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Answer: The right option to the question ‘The aristocratic class spoke_____ for purposes of diplomacy in high society’ is C. French
Explanation:
Throughout much of European history, particularly from the 17th to the 19th centuries, French was considered the language of diplomacy, high society, and aristocratic culture. This phenomenon was largely due to the political, cultural, and military dominance of France under the rule of Louis XIV, also known as the “Sun King.” During his reign (1643–1715), France became the most powerful and influential nation in Europe, and French culture—particularly art, literature, fashion, and etiquette—became widely admired and imitated by aristocrats across the continent.
French soon became the lingua franca of European courts. Nobles and aristocrats in countries such as Russia, Germany, Poland, and Italy would often speak French fluently, even more so than their own native languages. It was common for royal families to correspond in French, and diplomatic treaties and courtly discussions were often conducted in the language. In fact, the tradition of using French in diplomacy was so deeply rooted that the Treaty of Versailles (1919), which ended World War I, was written in both English and French, with French given primacy.
French was also the preferred language of intellectuals, philosophers, and writers, which further cemented its elite status. During the Enlightenment, French thinkers like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu contributed to its prestige. Moreover, French etiquette books, literature, and correspondence manuals were used by aristocratic families throughout Europe to maintain their sophistication and social standing.
Languages like German, Italian, or Polish certainly had their own significance in their respective regions, but they never reached the pan-European status that French held during this period. Polish, in particular, was not widely spoken outside Poland and its neighboring regions, and it was not used in diplomatic or elite international settings.
Therefore, for diplomatic affairs and interactions among the aristocracy across borders, French was the language of choice, symbolizing refinement, education, and status.
Thus, French became the universal language of diplomacy and high society due to France’s cultural and political dominance in Europe. It was widely spoken by the aristocracy and used in formal, diplomatic, and social settings across Europe.
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