Voltaire’s French Pronunciation12

Voltaire was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher known for his wit, his advocacy for civil liberties, and his criticism of the established Catholic Church. He was a prolific writer, producing works in a variety of genres, including plays, poems, novels, and essays.
Voltaire's French pronunciation was influenced by the Parisian accent of the time, which was characterized by a number of features that are no longer standard in modern French.
One of the most noticeable features of Voltaire's pronunciation was his use of the "r" sound. In modern French, the "r" is typically pronounced as a uvular fricative, but in Voltaire's time, it was pronounced as a trilled alveolar consonant. This trilled "r" was also used in other parts of France, but it is now considered to be a regional pronunciation.
Another feature of Voltaire's pronunciation was his use of the "s" sound. In modern French, the "s" is typically pronounced as a voiceless alveolar fricative, but in Voltaire's time, it was pronounced as a voiced alveolar fricative. This voiced "s" was also used in other parts of France, but it is now considered to be a regional pronunciation.
In addition to these two major features, Voltaire's pronunciation also differed from modern French in a number of other ways. For example, he pronounced the "u" in words like "du" and "su" as a diphthong, rather than as a monophthong as in modern French. He also pronounced the "oi" in words like "fois" and "voix" as a diphthong, rather than as a monophthong as in modern French.
Voltaire's pronunciation was not always consistent, and he sometimes used different pronunciations for the same word in different contexts. This was likely due to the fact that French pronunciation was still in a state of flux during the 18th century.
Despite the differences between Voltaire's pronunciation and modern French, his writings are still widely read and enjoyed today. His wit, his advocacy for civil liberties, and his criticism of the established Catholic Church continue to resonate with readers around the world.

Here are some additional details about Voltaire's French pronunciation:
Voltaire pronounced the "e" in words like "le" and "me" as a schwa, rather than as a full vowel as in modern French.
Voltaire pronounced the "a" in words like "pas" and "chat" as a broad "a," rather than as a nasalized "a" as in modern French.
Voltaire pronounced the "i" in words like "vin" and "fil" as a diphthong, rather than as a monophthong as in modern French.
Voltaire pronounced the "o" in words like "chose" and "note" as a diphthong, rather than as a monophthong as in modern French.
Voltaire pronounced the "u" in words like "du" and "su" as a diphthong, rather than as a monophthong as in modern French.
Voltaire pronounced the "oi" in words like "fois" and "voix" as a diphthong, rather than as a monophthong as in modern French.
Voltaire pronounced the "gn" in words like "signe" and "regne" as a nasalized "n," rather than as a velar nasal as in modern French.
Voltaire pronounced the "ch" in words like "chat" and "chose" as a voiceless palatal fricative, rather than as a voiceless velar fricative as in modern French.

It is important to note that these are just some of the general features of Voltaire's pronunciation. There were likely many other variations that are not reflected in the written record.

2024-12-01

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