In this fascinating new book, the history of the French language is brought to life. Features of the language are analysed in readable form, from the 9th century to the present day. 40 short texts are presented and explored from a variety of angles, covering areas such as spelling, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. A wide variety of discourses are covered including: legal and religious texts literary prose and poetry medical and scientific texts journalism A History of the French Language through Texts is ideal reading for all those interested in the French language.