Problématique
Currently, foreign languages play a crucial role in our lives, serving as essential tools for job acquisition and global communication They facilitate interactions with other countries, contributing to social development However, mastering a foreign language can be challenging due to its differences from our native tongue To effectively grasp a foreign language, it is important to understand its grammar and build a strong vocabulary.
In language, grammar encompasses the rules that construct statements deemed correct by speakers, with adjectives playing a crucial role in sentence formulation In French, various types of adjectives exist, including demonstrative, indefinite, and possessive adjectives This article focuses on the epithets, an essential part of speech that vividly conveys the speaker's intention and adds expressiveness to communication However, the use of epithets remains a challenging topic for language learners, particularly concerning their placement relative to the nouns they accompany Both students and teachers of French often struggle with the syntactic and semantic complexities of adjective positioning, as illustrated by examples like "un grand homme" versus "un homme grand" and "une jolie fille" versus "une fille ravissante." The distinction between phrases such as "l’immense mer" and "la mer immense" further highlights the intricacies of epithet placement, as noted by Forsgen, who emphasizes that the position of adjectives is a significant issue for students of French as a foreign language, especially those from Nordic backgrounds.
2 épithète Redoutable pour sa complexité, le problème de la position variable – globalement parlant – de l’adjectif ne cesse d’attirer […] l’intérêt des grammairiens et des linguistes ằ [Forsgen, 1997]
Champs d’étude et objectifs du mémoire
This study aims to examine the placement variations of attributive adjectives in two distinct styles: literary and journalistic It has a dual purpose: to assess whether the theoretical norms regarding the positioning of adjectives are adhered to in actual usage and to elucidate the instances of positional changes.
Pour m’orienter dans les analyses, des questions de recherche sont posées :
- L’utilisation de l’adjectif épithète dans le style littéraire et journaliste suit-elle de près les règles mentionnées dans les livres de grammaire ?
- Qu’est-ce qui peut expliquer le changement de place des épithètes dans l’usage réel ?
Pour trouver les réponses aux questions de recherche, des hypothèses sont reformulées :
- Il existe des cas non-standards dans l’usage réel concernant la place des épithètes
- Le changement de place de l’épithète peut s’expliquer par plusieurs facteurs
To achieve our objectives, we conducted a statistical study on the position of the attributive adjective in both literary and journalistic styles The findings of this research highlight notable differences between theory and practice, as well as reasons for the non-standard usage of the attributive adjective.
Méthodologie de recherche
Une recherche descriptive, analytique et théorique est adoptée pour présenter et analyser les adjectifs épithètes Cette méthodologie se base effectivement sur une
3 énumération des occurrences qui permet d’observer les variations de position de l’épithète.
Plan
Ce travail comprend trois parties
La première aborde des connaissances générales sur l’adjectif, dont l’adjectif épithète (définition, fonction et place)
La deuxième précise et analyse le corpus utilisé dans le mémoire
Et la troisiốme partie porte sur des rộsultats reỗus aprốs avoir analysộ le corpus
Généralités sur l’adjectif
Définition
The adjective is a word that qualifies a noun, indicating its quality or state of being As every quality is derived from the substance it describes, it is clear that an adjective inherently depends on a noun Furthermore, adjectives can vary in gender and number, but unlike nouns, they do not possess a gender on their own; instead, their form is determined by the noun they relate to, typically a nominal or pronominal term in the sentence.
According to these definitions of adjectives, it is important to distinguish between qualifying adjectives and determinative adjectives Qualifying adjectives, as the name suggests, describe the noun by specifying a quality or characteristic and can be omitted, as seen in examples like "a white dress," "great adventures," and "a loyal friendship."
Non-qualifying adjectives, also known as determiners, serve a distinct purpose by determining the noun they precede They function similarly to articles and are essential, as they cannot be omitted in phrases such as "this dress," "what adventures!" and "this friendship."
Notre sujet de recherche concerne effectivement l’adjectif qualificatif Nous pouvons voir que l’adjectif qualificatif (dès maintenant adjectif tout simplement) est un
An adjective is a word that complements the meaning of a noun, pronoun, or noun group, enhancing the impression it conveys to the listener or reader Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun, pronoun, or noun group they modify.
