Language and Terminology and Literary Studies in 17th Century France and Georgia (Comparative Study)

Abstract

In the history of many nations, such as language, praise has its particular place. According to my observations, in most nations, the works of this type have been created in the critical period for nations. Chronologically, Praise and Exaltation of the Georgian Language was created earlier (10th century) than such literature of the other Christian nations, though now, we shall focus on the most important text of the French Renaissance, recognized as the first literary Manifesto, Défense et illustration de la langue française” (1549). The author of Manifesto states that the French language is quite flexible, sonorous, and powerful, and that it needed only enrichment and ennoblement. Defense and Illustration of the French Language is full of love for the native land and pride for its success, gained with its power, full of pride for its endless internal capabilities. The author dreams about the development of the French language so that the French language and literature achieved the level suitable for the social, economic, and spiritual development of the country. The Epoch of the Renaissance was changed by the Baroque. We should admit that the French literary life of that period is extremely interesting, especially regarding the terminology of literary studies, formed within the requirements of each individual genre. Terminology of literary studies of the French Baroque epoch has interesting parallels in Georgian Baroque literature: in the prosaic foreword of Archil’s Conversation between Teimuraz and Rustaveli, Archil briefly formulated his literary views: “… not praise but the truth (…), as usual for the bored man, inventing of things and following the emotions and I preferred to verify this true story, instead of the invented fake and there is no lie written here, except for the direct conversation between a King and Rustaveli”. In our paper, Archil’s terminology of literary studies – ‘true’, ‘fabulous’, ‘story’ – is discussed in the context of Sitkvis Kona by Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, i.e., in the aspect of the definitions offered by that period.