Expressing the Same by the Different: The Subjunctive vs the Indicative in French

304 Pages·2007·1.461 MB·English

by  Igor Dreer

Expressing the Same by the Different
Studies in Functional and Structural Linguistics (SFSL)
Taking the broadest and most general definitions of the terms functional and
structural, this series aims to present linguistic and interdisciplinary research that
relates language structure — at any level of analysis from phonology to discourse —
to broader functional considerations, whether cognitive, communicative, pragmatic
or sociocultural. Preference will be given to studies that focus on data from actual
discourse, whether speech, writing or other nonvocal medium.
The series was formerly known as Linguistic & Literary Studies in Eastern Europe (LLSEE).
Founding Editor Honorary Editors
John Odmark Eva Hajičová Petr Sgall
Charles University Charles University
General Editors
Yishai Tobin Ellen Contini-Morava
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev University of Virginia
Editorial Board
Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald Jim Miller
La Trobe University University of Auckland
Joan Bybee Marianne Mithun
University of New Mexico University of California, at Santa Barbara
Nicholas Evans Lawrence J. Raphael
University of Melbourne CUNY and Adelphi University
Victor A. Friedman Olga Mišeska Tomić
University of Chicago Leiden University
Anatoly Liberman Olga T. Yokoyama
University of Minnesota UCLA
James A. Matisoff
University of California, Berkeley
Volume 59
Expressing the Same by the Different. The subjunctive vs the indicative in French
Igor Dreer
Expressing the Same
by the Different
The subjunctive vs the indicative in French
Igor Dreer
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Petr Sgall
Charles University
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Amsterdam / Philadelphia
TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
8
American National Standard for Information Sciences – Permanence of
Paper for Printed Library Materials, ansi z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dreer, Igor.
Expressing the same by the different : the subjunctive vs the indicative in French / Igor
Dreer.
p. cm. (Studies in Functional and Structural Linguistics, issn 0165-7712 ; v. 59)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. French language--Mood. 2. French language--Subjunctive. I. Title.
PC2290.D74 2007
445'.6--dc22 2007022856
isbn 978 90 272 1568 0 (Hb; alk. paper)
© 2007 – John Benjamins B.V.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any
other means, without written permission from the publisher.
John Benjamins Publishing Co. · P.O. Box 36224 · 1020 me Amsterdam · The Netherlands
John Benjamins North America · P.O. Box 27519 · Philadelphia pa 19118-0519 · usa
Dedication
To my wife Marina for all her support and encouragement, for her belief in me,
without which this book would not appear.

Table of contents
Acknowledgements xi
List of tables xiii
List of figures xv
Preface xvii
1. Theoretical background xvii
1.1 The inadequacy of functions, attributed to each mood xvii
1.2 The inadequacy of the government of French mood xxi
2. A systematic approach xxv
Part 1. The problem of French mood
chapter 1
Sentence-oriented approaches 3
1.1 Syntactic approach 4
1.2 Generative approach 9
1.3 Functional approach 13
1.4 The functional approach of Martinet 23
1.5 Cognitive approach 26
1.6 Psycho-semantic approach 32
1.7 Logico-pragmatic approach 37
chapter 2
Sign-oriented approaches 43
2.1 Jakobsonian-van Schooneveldian theory 44
2.2 Guillaumean theory 47
2.3 Summary and conclusions 48
Part 2. Columbia School theory
chapter 3
The basic principles 55
3.1 The Columbia School definition of language 55
3.2 Invariant meaning versus contextual messages 57
viii Expressing the Same by the Different
3.3 Meanings and signals in Columbia School theory 60
3.4 Relationships between signs in Columbia School theory 62
3.5 The communicative and human factors in Columbia School theory 65
3.6 Communicative strategies in Columbia School theory 69
3.7 Summary of the Columbia School principles 72
chapter 4
Hypothesis 75
4.1 The Occurrence System 75
4.2 Invariant meaning versus contextual messages 77
4.3 Meaningful contrast between the Subjunctive and the Indicative 78
4.4 Summary and conclusions 80
Part 3. “Micro-level” analysis
chapter 5
Occurrence System and the encoder’s commitment 85
5.1 The certainty versus the uncertainty of an occurrence 86
5.2 Personalized versus depersonalized occurrences 113
5.3 The degree of the encoder’s attention, concentrated on the subject 121
chapter 6
Occurrence System and subjective comment 129
6.1 Explicit comments 130
6.2 Implicit comments 136
chapter 7
Occurrence System and negation 147
7.1 Explicit negation 148
7.2 Implicit negation 153
7.3 The uniqueness of an occurrence 159
7.4 Summary and conclusions 163
Part 4. “Macro-level” analysis
chapter 8
“From sign to text” approach 167
8.1 Le Malentendu (The Misunderstanding) 168
8.2 Le revolver de Maigret  174
Table of contents ix
chapter 9
“From text to sign” approach 181
9.1 Antigone  182
9.2 L’insoutenable légèreté de l’être (The Unbearable Lightness of Being) 188
9.3 Summary and conclusions 196
Part 5. The Subjunctive moods: Diachronic analysis
chapter 10
Previous explanations for the use of the Subjunctive forms
and for their disfavoring 201
10.1 Sentence-oriented explanations 201
10.2 Sign-oriented explanation 205
chapter 11
The analysis of the general disfavoring of the Subjunctive 207
11.1 The losses of the Contemporary French Subjunctive 208
11.2 The loss of the Old French Subjunctive 213
chapter 12
The analysis of the disfavoring of the Imperfect Subjunctive 217
chapter 13
The Subjunctive moods in Old French: “Micro-level” analysis 223
13.1 The System of Relevance and the encoder’s concern 223
13.2 The System of Relevance and the possibility of an occurrence 227
chapter 14
The Subjunctive moods in Old French: “Macro-level” analysis 231
chapter 15
The Subjunctive moods in Contemporary French:
“Micro-level” analysis 239
15.1 The System of Relevance and the encoder’s concern 239
15.2 The System of Relevance and the possibility of an alternative 244
chapter 16
The Subjunctive moods in Contemporary French:
“Macro-level” analysis 249
16.1 Les jeunes filles (The Girls) 249