Les langues spéciales sont-elles des langues ? La notion de pseudo-langue à travers l'exemple d'une "langue d'initiation" d'Afrique Centrale

Monino Yves - Special languages, are they languages ? The notion of pseudo-language using the example of a Central African " initiation language". A study of special languages and communities that speak them shows the theoretical limitations of purely linguistic or sociological definitions of such idioms. With the example of Central African initiations languages (tò and lá'bì), the theory that they are pidgins varieties is discussed, and the notion of pseudo-language is proposed, emphasizing the speakers' position through an ethnolinguistical approach (semiological partitionning of terms related to speech and language, and analysis of their uses and of some meaning effects). The relation between initiated speaker discourse with respect to who is a legitimate speaker of lá'bì and corresponding observable practices is also brought to light.