Chapter 6. Forms and functions of the French personal pronouns in social interactions and literary texts
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Paul Bouissac
Abstract
The morphology and grammatical functions of French personal pronouns are first introduced with reference to their Latin origin in the context of the Indo-European language family. Considering that the forms of personal pronouns are necessarily grounded in the preliterate emergence of language and that the metalinguistic characterization of their grammatical functions glosses over their signalling values as spatial or territorial markers, this chapter endeavours to probe the ways in which these pronouns not only reflect but also, more importantly create or enforce social structures in learning and acculturation processes. From this point of view, personal pronouns in their contexts of use can be considered as speech acts in as much as they create equality of status, intimacy, bonding, or dominance, and can transform any of these kinds of relations into one another. Evidence is drawn from personal experience in the form of revealing anecdotes and from the use of the social and interpersonal power of pronouns in literary texts that purport to portray face-to-face and epistolary interactions.
Abstract
The morphology and grammatical functions of French personal pronouns are first introduced with reference to their Latin origin in the context of the Indo-European language family. Considering that the forms of personal pronouns are necessarily grounded in the preliterate emergence of language and that the metalinguistic characterization of their grammatical functions glosses over their signalling values as spatial or territorial markers, this chapter endeavours to probe the ways in which these pronouns not only reflect but also, more importantly create or enforce social structures in learning and acculturation processes. From this point of view, personal pronouns in their contexts of use can be considered as speech acts in as much as they create equality of status, intimacy, bonding, or dominance, and can transform any of these kinds of relations into one another. Evidence is drawn from personal experience in the form of revealing anecdotes and from the use of the social and interpersonal power of pronouns in literary texts that purport to portray face-to-face and epistolary interactions.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Chapter 1. N-V-T, a framework for the analysis of social dynamics in address pronouns 17
- Chapter 2. When we means you 35
- Chapter 3. A socio-semiotic approach to the personal pronominal system in Brazilian Portuguese 57
- Chapter 4. Address pronouns and alternatives 75
- Chapter 5. T-V address practices in Italian 99
- Chapter 6. Forms and functions of the French personal pronouns in social interactions and literary texts 133
- Chapter 7. The dynamics of Nepali pronominal distinctions in familiar, casual and formal relationships 151
- Chapter 8. The Chinese pronominal system and identity construction via self-reference 205
- Chapter 9. Pronouns in an 18th century Chinese novel 219
- Chapter 10. Me, myself, and ako 235
- Chapter 11. Address, reference and sequentiality in Indonesian conversation 253
- Chapter 12. Pronouns in affinal avoidance registers 289
- Index 319
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Chapter 1. N-V-T, a framework for the analysis of social dynamics in address pronouns 17
- Chapter 2. When we means you 35
- Chapter 3. A socio-semiotic approach to the personal pronominal system in Brazilian Portuguese 57
- Chapter 4. Address pronouns and alternatives 75
- Chapter 5. T-V address practices in Italian 99
- Chapter 6. Forms and functions of the French personal pronouns in social interactions and literary texts 133
- Chapter 7. The dynamics of Nepali pronominal distinctions in familiar, casual and formal relationships 151
- Chapter 8. The Chinese pronominal system and identity construction via self-reference 205
- Chapter 9. Pronouns in an 18th century Chinese novel 219
- Chapter 10. Me, myself, and ako 235
- Chapter 11. Address, reference and sequentiality in Indonesian conversation 253
- Chapter 12. Pronouns in affinal avoidance registers 289
- Index 319
