Avant que  : une conjonction à tout faire (ou presque)

This study aims at exploring the various semantic effects of the French temporal conjunction avant que (“before”). It shows how avant que , as a simple marker of anteriority, reacts to its linguistic context in such a way that new meanings emerge, which cannot be directly attributed to the conjuncti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revue romane 2015-01, Vol.50 (1), p.114-151
Main Author: Draoulec, Anne Le
Format: Article
Language:eng ; fre
Subjects:
Humanities and Social Sciences
Linguistics
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:This study aims at exploring the various semantic effects of the French temporal conjunction avant que (“before”). It shows how avant que , as a simple marker of anteriority, reacts to its linguistic context in such a way that new meanings emerge, which cannot be directly attributed to the conjunction. Via a presuppositional analysis that takes into account factual as well as “counterfactual” or “suspensive” readings of avant que , and through numerous attested examples, it reveals the mechanisms which are responsible for generating specific semantic effects. These effects are divided into three major categories, ranging from preventing ( avant que P as “in order that not P” or “in such a way that not P”) to allowing ( avant que P as “in order that P”), or deliberating ( avant que P as “in order to decide if P”).
ISSN:0035-3906
1600-0811
DOI:10.1075/rro.50.1.07dra