Studying Forms and Functions of Plurilingualism in Eighteenth-Century European Women’s Letters: The Case of Elizabeth Carter (1717–1806)

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article addresses the plurilingual writing practices of eighteenth-century women of letters through the case of Elizabeth Carter (1717–1806), a plurilingual poet and translator who mastered no less than ten different languages. To determine the forms and functions of plurilingualism in early modern women’s letters, this article puts forward a methodological framework which combines insights from different fields of study. This framework moves beyond the notion of code-switching, and argues for a distinction between manifest and latent forms of epistolary plurilingualism. To determine the functions of plurilingualism in women’s letters, it proposes a contextualised reading. The potential of this framework is then illustrated by a close analysis of Elizabeth Carter’s plurilingual correspondence with Catherine Talbot (1721–1770). From this analysis, it appears that during the early years of their correspondence, Carter’s use of plurilingualism was inspired by an awareness of the inherent differences between languages, and of the dynamic interplay between language and identity. Studying the plurilingual dimensions of eighteenth-century women’s letters thus not only sheds new light upon women’s linguistic capabilities, but it also gives more insight into the way in which early modern women (re)shaped their intellectual and/or literary self/ves through letter writing.