Fonctions de l’adjectif qualificatif
Après avoir compris ce que c’est que l’adjectif, nous nous demandons quelles sont ses fonctions À part la fonction sémantique, l’adjectif qualificatif a trois fonctions syntaxiques principales : épithète, apposé et attribut
The adjective is called an epithet when it directly precedes or follows the noun (or noun group) it modifies, without a comma or linking verb It is an integral part of the noun group and can be removed without affecting the overall structure of the sentence.
(1) Tu crois que c’est elle ? Tu as raison, elle a un faux air de Caroline Leblond L2
L’adjectif ô faux ằ prộcốde directement le nom ô air ằ, il est ộpithốte
Antoine observed the young mother reading intently while seated on a chair As she turned the pages, she glanced occasionally at her little boy, who was joyfully clinging to the post of his wooden horse.
Dans cette phrase, il y a trois ộpithốtes et chacun prộcốde un nom, ô jeune ằ prộcốde ô maman ằ, ô brefs ằ prộcốde ô regards ằ et ô petit ằ prộcốde ô garỗon ằ
(3) Il avanỗa jusqu’à l’homme au complet bleu et s’assit prốs de lui L5
L’adjectif ô bleu ằ est ộpithốte du nom ô complet ằ
An appositive adjective is defined as one that is separated from the noun or pronoun by a comma or a pause in speech It can be positioned at the beginning, end, or within the body of a sentence, or directly following the noun Importantly, it can be removed without affecting the overall structure of the sentence.
(1) Il la relut et, satisfait, la plia soigneusement avant de la glisser dans sa poche [Levy, 2006]
L’adjectif ô satisfait ằ accompagne le sujet ô il ằ mais il est sộparộ du pronom ô il ằ par une virgule Il est apposộ du nom
Stunned, the customer attempted to bypass Mathias, who swiftly snatched the book from his hands before returning to his work, exclaiming loudly, "Hello, please, thank you, goodbye!"
Dans cette expression, l’adjectif ô stupộfait ằ se place au dộbut de la phrase Il complốte le nom ô le client ằ mais sộparộ du sujet par une virgule Il est adjectif apposé
The man in the hat left the store in a fury, while the cashier shrugged her shoulders The young saleswoman, still on her ladder, struggled to maintain her composure Meanwhile, the bookstore owner requested Mathias to visit him before the day's end.
In this statement, the adjective "furious" follows the subject "the man in the hat" but is positioned in the middle of the sentence, separated from the subject by a comma This construction illustrates the use of an appositive adjective.
La fonction attribut de l’adjectif est divisée en deux types : attribut du sujet et attribut du complément d’objet direct
An adjective is deemed a subject complement when it follows the subject—whether a pronoun, noun, or noun phrase—and describes a characteristic through a state verb such as to be, to seem, to appear, to look, to become, to remain, or to stay.
(1) Elle était rudement belle, Caroline Leblond [Levy, 2006]
L’adjectif ô belle ằ complốte le pronom ô elle ằ, sộparộ du pronom par le verbe ô ờtre ằ L’adjectif est attribut du pronom sujet ô elle ằ
(2) Vous aurez probablement un peu de mal à vous repérer au début, les lieux peuvent sembler petits, mais l’âme de cette librairie est immense [Levy, 2006]
In this sentence, two adjectives are present: "small" and "immense." The adjective "small" serves as a complement to the subject "the places," separated from the subject by the linking verb "seem." Meanwhile, the adjective "immense" acts as a complement to the subject "this bookstore," separated from the subject by the verb "to be."
(3) Elle est magnifique et heureuse [Levy, 2006]
Les adjectifs ô magnifique ằ et ô heureuse ằ sont attributs du pronom ô elle ằ et sộparộs de ô elle ằ par le verbe ô ờtre ằ
The attributive adjective is connected to the direct object (COD) when it follows the COD, assigning a characteristic to it This relationship is typically established through an opinion verb such as believe, render, name, declare, estimate, find, or judge.
(1) ầa n'empờche que ỗa doit avoir des vertus thộrapeutiques pour certains de le juger responsable et coupable de tout I
L’adjectif ô responsable ằ qualifie le pronom personnel ô le ằ qui est le COD du verbe ô juger ằ
I enjoy seeing them exhausted and lacking courage as they have left their families behind, come from afar, are unaware of their destination, barely eat, hardly drink, are unwell, and yet still dare not stop.
