Problems and Perspectives : Studies in the Modern French Language

by Ayres-Bennett, Wendy; Carruthers, Janice; Temple, R. A. M.

• ISBN13: 9780582293458
• ISBN10: 0582293456
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-12-01
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Longman Ltd

Author Biography

Janice Carruthers is a Lecturer in French at the Queen's University of Belfast.

Table of Contents

Preface	xvi
Publisher's Acknowledgments	xviii
Part I: Preliminaries	1	(56)
French: standards and variation	3	(5)
What is `French'?	3	(1)
Parameters of variation	4	(4)
Written and spoken French	4	(1)
Register	4	(1)
Field, domain or discourse type	5	(1)
Geographical variation	6	(1)
Age, sex and socio-economic status (SES)	6	(2)
Introduction to the description of French: definitions and metalanguage	8	(19)
The Sounds of French	8	(5)
Syllable structure	8	(1)
Rhythmic groups	9	(1)
Consonants	10	(1)
Vowels	11	(2)
Semivowels	13	(1)
Morphology	13	(3)
Syntax	16	(6)
Syntax and the verb system	17	(2)
Word order	19	(1)
Subordination and coordination	20	(2)
Textual cohesion	22	(1)
Lexis	22	(5)
Derivational processes	23	(1)
Composition	23	(1)
Abbreviation	24	(1)
Semantic change	24	(1)
Borrowing	25	(2)
Approaches and Schools	27	(26)
A multiplicity of approaches ...	27	(1)
Structuralism	28	(5)
Phonology	28	(2)
Morphology	30	(2)
Syntax	32	(1)
Generative grammar	33	(12)
Introduction	33	(1)
Generative syntax and its place in the grammar	34	(5)
Generative phonology	39	(2)
Autosegmental phonology	41	(1)
Morphology in generative grammar	42	(3)
Other approaches to the analysis of French	45	(3)
Typological models of change	45	(1)
Language in use	46	(2)
Variationist approaches	48	(2)
National French approaches	50	(3)
Guillaume and the Guillaumeans	50	(1)
L'Approache pronominale	51	(2)
Choice of topics and approaches	53	(4)
Part II: Issues	57	(307)
Word-final consonants	59	(18)
Introduction	59	(1)
The Problem in detail	60	(2)
Orthographically based accounts of liaison	62	(1)
Theoretical accounts of word-final consonants	63	(9)
The phonemic perspective	63	(1)
Generative phonology	63	(1)
Abstract generative phonology	63	(3)
Concrete generative phonology	66	(2)
Non-linear phonologyh	68	(4)
Liaison and syntax	72	(1)
Variationist analyses of liaison	72	(5)
Nasal vowels	77	(21)
Introduction	77	(1)
The history of nasal vowels	78	(2)
Textual evidence	78	(2)
Phonetic explanations	80	(1)
Structuralist accounts: the phonemic status of nasal vowles	80	(2)
Generative and post-generative accounts of the nasal vowels	82	(10)
Nasal vowels in abstract generative phonology	83	(1)
Alternating forms	83	(3)
Non-alternating forms	86	(1)
Nasal vowels in concrete generative phonology	87	(1)
Non-alternating forms	87	(1)
Alternating forms	88	(2)
A non-linear proposal	90	(2)
Nasal vowels and liaison	92	(2)
Nasal vowels in southern French	94	(4)
Schwa: a maverick vowel	98	(20)
Introduction: `Qu'est-ce que le ``e muet''?' (Martinet (1974a))	98	(1)
Terminology	99	(1)
The phonetic identity of schwa	99	(1)
The variable phonological behavior of schwa	100	(3)
The data	100	(1)
Descriptive accounts	101	(2)
The phonemic identity of schwa	103	(2)
Schwa ∼ zero alternation: epenthesis versus deletion	105	(4)
Schwa ∼ zero alternation as deletion	105	(1)
Schwa ∼ zero alternation as epenthesis	106	(2)
The special case of word-final schwa	108	(1)
Non-linear accounts of schwa ∼ zero alternation	109	(2)
