Dedika is a platform for learning by doing: whether it's creating a business proposal, becoming a manicurist, or using a new tool, for example. No matter your goal, the best content on the subject already exists. The problem is, it's often in another language, expensive, scattered around, lacks practice activities, or comes in courses that are too long for busy people. That's why Dedika has its own method: we find this material wherever it is, organize what makes sense for your goal, review it with the help of experts who are available to answer questions, and create hands-on activities so you can learn by doing. You are the most important part of your journey, and no one knows it better than you: choose the content and course length, decide if you'll learn online or offline, and pick your preferred format. It can be video, text, audio, or a summary. Your way, only with what makes sense for you. Here, every moment you dedicate is worth more, and you reach what matters faster.

Our courses include a summary at the end of each chapter, which you can download as a PDF and print.

More than 2 million students worldwide

Present in more than 180 countries

Certificate valid in your country

Home Page

...

History of the French Language Course

All courses

Education, Humanities and Social Sciences

Humanities

History of the French Language Course

For all levels

History of the French Language Course

Name: History of the French Language Course
Price: 222 USD

Uncover the full story of the French language, from its Indo-European origins and Vulgar Latin roots to its status as a global tongue spoken by hundreds of millions. This course guides you through every major transformation — phonological, grammatical, and cultural — that made French what it is today. Whether you are a linguistics student, a Francophile, or a language professional, this is the definitive historical account you have been looking for.

Dedika for businesses

What you will learn:

You will study how Gaulish, Latin, and Frankish Germanic shaped the earliest forms of French, and how Old French evolved into the standardized language codified by the Académie française in the 17th century. You will examine landmark documents such as the Oaths of Strasbourg and the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts as evidence of real linguistic change. The course covers the Revolution's language policies, the printing press's role in standardization, and the ongoing debates over spelling reform and inclusive writing. You will also explore Francophone varieties across Africa, Quebec, and the Caribbean, placing French firmly in its global context.

How you study in practice History of the French Language Course

How you practice History of the French Language Course

For companies looking to train their teams

With Dedika for businesses, the course includes exercises and examples tailored to your own business and the way your company needs.

Click here

Course Content

8 Chapters • 39 LessonsDuration between 4 and 360 hours (you decide)

Chapter 1See details

Origins of the French Language

Lesson 1 • Gaulish and Pre-Roman Substrates
Analyzes Celtic Gaulish influence on early French lexicon and place names. Shows how substrate languages leave traces even after displacement.
Lesson 2 • Latin as the Foundation
Examines Classical and Vulgar Latin as the direct parent of French. Highlights how spoken Latin diverged from written norms.
Lesson 3 • Indo-European Roots of French
Establishes the deep genealogy of French within the Indo-European family. Connects proto-language features to later Latin and Romance developments.
Lesson 4 • Roman Conquest and Latinization
Covers the spread of Latin through Roman administration and military presence in Gaul. Explains how Latinization replaced indigenous speech over centuries.

Chapter 2See details

From Latin to Old French

Lesson 1 • The Oaths of Strasbourg
Analyzes the 842 CE Oaths as the earliest surviving Old French text. Uses this document to illustrate linguistic features of early vernacular writing.
Lesson 2 • Germanic Superstrate Influences
Examines Frankish and other Germanic languages' impact on emerging French. Identifies loanwords and phonological features introduced by Germanic settlers.
Lesson 3 • Morphological Simplification
Shows how Latin's six-case system collapsed into the Old French two-case system. Explains the rise of prepositions and word order as compensatory strategies.
Lesson 4 • Dialectal Fragmentation in Early France
Maps the regional dialects emerging across the territory of modern France. Explains how geography and political fragmentation drove linguistic divergence.
Lesson 5 • Phonological Evolution from Latin
Details systematic sound changes converting Latin phonemes into Old French sounds. Covers vowel reduction, consonant shifts, and stress patterns.

Chapter 3See details

Old French Language and Literature

Lesson 1 • Administrative and Legal Old French
Covers the use of Old French in charters, legal documents, and royal administration. Demonstrates how written vernacular expanded beyond literary contexts.
Lesson 2 • Old French Vocabulary and Lexicon
Surveys the core vocabulary of Old French and its Latin and Germanic sources. Traces semantic shifts from Latin meanings to Old French usage.
Lesson 3 • Courtly Literature and Troubadour Influence
Examines the linguistic features of Old French courtly romance and lyric poetry. Shows how southern Occitan literary models shaped northern French vocabulary.
Lesson 4 • Old French Grammar Essentials
Provides a systematic overview of Old French morphology and syntax. Equips students to read and parse Old French texts with accuracy.
Lesson 5 • Epic Poetry and the Chansons de Geste
Analyzes the language of Old French epic poems as primary linguistic evidence. Connects formulaic oral style to phonological and metrical features.

