Langue(s) et utopie – II : La langue de l’Autre dans la littérature grecque et dans la réflexion utopique, en particulier
This paper follows on from our previous text, “Language(s) and Utopia. I”. Its aim is to present what is known from the Aliens’ languages, from the constructed languages in Ancient Greece, and especially from the utopian languages. First, the paper points out how diff...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | fra |
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Presses universitaires de Caen
2010-12-01
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| Series: | Kentron |
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| Online Access: | http://journals.openedition.org/kentron/1416 |
| Summary: | This paper follows on from our previous text, “Language(s) and Utopia. I”. Its aim is to present what is known from the Aliens’ languages, from the constructed languages in Ancient Greece, and especially from the utopian languages. First, the paper points out how difficult it is to study such a topic, because of the huge gap in the sources and of the burdensome literary conventions, because Greek people have had an uninterested (if not contemptuous) attitude towards the Aliens and their languages, which is reflected in the ambiguous lexicon for multilingualism and for oral translation. One must nevertheless emphasize the sophists’ open-mindedness in the respect of linguistic concerns. Secondly, the tradition has provided us with few testimonies, confirming only that literary jargons did exist (those of the onomatotherai, gathered by Atheneus) as well as a universal language based on gests (in the Roman world at least). On the other hand, facts are more tricky to be established as far as prophetic or tragic delusion and the “language of gods” are concerned. Lastly, regarding the utopian fictions, one must stress how scarce the mentions related to Aliens’ languages are. Some involve Egypt and its sacred writing system, that play a crucial role in the narrative framework introducing the Atlantis myth by Plato or in the inscription topos by Euhemerus. A single fiction, The Fortunate Island by Iambulos, includes significant linguistic developments, which is not surprising from a utopia inspired by stoicism. |
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| ISSN: | 0765-0590 2264-1459 |