Language Centre Resources

An Indo-European language and a member of the Romance group of the Italic branch, spoken by more than 200 million people, mainly in France, where it is the official language, as well as in Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec region in Canada, a number of Francophone states across Central Africa, and in Haiti where it coexists with French Creole.

By the 7th century the language spoken in Gaul, or present-day France, was already established in a form distinct from Latin. In early mediaeval times the vernaculars spoken north (langue d'oïl) and south (langue d'oc) of the Loire River began to develop separately. Modern French is based on the dialect of the Île de France (including Paris), the principal dialect of the langue d'oïl, which in 1539 became the official language throughout the country. One of the most important steps toward standardization of the language were taken in the 17th century when the French Academy compiled an official French dictionary, the first edition of which was published in 1694. During the reign of Louis XIV French became a language of international scholarly communication, as well as the main language of diplomacy. Today it is also one of the working languages of the European Union and the Secretariat of the United Nations.

French literature, including francophone literature, is one of the world's richest and most varied, spanning from the mid-800s until the present.