European Francophonie The Social, Political and Cultural History of an International Prestige Language

«This book provides a valuable overview to linguists who wish to understand the complexities of how French arose as a lingua franca and a language of cultural, political and social prestige in early modern Europe.»

(Judith Bridges, Linguist List August 2015)

«[...] the book is a valuable addition to the study of the use of the French language in Europe within a historical perspective.»

(Samira Hassa, The French Review vol. 90.2 2016)

Vladislav Rjéoutski is Research Fellow at the German Historical Institute in Moscow. A cultural and social historian with an interest in education and the press in eighteenth-century Europe, he has published books on French-speaking educators, French emigration and Franco-Russian contacts.

Gesine Argent is Research Fellow at the University of Bristol. She works in the field of sociolinguistics and has a particular interest in debates about language use, language attitudes, linguistic purism and identity negotiation, especially in relation to foreign linguistic influences.

Derek Offord is Research Professor in Russian at the University of Bristol. He is a specialist in pre-revolutionary Russian intellectual, literary and cultural history and his recent books include a monograph on Russian travel writing and a co-edited history of Russian thought.