Edict of Villers-Cotterêts

France [1539]

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July 14, 2026

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The Edict of Villers-Cotterêts, issued in 1539, was a significant turning point in the elevation of the French language. This edict mandated that all legal judgments be rendered exclusively in French, thereby diminishing the dominance of Latin in legal proceedings. While Latin continued to be important in scholarly and diplomatic circles, this decree marked a crucial step in establishing French as the official language of administration and law within France. This linguistic standardization played a role in the broader cultural and literary developments of the 16th century, as writers began to champion French for philosophical and artistic expression.1

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French language
History
…legal reform known as the Edict of Villers-Cotterêts (1539), however, established Francien as the only official language (as opposed to both Latin and other dialects) after it proved to be the most popular written form. From then on, standard French began to replace local dialects, which were officially discouraged, though…
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…legal reform known as the Edict of Villers-Cotterêts (1539), however, established Francien as the only official language (as opposed to both Latin and other dialects) after it proved to be the most popular written form. From then on, standard French began to replace local dialects, which were officially discouraged, though…
Read More

Guillaume Poyet
…contained in the ordinance of Villers-Cotterets (1539), the object of which was to shorten procedure; it ordered the keeping of registers of baptisms and deaths and enjoined the exclusive use of the French language in legal procedure. With the constable Anne, Duke de Montmorency, he organized an intrigue to ruin…
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…contained in the ordinance of Villers-Cotterets (1539), the object of which was to shorten procedure; it ordered the keeping of registers of baptisms and deaths and enjoined the exclusive use of the French language in legal procedure. With the constable Anne, Duke de Montmorency, he organized an intrigue to ruin…
Read More