How did French harpsichordists use ornamentation symbols in their music?

In the context of French harpsichord music, ornamentation was a fundamental element of performance practice rather than a mere decorative addition. French harpsichordists inherited a tradition from 17th-century lute music, which utilized numerous small ornaments to provide essential articulation, accentuation, and rhythmic modification of the written notes.1

These ornaments were not left entirely to the performer's discretion; rather, they were integral to the musical language of the era. Composers employed specific notational signs to indicate these embellishments, which served to heighten the expressive power of the music. While the Italian style of the period often favored a more florid, improvised approach, the French style maintained a distinct, mannered vocabulary of ornaments that helped define the character of the composition.1

By the 18th century, these ornamental practices were so deeply embedded in the French school that they became essential for the historically accurate performance of works by composers such as François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau. Proper execution was critical, as poorly performed ornaments could obscure the melody and disrupt the intended musical expression.1