Prononcer male ou prononcer mal: Linguistic Markers of Effeminacy in Early Modern French

This article examines the issue of the linguistic stereotyping of effeminacy in early modern France. Our approach combines evidence from linguistic treatises as well as literary and cultural documents to provide insight into language variation and the conflicting values assigned to specific linguistic forms during that time. We also examine the social and historical context surrounding this time period in order to attempt to understand what an accusation of effeminate speech behavior meant and to what extent alleged effeminate speech practices among men might then, as now, have correlated with the perception of a homosexual identity.