Chapter 4See details

Middle French and Language Standardization

Lesson 1 • The Ordinance of Villers-Cotterets
Examines the 1539 royal decree mandating French in all legal and administrative documents. Analyzes its role in elevating French over Latin and regional languages.
Lesson 2 • Collapse of the Two-Case System
Explains the complete loss of Old French nominal declension by the 14th century. Shows how fixed word order and prepositions fully replaced case marking.
Lesson 3 • Humanist Influence and Latinization
Covers the Renaissance humanist movement's impact on French vocabulary and style. Explains the influx of Latin and Greek borrowings into Middle French.
Lesson 4 • The Printing Press and Language Norms
Analyzes how the printing press accelerated spelling and vocabulary standardization. Shows how printers made editorial choices that shaped written French norms.
Lesson 5 • Phonological Changes in Middle French
Documents the major sound changes distinguishing Middle French from Old French. Covers final consonant loss, vowel shifts, and emerging silent letters.

Chapter 5See details

Classical French and the Academy

Lesson 1 • Founding of the Academie Francaise
Covers the 1635 founding of the Academie francaise and its linguistic mission. Explains how state-sponsored language authority shaped French standardization.
Lesson 2 • 17th-Century Grammar Codification
Analyzes the major grammars of Vaugelas and Port-Royal that defined classical French. Shows how prescriptive rules were derived from elite usage rather than logic.
Lesson 3 • Classical French Phonology and Spelling
Documents the phonological system and spelling conventions of 17th-century French. Traces the gap between spelling and pronunciation that persists today.
Lesson 4 • Literary Language and Classicism
Examines the linguistic ideals of clarity, elegance, and restraint in classical literature. Connects literary style norms to broader language standardization goals.
Lesson 5 • French as a European Prestige Language
Traces the rise of French as the dominant language of European diplomacy and culture. Explains how prestige status reinforced internal standardization efforts.

Chapter 6See details

Modern French: 18th to 19th Century

Lesson 1 • Industrialization and Lexical Expansion
Traces the rapid growth of French vocabulary driven by industrial and scientific progress. Covers neologism formation strategies and technical register development.
Lesson 2 • Education and Language Unification
Covers the role of compulsory public education in spreading standard French nationwide. Analyzes how schools marginalized regional languages and dialects.
Lesson 3 • The French Revolution and Language Policy
Analyzes revolutionary language policy aimed at unifying France through a single national language. Covers the suppression of regional languages and dialects.
Lesson 4 • Enlightenment and Language Reform
Covers Enlightenment thinkers' engagement with language as a tool of reason and progress. Examines debates on vocabulary, clarity, and universal communication.
Lesson 5 • Spelling and Dictionary Reform Efforts
Examines 18th- and 19th-century efforts to rationalize French spelling and expand dictionaries. Shows the tension between etymological tradition and phonetic reform.

Chapter 7See details

Contemporary French: 20th Century to Present

Lesson 1 • Sociolinguistic Variation in French
Examines social, regional, and stylistic variation in contemporary French. Introduces key sociolinguistic concepts applied to the French-speaking community.
Lesson 2 • 20th-Century Phonological Changes
Documents ongoing sound changes in 20th-century spoken French, including vowel mergers. Connects phonological shifts to social and regional variation patterns.
Lesson 3 • Ongoing Normative Debates
Surveys current debates on spelling reform, inclusive writing, and gender-neutral language. Connects contemporary controversies to the long history of French prescriptivism.
Lesson 4 • French in the Digital Age
Covers the impact of digital communication on French vocabulary, spelling, and style. Analyzes internet language, texting conventions, and social media usage.
Lesson 5 • Anglicisms and Language Purism
Analyzes the influx of English loanwords into French and official responses to it. Covers language protection legislation and the role of terminology commissions.

Chapter 8See details

French as a Global Language

Lesson 1 • French in the Americas
Covers Quebec French, Cajun French, and Caribbean French Creoles as distinct varieties. Compares their historical development and current sociolinguistic status.
Lesson 2 • Colonial Expansion and Language Spread
Traces how French spread to Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific through colonization. Examines language imposition policies and their long-term linguistic effects.
Lesson 3 • La Francophonie as an Institution
Examines the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and its language promotion role. Analyzes debates about linguistic diversity within the Francophone world.
Lesson 4 • Future of French as a World Language
Evaluates demographic projections and geopolitical factors affecting French's global status. Considers competition with English and the role of African Francophone growth.
Lesson 5 • Francophone Africa: Varieties and Vitality
Examines the distinctive features of French varieties spoken across sub-Saharan Africa. Analyzes contact with local languages and the social functions of African French.

Certification

Your valid completion certificate

This course is for you:

Linguistics students: seeking a thorough historical account of a major world language.
French teachers: wanting deeper subject-matter knowledge to enrich their instruction.
Historians: looking to understand how language shaped French political and cultural identity.
Translation professionals: aiming to strengthen their grasp of French's layered vocabulary origins.
Francophile enthusiasts: driven by genuine curiosity about French culture and its linguistic roots.
Graduate researchers: needing a rigorous foundation for work in Romance or historical linguistics.

What our students say

Your classes are perfect. I purchased the one-year package and finally have the opportunity to follow various topics of interest without needing to switch platforms... I thank you for everything you do, I've already recommended you to other people...