Changing patterns of schwa ∼ zero alternation	111	(7)
Word-inital schwa: stabilization in progress?	112	(2)
Change in non-initial schwa	114	(4)
Verb morphology: conjugation classes and the definition of regularity	118	(25)
Introduction	118	(1)
Preliminaries: segmentation	118	(5)
Problems of segmentation	119	(1)
Stem and ending versus stem, infix and ending	120	(3)
Classification into verb conjugation classes: desiderata	123	(1)
Traditional classifications	124	(2)
Stem-based models	126	(5)
`Two-class' models	131	(4)
Defining irregularity	135	(3)
Variation and change	138	(5)
Aspect in French	143	(21)
Introduction: tense versus aspect	143	(2)
Aspectual categories and distinctions	145	(1)
Lexical versus grammatical aspect	146	(2)
Approaches to aspect in French	148	(11)
Introduction	148	(1)
Brunot (1922)	148	(3)
Guillaume (1929, 1964)	151	(2)
Imbs (1960)	153	(1)
Reid (1970)	154	(1)
Martin (1971)	155	(2)
Wilmet (1991, 1995, 1997)	157	(1)
General issues	158	(1)
Applications of the notion of aspect	159	(5)
Introduction	159	(1)
Diachronic phenomena	160	(1)
Aspectual concepts	160	(1)
Aspect and discourse-pragmatics	160	(4)
Past tenses: complex and changing relationships	164	(28)
Introduction	164	(4)
The passe simple/passe compose relationship: a complex history	168	(7)
The development of the compound tenses	168	(1)
`Functional multiplicity' in the Old French period	169	(3)
Developments in Middle French, and Early Modern analyses	172	(3)
The passe compose/passe simple in Modern French: changing relationships	175	(6)
Introduction	175	(1)
Two `textual' models	175	(1)
Passe simple/passe compose alternation	176	(2)
The PS as story marker?	178	(1)
The PC: a sematinc hybrid?	179	(2)
The Imperfect	181	(4)
Diachronic perspectives	181	(1)
Developments in Modern French	182	(1)
Analysis of the imperfect	182	(1)
Discourse-pragmatic developments	183	(2)
Past in the past: plus-que-parfait, passe, anterieur and passe surcompose	185	(7)
Diachronic perspectives	185	(1)
Developments in Modern French	186	(1)
The pluperfect	186	(2)
The past anterior	188	(1)
The passe surcompose	188	(4)
Mood and modality: the French subjnctive	192	(29)
Introduction	192	(1)
Explaining the use of the subjunctive	193	(9)
The French subjunctive: several `values' or a unified account?	194	(3)
Formal or mechanical approaches	197	(2)
Other approaches	199	(3)
Problematic cases	202	(4)
Noun clauses	202	(2)
Adjectival clauses	204	(2)
The vitality of the subjunctive	206	(15)
The history of the subjunctive	206	(3)
The vitality of the subjunctive in Modern French	209	(1)
The vitality of the subjunctive and variation	210	(1)
Written and spoken French	210	(1)
SES and register	211	(1)
Geographic variation	212	(1)
The imperfect subjunctive	212	(4)
Alternative markers of modality	216	(5)
Pronominal verbs	221	(27)
Introduction	221	(1)
Pronominal verbs and voice	221	(4)
How many voices for French?	221	(2)
Guillaume	223	(1)
Generative approaches to voice	224	(1)
The classification of pronominal verbs	225	(12)
Fourfold schemes	226	(1)
Dangeau's tradition	226	(1)
Subcategorizing the pronominaux subjectifs	227	(2)
Problems with differentiating the categories	229	(2)
Alternative classifications	231	(1)
Unified explanations	231	(6)
The pronominal passive	237	(11)
Constraints on the usage of the pronominal passive	237	(3)
Limits on the usage of the `true' passive	240	(1)
Syntactic constraints	240	(1)
Lexical constraints	241	(1)
