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Puis in spoken French: from time adjunct to additive conjunct?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2008

Maj-Britt Mosegaard Hansen
Maj-Britt Mosegaard Hansen
Affiliation:
Institut d'Etudes Romanes, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Université de Copenhague, Njalsgade 80, DK-2300 Copenhague S, Denmark
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Abstract

In this paper I present an analysis of the discourse connective puis, as it is used in (relatively) informal spoken French. I argue that this item has been (and possibly still is) subject to a process of grammaticalization, whereby its basic function has changed from that of a time adjunct to that of an additive conjunct taking discourse acts in its scope, with the further possibility that it may be moving towards becoming a true conjunction. I moreover hypothesize that the meaning of conversational puis may be represented as a set of instructions, directing the hearer to search for two and only two elements to be connected, and to understand these two elements to be of separate relevance to a common integrator.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of French Language Studies , Volume 5 , Issue 1 , March 1995 , pp. 31 - 56
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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