Dr Geoffrey Roger
Lecturer in French Studies
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Summary of research interests and expertise
- French Historical Linguistics
- Linguistic History of France
- Scriptology
- Historical Graphematics
- Dominant Language Ideologies
- Language Policy
- Language Rights
- Minority Languages in France
- Philology
- Digital Editing
I have trained as a historical linguist and philologist analysing the language of MS Glasgow Hunter 252, the only extant manuscript of the Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles, and producing a new critical edition of this 15th-century collection of short stories, which offers a unique insight into French usage at the court of Philip III of Burgundy. Thanks to funding awarded by Switzerland’s Fondation pour la Protection du Patrimoine Culturel, Historique et Artisanal I am furthermore preparing a digital edition of this manuscript, in partnership with the Dictionnaire du moyen français(Opens in new window) (French Scientific Research Council / ATILF). My findings have encouraged me to engage in larger-scale research into phono- and morpho-graphematic variation across the Middle French digital corpus, the conclusions of which contradict established theories on the standardisation and deregionalisation of late medieval written language.
In parallel, I am very interested in contemporary debates around language in France and the Francosphere, especially the various ideologies they mobilise in interaction with public policy. As a member of the Management Committee of the New Speakers in a Multilingual Europe(Opens in new window) network (European Cooperation in Science and Technology ISCH COST Action IS1306), my research has focused on the discrimination of indigenous language communities in metropolitan and overseas France, and argued for stricter observance of cultural rights and equal opportunities.
Qualifications
Maîtrise de linguistique anglaise (Université de Caen); D.E.A. Identités et transferts culturels (Université de Caen); PhD in French Linguistics (University of Glasgow)
Publications
- ‘The hierarchization of regional languages in the linguistic landscapes of Brittany' (with Michael Hornsby), Linguistic Minorities in Europe Online(Opens in new window), 2023.
- ‘Towards a Scriptology of Middle French: The case of MS Hunter 252’, The Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles, c. 1458-1559. Text and Paratext, Codex and Context(Opens in new window), ed. Graeme Small, Brepols, Texte, Codex & Contexte, vol. 23, 2023.
- ‘The langues de France and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages: keeping ratification at bay through disinformation – 2014-2015(Opens in new window)’, French Language Policies and the Revitalisation of Regional Languages in the 21st century, M. Harrison & A. Joubert, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.
- ‘(Opens in new window)Langues de France et Charte européenne des langues régionales ou minoritaires : inventaire critique des arguments anti-ratification(Opens in new window)’(Opens in new window) (co-authored by Dr. Julia De Bres), Sociolinguistic Studies 11.1, 2017.
- ‘Les scriptae régionales du moyen français : état des lieux’, Romanica Helvetica, 138, 2017.
- ‘L’ellipse verbale en français: point de vue diachronique’(Opens in new window) (with Prof. Richard Ingham), Actes du XXVIIe Congrès international de linguistique et de philologie romanes, Nancy, 2013, 2016.
- ‘La mise-en-scène des Cent nouvelles nouvelles : point de vue dialectologique’, Autour des Cent nouvelles nouvelles, sources et rayonnements, contextes et interprétations, ed. J. Devaux & A. Velissariou, Champion, Bibliothèque du XVe siécle, 2016.
- ‘Koineisation in the Burgundian Netherlands: A Scriptological Insight from the Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles?’(Opens in new window), Pecia, vol. 16, 2014.
- 'Direct Speech in the Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles : A Linguistic Analysis(Opens in new window)', Le Moyen Français, 72, 2013.