In the present paper, we offer a glimpse at a classic, canonical book on philology (namely Initiation à la philologie française, by N.N. Condeescu, published in 1969) and at its (ir)relevance against the backdrop of the evolution of philological studies from the 1970s to the language and literature studies of the new millennium. The article is therefore a reflection on philology (a term as vague in Romanian as it is in French) and on its scope of application in Romania.In the present paper, we offer a glimpse at a classic, canonical book on philology (namely Initiation à la philologie française, by N.N. Condeescu, published in 1969) and at its (ir)relevance against the backdrop of the evolution of philological studies from the 1970s to the ...