Diaphasic variation and change in French pronouns: Different uses of on with special reference to the on/nous alterations

TY - CHAP

T1 - Diaphasic variation and change in French pronouns

T2 - Different uses of on with special reference to the on/nous alterations

AU - Hansen, Anita Berit

N1 - Studies in Language Companion Series ISSN: 0165-7763 Nummer: 136

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - The French pronominal paradigm demonstrates a colloquial variation between expressing the 1st person plural as on and as nous (On est 19 dans ma classe meaning the same as Nous sommes 19 dans ma classe). This use of definite on is stigmatized by some as working class and incorrect and seen as a spreading feature, but seen by others as a stable stylistic ressource. The present article (inspired by Coveney 2000) investigates the speech of six young Parisians in different kinds of speech situations, in order not only to examine the possible diaphasic dimension of the on/no us alternation, but also to look into their other uses of on, in search of an explanation of the increasing popularity of this pronoun in French.

AB - The French pronominal paradigm demonstrates a colloquial variation between expressing the 1st person plural as on and as nous (On est 19 dans ma classe meaning the same as Nous sommes 19 dans ma classe). This use of definite on is stigmatized by some as working class and incorrect and seen as a spreading feature, but seen by others as a stable stylistic ressource. The present article (inspired by Coveney 2000) investigates the speech of six young Parisians in different kinds of speech situations, in order not only to examine the possible diaphasic dimension of the on/no us alternation, but also to look into their other uses of on, in search of an explanation of the increasing popularity of this pronoun in French.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - franske pronominer

KW - variation

KW - ændringer

M3 - Book chapter

SN - 9789027206039

SP - 125

EP - 144

BT - Deixis and Pronouns in Romance Languages

A2 - Kragh, Kirsten Jeppesen

A2 - Lindschouw, Jan

PB - John Benjamins Publishing Company

ER -