Degrees of Redundancy in Double Introductions of Direct Speech in Gregory of Tours

Abstract

This paper examines direct speech introduced by two or more verbs of speech in selected works by Gregory of Tours (sixth century). It describes combinations of verbs in the reporting clause and shows that the classification of an instance as redundant cannot rely only on the co-occurrence of two verbs of speech in the reporting clause, but that it is necessary to consider the meaning of these verbs, other expressions found in the reporting clause, the context, and the meaning of the reported clause. The article asserts that the redundancy of double introduction is not binary but scalar and outlines a classification of redundancy in five categories. Finally, it discusses the motivations for the use of double introduction in Gregory of Tours’ texts.