Komunikacja językowa w osiemnastowiecznych francuskich wyprawach naukowych do Laponii, Peru i Afryki Południowej

Abstract

Interlingual Communication during French Scientific Expeditions to Lappland, Peru and South Africa in the 18th Century

In this paper, I try to outline the image of the interlingual communication during scientific expeditions by detecting and analysing remarks about such instances in the narratives by the expeditions’ commanders. I analyse a narrative of Maupertuis on his geodesic mission to Lappland (1734- 1735), two narratives of La Condamine on his geodesic mission to Peru (1735-1743), and two narratives of Le Vaillant on his travels across South Africa (1781-1784). During his short stay in Lappland, Maupertuis was assisted by a Swedish astronomer and by a Laponian, both speaking French and Finnish. La Condamine and Le Vaillant learned local languages (Spanish, Quechua; Hottentot, Namaqua) in order to eliminate the intermediation of an interpreter. In linguistically fragmented areas, they worked with random natural interpreters. French scientists also made use of the native inhabitants’ familiarity with European languages: official languages of the colonies (Spanish in Peru, Dutch in South Africa) and French, the language of social, cultural and scientific discourse in the 18th century, which they acquired for pleasure.