Jeux d'eau et jeux de synonymes: les jardins fictifs de Bernard Palissy à Olivier de Serres

The study of synonymy in the language of science shows that it is used in the reformulation of ideas and in the introduction of new concepts, the definition of their meaning and their value in scientific discourse. Synonymy is a significant stylistic resource, which concerns specialist languages, professional communication, and the use of rhetorical embellishments. Its use has always been documented in scientific discourse. At the end of XVIth century, Bernard Palissy and Olivier de Serres described the birth of agronomy, hydraulics, and landscape architecture; they thus exemplified the use of binomial synonyms of Medieval origin. In scientific discourse, synonymy is used to present arguments, illustrate ideas, explain and gloss, and to amplify texts. Synonyms also document and ‘decorate’, that is, they serve an explicatory purpose as well as an ornamental one in texts in which apology and the scientific description of new concepts co-exist. Language witnesses different points of view and the evolution of contents from Palissy’s and Serres’ dream landscape projects to the gardens of European monarchies.