L’emploi des toponymes dans les dénominations des tissus en français aux XVIIIe et XIXe siècles

This article analyses fabric names in 18th and 19th century French, with a focus on those containing toponyms. The research falls within the theoretical framework of diachronic terminology studies developed in recent years in Italy (Zanola, 2014; Grimaldi, 2017; Zanola, 2021) with the aim of investigating the relationship between terminology evolution and technical, scientific, and cultural development. More specifically, a sample of fabric names extracted manually from a corpus of documents covering the period under consideration are analysed with regard to word formation processes and taking into account the role of toponyms for referent identification. The proposed classification is followed by an analysis trying to reconstruct the main reasons for their use, pointing out the technological development of the field and commercial practices at the time. There are several reasons for the motivation of toponyms in fabric names. Some toponyms refer to the place where the first fabrics were developed or where fabrics were mainly produced. In other cases, the use of place names has nothing to do with the real geographical origin: toponyms are used to indicate a specific manufacturing process or, very often, for marketing purposes. Another possible motivation consists in similarity with another fabric. The analysis showed that in 18th and 19th century French, toponyms have played a fundamental role in fabric terminology, ranging from the identification of the referent to the marketing needs, mainly exploiting the public’s knowledge and the prestige of textile goods from certain geographical areas.