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Romance Languages and Linguistic Theory 15: Selected papers from 'Going Romance' 30, Frankfurt
Edited by Ingo Feldhausen, Martin Elsig, Imme Kuchenbrandt and Mareike Neuhaus
[Romance Languages and Linguistic Theory 15] 2019
► pp. 113–132

Chapter 6
Historical pragmatics, explicit activation and wh in situ in French

ORCID logo | Normandie Université, Université de Caen Normandie, CRISCO (EA4255)

The purpose of this paper is to further the understanding of the syntax/pragmatics interface with reference to rare grammatical variables. The usage-based assessment of the pragmatic value of wh in situ in French shows that contrary to claims in the literature, the variable does not have a categorical pragmatic value in the contemporary period. It does historically have a categorically discourse-old, explicitly activated status, when it emerges as a new variable representing less than 1% of partial questions. Converging with current studies, an activation condition is proposed: rare emerging grammatical variables representing less than 1% of occurrences in the relevant category enter the grammatical system with an explicit activation value.

Keywords: pragmatics, language change, discourse-old, explicit activation, veridicality, negation, interrogatives, wh in situ , French
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Research context
  • 3.The contemporary pragmatics of French wh in situ
  • 4.The historical pragmatics of French wh in situ
  • 5.Concluding discussion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 9 October 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/rllt.15.06lar
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