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Abstract

Book Reviews Compiled by Amy J. Ransom and Amy Reid Book Reviews REMYSEN, WIM et NADINE VINCENT, dirs. La langue française au Québec et ailleurs: Patrimoine linguistique, socioculture et modèles de référence. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2016. Pp. 378. ISBN 978-3-631-67016-3. Debates surrounding French language usage in Québec have preoccupied linguists, authors, and intellectuals for centuries. In the twentieth century, prominent Québécois linguists and lexicographers like Louis Mercier – the inspiration for this volume – engaged in massive projects to document, study, organize, and present to the public the unique characteristics of French as it is spoken in Québec. By approaching it as an object of study and an artefact of cultural heritage, Mercier and others legitimized Québécois French, dispelling the myth that there exists only one standard version of French and celebrating the rich diversity of the language as it is spoken throughout the francophone world. As Michel Francard summarizes in his preface: “Il ne s’agit ni d’isoler cette variété parmi la francophonie, ni de la fondre dans un français standard. Mais plutôt de lui donner une réelle légitimité, y compris dans ce qu’elle a de plus spécifique” (8). The book’s title evokes this openness and willingness to engage with all aspects of the French language, as it is spoken in Québec and “ailleurs.” This well-curated collection of essays seeks to examine the impact of the lexicographic projects of the previous century on studies of Québécois French and to present new research based on these projects. In homage to Mercier, the volume is organized around three themes found in his own works: language as national heritage, the sociocultural dimension of lexicography, and the use of Québécois French as a reference model. The first section, entitled “Patrimoine linguistique,” includes six essays that explore the ways in which the repository of documents about Québécois French constitutes a national treasure. Cristina Québec Studies, 65 https://doi.org/10.3828/qs.2018.11