On versus tu and vous: Pronouns with indefinite reference in synchronous electronic French discourse

Abstract

This article examines the variable use of the French pronouns on, tu, and vous with generic-indefinite reference in synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC). The primary objective is to compare the use of these pronouns in CMC, a written/typed form of discourse, and in conversational spoken French as it has been analyzed over the past few decades. A VARBRUL analysis produced results comparable to those reported in previous studies in which such an approach was used. Overall, the results suggest that the use of on versus tu/ vous with indefinite reference is influenced by affirmation/negation, syntactic frame (generalizations versus implicatives), discursive-pragmatic effect (situational insertions versus morals/truisms), and type of event (specific versus non-specific).