Jean Juvénal des Ursins, Linguist and Translator? Policies and Memory of Language in Late Medieval France

The epistles and political speeches of Jean Juvénal des Ursins contain varied ideas on language. This essay attempts to offer significant insights into his linguistic considerations. An analysis of the language and translation principles, in the works of the bishop of Charles VII of France, suggests a subtle but strong political activism at a time when nationalism was emerging across Europe. The systematic use of Latin to reflect on modern language can be considered a militant act in the context of the restoration of King of France's prerogatives. Jean Juvénal's militancy also appears in the allegorical devices he uses, which are based on morphological manipulations.