English
From 1814 to 1900, the way the Chinese language is conceived of in Paris – which appears as a real Mecca for sinologists, luring numerous Chinese books, Chinese travelers and sinologists – greatly differs from the 21th century conceptions. The analysis of the way one could encounter that language in 19th century Paris, and of the different knowledges and representations revolving around it, enables the historian to restitute the very status of the “Chinese language” category in the eye of the 19th century Parisian.
