La mode à l’aube des grands magasins. Des traces terminologiques dans Au Bonheur des dames
Fashion at the Beginning of the Department Store Era. Terminological Features in Au Bonheur des dames

Summary/Abstract: In the second half of the 19th century, the development of department stores led to a profound transformation in both commercial practices and consumer habits. With a wide range of goods on offer and a modern, functional interior design, Parisian department stores became a major attraction for all visitors to Paris. This emerging phenomenon was described in detail by Zola in his novel Au Bonheur des dames (1883), based on a careful two-month field observation.Assuming that the novel probably contains terms relating to the most significant concepts of fashion and its distribution in the socio-cultural context of department stores in the second half of the 19th century, this study aims to identify and analyse them, focusing on terms concerning the day-to-day running of department stores. The innovative nature of certain concepts is documented with a set of short extracts from the novel. A comparison with the real context of the Bon marché highlights the realistic nature of the setting in which the story takes place.

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