The Body of Language: Names, Forms and Limits of the Representation of an Idea

The article discusses the complex issues involved in accounting for the birth and historical development of modern languages in Europe, and of their varieties and perceived identities. It offers a review of relevant approaches to this field of language studies and discusses the crucial role played by historical sociolinguistics, in particular when combined with studies in the history of written culture. The author argues in favour of a research approach aimed at reconstructing the ‘linguistic culture’ of communities in time and space, rather than focusing on the history of individual languages. In conclusion, the author illustrates EUROTALES. A Museum Laboratory of the Voices of Europe, a collaborative project aimed at the representation of languages as a dynamic and shared heritage.