Sur la délimitation et l'individuation des langues : avec des exemples pris principalement dans le domaine roman

Resum

The article is an attempt to investigate which criteria can be used by language science in order to distinguish between the terms language (langue) and variety (variété) and identify languages with the help of examples from the Romance languages. It notes the increase in the number of speech forms recognized as languages since Diez. Then it establishes a difference between linguistic (formal) or internal criteria and sociolinguistic or external criteria, endeavours to isolate the variables that may play a part in this delimitation, and reaches the conclusion that the two categories are not sufficient to resolve highly contentious cases. The question of what constitutes a language can therefore not be resolved (yet) by language science alone; it is still a political issue. Nevertheless, political decisions have (or may have) linguistic consequences. Sometimes, the concept of polycentric or pluricentric language can alleviate the conflict.