The conditions of the project’s origins – the new pathways that the Cerquiglini list has opened for sociolinguistic – and the research community involved. The reasons for the group: rebalancing the relationship between language production and reception, thus a problem in the practice of language and comparative research; de-nationalising communication stories, thus rediscussing implicit research ideologies; rethink the differences between language history and historical grammar. The choices made by the collective: modern and contemporary periods had to be prioritised without neglecting past experience. While starting from the Cerquiglini list it had to be exceeded at certain points. Above all, it was important to include in this presentation languages which were not included in the list but had played a considerable role in the past, sometimes at the moment. The aim of the effort is a general presentation of the history of communication in France. This also makes it possible to predict certain developments in communication, both in France and elsewhere.