The historical development of the expression of negation in French

Roksolana Vysotska,Maryana Havran

doi:10.36074/pcaifswal.ed-1.07

Abstract

This research paper studies the evolution of the syntactic realization of negation in French. In the introduction part, it is defined the objective of the research as tracing the development of using words aucun, personne and rien in French negative structures presenting their different practical applications. One of the tasks is to find out if these constructions could be used with the negative marker pas, without inducing a double negation interpretation. The novelty of the research paper is the evolution of the expression of French negation proved by the given examples taken mostly from literary, legal or epistolary texts. The stages of evolution in French negation part shows a detailed analysis of negative markers ne and pas through different stages of their developments presented by various scientists. The evolution of negation in French is generally analyzed by using three main stages, but the investigation proves that there are other approaches for characterizing it, the so-called four stages evolution or even five stages; nevertheless, the final stage is identified by negation expressed by using only marker pas. The next part of this paper The expression of negation in Old and modern French studies the evolution of the undefined aucun, personne and rien, which are presented in the negative constructions in modern French. It is proved that the negation was strengthened by adding an undefined non-negative post verbal element or representing a small amount, such as pas, point, mie, brin, goutte, aucun, personne, rien, etc. It is concluded that in the course of historical development, these words being initially of positive value have taken on a negative coloration and value in modern French.

Highlights

Pedagogical concept and its features, social work and linguology in modern oral French, we observe the loss of the preverbal marker ne, and the negation is expressed using the postverbal element
Our analysis shows that the verbal negation with two terms as we know it in modern French is a product of a long historical evolution
The negation was firstly expressed by using the preverbal marker ne

Summary

Introduction

In the process of learning foreign languages, grammarians distinguish such a linguistic component, without assimilation and perfect understanding of which, it is impossible to master and fully comprehend the whole structure of the language. In certain varieties of French, like Quebec French, there are constructions with both negative indefinites (aucun, personne and rien) and the negative marker pas, without inducing a double negation. In the days of classical French, according to Larrivée and Rowlett, negation is expressed using the preverbal marker ne and a postverbal element (je ne dis pas).

Results

Conclusion