The “accent
circonflexe” appeared in France around the sixteenth century. It was precisely in 1740 that the “
Académie Française” decided to introduce this accent into the French language. It often serves to hide an old letter, either an “e” or an “s” that the reformers of the French language decided to omit. For example, the term “
hôpital” was originally spelled “hospital,” or “
forêt” was spelled “forest” in Old French. The words “
âge” and “
sûr” were spelled “
eage” and “
seur” in the past.
During the late 80s and early 90’s, this accent became the topic of much debate in France. Linguists and members of the “
Académie Française” began to question the purpose and usefulness of this accent that combines the “accent grave” and the “accent
aigu.” The debate became particularly heated in 1990 with the famous question “A
quoi sert l’accent
circonflexe?” Finally, in 1995, the linguist Bernardo
Cerquiglini wrote an entire book dedicated to this accent: L’Accent
du Souvenir.
The term “chapeau” represents a nickname that
Francophones use to refer to this accent. The term does, indeed, have a similar function to a hat if one looks at its role in the French language and culture. It is like an umbrella, a hat, protecting the classic French language from the modern era from the outside influence. It also represents a superfluous, and yet, very important symbol of French stereotypes.
