GRAPHIC ETYMOLOGY IN DEVELOPMENT FRENCH WRITTEN TRADITION

Abstract

The article presents an attempt to establish the features of etymological writings in the history of
French graphics. The aim of the article is to outline the basic principles of writing on which modern French
is based, to study graphic complexes that fix etymological words, usually from Latin in different epochs,
to establish a graphic inverter of etymological letter signs, to reveal the evolution of graphic etymology.
The article substantiates that the graphic system of the French language is multisystemic and represents
a variability in the use of different principles of writing (phonogram, morphogram and ideovisual or
logogram) and criteria for functioning of graphic units in order to convey information as accurately as
possible. The appearance of etymological letters is due to bringing French closer to Latin, giving it the
status of special prestige, as well as maintaining a connection with the origins. The analysis of the graphic
inventory established that the graphic etymology is peculiar only to graphemes that transmit consonant
sounds. Among such graphic complexes, doublings or “geminants” were found, which graphically reflect
etymological words, as well as some one-letter complexes. The presented means of graphic fixation was
very popular in the Middle French period of the development of the French language, which became
entrenched and acquired its further development in subsequent epochs (Renaissance and Enlightenment).
At the same time, such popularization of graphic etymology led to the use of false unjustified etymology
in writing. The studied corpus of graphemes clearly demonstrated the general tendency to simplify the
phonogram principle of writing and the growth of the etymological principle throughout the history of the
formation of the graphic system of the French language.