Le lexique communiste (1932-1946). Description d'une évolution

Abstract

COMMUNIST VOCABULARY (1 932/ 1946) : DESCRIPTION OF AN EVOLUTION The corpus being studied is a sample collection of editorials selected from the Cahiers du bolchevisme (later communisme) constituting three subsets. Each of these is considered as a homogeneous and representative cross- section of the Communist speech, synchronie unity being provided by the Party congress (march 1932, January 1936, june 1945). A study of the three index headings enables obvious differences to be revealed : the fact that there exists an invariant central cell cannot mask the importance of lexical change, revealed by the vocabulary present in only one or two subsets. Thus a " circulation schema " of the lexical forms takes shape. By extending this study to cover all the vocabulary, thanks to specificities analysis, it is possible to define the schema more clearly and to ask in straightforward terms the question : is Communist speech characterised by a lexical " inertia ", or by a constant and rapid change ? In other words, what is the relative weight given to the three categories already defined : specific, common and central vocabulary ? The answer can only be drafted by returning to the forms to appreciate the evolution of lexical usage. It is then possible to group the forms into families (identical or similar profiles). A history of the vocabulary is thus made possible.