Dictionnaire des barbarismes et des solécismes

Published in Montreal in 1855, this compact reference tackles the everyday misuse of French that had crept into the language of French‑speaking Canadians. Its author, observing the steady influx of English words and the persistence of outdated forms, set out to catalogue the most frequent barbarisms and solécismes heard on the streets and in print. The introduction explains that the work is meant as a practical aid rather than a scholarly treatise, aimed at ordinary speakers who lack a reliable dictionary.

The entries are presented side by side with the correct form or meaning, covering everything from misplaced pronouns and faulty conjunctions to Anglicised expressions like “payer une visite” or “transiger des affaires.” Short examples illustrate how common errors—such as using ‘goître’ instead of ‘goitre’—appear in daily conversation. By pointing out these slips, the book invites readers to clean up their speech and preserve the elegance of the French inherited from France.