Semantic constraints	241	(1)
Aspectual questions	241	(1)
Reasons for selecting the `true' passive	242	(2)
Other alternatives to the passive	244	(4)
Declarative word order: French as an SVO language	248	(25)
Introduction	248	(1)
Historical analyses	249	(6)
The data	249	(1)
Traditional analyses	250	(1)
Typological approaches	251	(2)
Marchello-Nizia (1995): the role of the object	253	(1)
Examples	254	(1)
Modern French as an SVO language	255	(15)
The data: statistics and corpora	255	(1)
A fixed exception	256	(1)
Detachment	257	(1)
The data	257	(2)
Problematic issues	259	(1)
Discourse function	260	(2)
Stylistic factors	262	(1)
Sociolinguistic factors	262	(1)
Theoretical implications and further questions	262	(2)
Inversion	264	(3)
Cleft constructions	267	(1)
Binary constructions	268	(1)
Other constructions	269	(1)
Conclusions	270	(3)
Relations between clauses: subordination, coordination, parataxis	273	(24)
Introduction	273	(1)
Relations within the sentence: questions of definition	273	(9)
Introduction	273	(2)
Defining subordination	275	(4)
Subordinating and coordinating conjunctoins, and coordinating adverbs	279	(3)
Spoken French: a case study of the relative du francais populaire	282	(5)
Relations within discourse: parataxis, coordination and subordination as degrees of progression in lingustic sophistication?	287	(10)
Language acquisition	287	(2)
Social groups	289	(2)
Medium/discourse type	291	(6)
Negation	297	(26)
Introduction	297	(4)
The nature of the component elements	298	(3)
Scope	301	(4)
Scope and context	301	(1)
Negative raising?	302	(3)
Ne ... que and expletive ne	305	(7)
Ne ... que	305	(4)
Expletive ne	309	(1)
Usage of expletive ne	309	(1)
The value and currency of expletive ne	310	(2)
Ne alone to mark negation	312	(1)
The loss of ne and the marking of negation by pas alone	312	(11)
The historical background	312	(1)
Factors influencing the use of non-use of ne in contemporary French	313	(1)
Syntactic factors	313	(1)
Phonetic factors	314	(1)
Semantic factors	315	(1)
Frequently used expressions	315	(1)
Stylistic factors	316	(1)
Demographic factors: region, SES, and age	316	(2)
Other examples of the rise of pas	318	(5)
Neologisms: internal versus external factors	323	(20)
Introduction	323	(1)
Definitional questions and statistics	324	(3)
What is a borrowing?	324	(1)
Types of borrowing	325	(1)
Statistical considerations	326	(1)
The linguistic integration of borrowings	327	(8)
Phonological integration	327	(1)
The issues	327	(1)
The implications	328	(2)
Morpho-syntactic integration	330	(3)
Semantic integration	333	(2)
`Hybrids' and pseudo-anglicisms	335	(2)
The status of Latin (and Greek) material	337	(2)
Attitudes towards borrowing	339	(4)
`Internal' processes of word creation in French	343	(21)
Introduction	343	(1)
Definitional issues	343	(8)
Neologisms	344	(1)
Suffixes and prefixes	344	(1)
Prefixes and compounds -- problematic distinctions	344	(1)
Identifying compounds	345	(1)
Recomposes	346	(1)
Compounds versus free combinations	347	(3)
Compounds and phrases	350	(1)
Productivity	351	(3)
Variation	351	(1)
Language change	352	(1)
Linguistic constraints	353	(1)
Neologisms and linguistic theory	354	(4)
The impact of internal lexical creation on French	358	(6)
Semantic complexities	359	(1)
Morphosyntactic complexities: compounds and abbreviations	360	(1)
Phonological complexities	361	(3)
References	364	(27)
Index of Concepts	391	(11)
Index of Names	402