Fiche du document
2009
- handle: 10670/1.fhrl5e
- halshs: halshs-00989455
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess
Mots-clés
Middle French information narrative structure postverbal subject word order theme focus backgroundSujets proches
Frenchmen (French people)Citer ce document
Claude Muller, « Major constituent order, information packaging and narrative structure in two Middle French texts. », HAL-SHS : linguistique, ID : 10670/1.fhrl5e
Métriques
Partage / Export
Résumé
Middle French offers significant variations in word order. We put forward the hypothesis that the analysis of information packaging and narrative structuring can help to understand such variations. The distribution of subject noun phrases before or after the tensed verb appears linked to communicative parameters: the pre-verbal position is preferably used for established thematic subjects within a narrative sequence, while a postverbal position is used for either known, not fully thematic subjects, or entirely new thematic subjects at the beginning of a narrative sequence.