto » in your book? All right. Excuse me. Once we have the word, we have to find a definition. Marie-Hélène is in charge, and it's not easy, because her definition must be as exact and clear as possible in just a few words. And there are also the etymologists who trace the words to know their history. We really do our civil status. What year was he born? What were his parents? Where does he come from? Who is he? We are a bit of investigators. I would even say, at the limit, profilers. Yes, Sabine, it's a lot of work the history of a word. Where are you going again? Come in, come in. Hello, Alain. Hello, Sabine. So, here, in a way, you are the editor-in-chief. Yes, we can say that, yes. And so, you are well placed to see the French language evolve. Yes, yes, and it evolves a lot. So, what we see, for example, with the word text, is that the words of the spoken language enter more and more easily into the dictionary. It's true. It's like a house, a dictionary. Some are welcoming, but there are houses, the door is closed, the word, the little new word that everyone says, meuf, keuf, I don't know what, I like it. When there is the door, and then the dictionary, there are very serious gentlemen who say behind, but these are not correct words, these are not words that we will learn at school, you don't go in. But we are quite open-minded, as far as possible, because you also have to choose. There are insults, there are disgusting words, there are words that are not beautiful. Disgusting, by the way, it's not very beautiful, but it's still in the dictionary because it's very common, and everyone uses it. If keuf and meuf are unlucky to one day enter the dictionary of the French Academy, other dictionaries often show up more to the page. Anyway, the role of the dictionary is also to integrate words that change meaning, and there are many. Take a word like revolution. At first, it's the fact for a star to turn and make a complete revolution. From there, we use the word revolution to say reversal. And this reversal, we make it enter politics. In France, in 1789, boom, that's it, there is a real revolution. And then now we can say there is a revolution in the pastry in the Christmas log, because it is no longer made in the same way. You hear that Marcel? If you change the truck, it will be a revolution. It's true, it's incredible the number of English words that have entered the French language. And it's not yesterday, football, of course, but also t-shirt, it means shirt in the shape of a T. And then that's funny, pony. Do you know where it comes from, pony? Pony is a term borrowed from English that allows you to designate small horses. But before that, the English borrowed it from the French. Let me tell you. In the 15th century, the small of the donkey was designated by the name of Poulenay. The Scots who lived in France brought this term home, not to designate the small of the donkey, but small-sized horses. Pronounced in Scottish, it gives pony, which very quickly became in English, pony. And it's this term that then crossed the handle and came back to France to designate small-sized horses. And that's not all, Jamy. The French did not borrow only English words. In the 16th century, for example, when the kings began to marry Italian princesses, Marie and Catherine of Medici, Italian words became fashionable. It was at this time that we won spaghetti, but also colonel, battalion, cartouche, caprice. And the list is long. Some words come from further away. And sometimes it's knowledge that has served as a vehicle. Here, figures or alchemy, for example, like alcohol or algebra, were borrowed from the Arabs from the Middle Ages. In a different register, paprika comes from Hungary, soy from Manchuria, banana from Guinea. Further away, chocolate, tomato, cocoa were imported in the 16th century from America. The conquistadors not only brought the denrées, but the words that were used to designate these denrées. And all this has entered our dictionary. For about twenty years, it was the English prints that made a boom, well, that accelerated. We can say, of course, that French is a bit too open to American prints because it's a unique source. We can find that we have to defend ourselves a bit, but we do. Because, for example, the language of computer science, that of engineers ten or twenty years ago, was totally Anglicized. And today we have more and more words that have become French words. Double-click, the mouse, it's French. And we must not forget that with 169 million French speakers, French is the ninth most spoken language on the planet. It is the official language of many black African countries. And it is commonly practiced in the Maghreb countries. And of course, there is the French of North America, the Quebecois and the Cajun of Louisiana, without being very close to the French that was spoken in the Renaissance. Ah, Sabine! So, and this dictation? Ah, earlier at school? Not too hard? No, not at all, no, it was very good. Ah, I recognize him! Yeah, he's his school teacher. Tell me Sabine, you didn't correct your coffee? Oh, but it's Marcel that I hear, yes, Marcel. Nice! No, but rest assured, Sabine, maybe he's very good at French, but he doesn't know how to count football. Ah, yes, that's it, I was thinking the same.