L’adjectif ô ộpuisộs ằ qualifie le pronom personnel ô les ằ qui est le COD du verbe ô voir ằ
Loving one's job, finding it interesting, and thriving in professional activities are fundamental to the happiness of nearly half of executives, according to François Miquet-Marty, director of the research and consulting firm Viavoice.
L’adjectif ô intộressant ằ qualifie le pronom personnel ô le ằ qui est le COD du verbe ô trouver ằ
Que ce soit le rôle syntaxique de l’adjectif (épithète, apposé ou attribut), il complète la signification du substantif
Nous pouvons lire deux expressions suivantes pour trouver la fonction de l’adjectif :
(2) Un livre intéressant [Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
L’expression (1) nous apporte seulement une détermination, c’est un livre, une œuvre que nous pouvons lire Mais l’énoncé (2) ajoute que c’est également un bon livre avec le contenu intéressant
(2) Un fleuve profond [Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
L’énoncé (1) aborde un lieu, c’est simplement un fleuve Et l’expression (2) ajoute que c’est un fleuve avec une grande profondeur
The adjective enhances a noun (including pronouns or noun phrases) by providing expressive or descriptive effects In other words, adjectives convey additional information about the being or object they refer to.
Adjectif épithète
Caractéristiques de l’adjectif épithète
L’adjectif épithète appartient à la classe d’éléments du groupe nominal pour ộtablir des phrases Par exemple, dans ô le chat noir ằ, ô noir ằ est une ộpithốte du groupe nominal
Adjective phrases are seen as optional formal expansions or enhancements of meaning within a noun group This means that adjectives can be removed without affecting the sentence's structure or clarity For instance, the statements "I have a cat" and "I have a black cat" are both correct, but the latter provides greater precision.
The attributive adjective changes in gender and number according to the noun it modifies For instance, it can be "a white dog" for masculine singular, but "a white cow" for feminine singular, or "a romantic book" for masculine singular, while it becomes "romantic books" in the plural form.
Il peut être attaché directement au nom ou au groupe nominal, soit avant soit après.
Place de l’épithète
To enhance our analysis, we identify four types of epithets Anteposed epithets are positioned before the noun, while postposed epithets follow the noun Double interpretation epithets can shift their position depending on their meaning, and variable position epithets can change places without altering their meaning.
In a sentence, the order of elements is crucial, and the placement of attributive adjectives often presents challenges for French as a Foreign Language (FLE) learners For instance, we say "a pretty girl" but "a smart and pretty girl"; "a pink wall" but "a big wall." Understanding these nuances is essential for mastering French sentence structure.
In French, the placement of adjectives can significantly alter the meaning of a sentence For instance, "un grand homme" (a great man) and "un homme grand" (a tall man) illustrate how the position of the adjective affects interpretation Generally, adjectives in French are placed after the noun they modify, but many adjectives can also precede the noun Understanding when to position an adjective before or after the noun is crucial for conveying the intended meaning accurately.
Il n’y a aucune règle pour déterminer que l’épithète est antéposée ou postposée
There is no general semantic property that is consistently linked to the relative order of nouns and attributive adjectives For instance, antonyms do not necessarily exhibit identical behavior; for example, "beautiful" can precede the noun, while "ugly" or "hideous" are always placed after it.
The position of the attributive adjective is influenced not only by theoretical rules but also by the meaning of the statement, the style of expression, cultural context, the speaker's psychology, and the history of the language's country This article does not aim to analyze all these variations but focuses on identifying standard usages based on a theoretical framework regarding the placement of attributive adjectives.
11 grammaticale À partir de cette norme, nous allons identifier les cas dits de non- standard pour les expliquer par la suite
En général, l’adjectif épithète peut prendre place devant ou derrière le substantif et il peut changer de sens selon qu’il antépose ou postpose le substantif
Postpositive adjectives are qualifying adjectives that are positioned after the nouns they describe Typically, these are longer adjectives, such as "financial," "Parisian," and "political." Below are some theoretical rules regarding postpositive adjectives.
Épithètes normalement placés derrière le nom
- Les adjectifs de couleur : jaune, blanc, gris, vert, bleu…
(1) Elle ôta sa blouse blanche pour la suspendre à la patère en fer forgé L47
(2) Les briques rouges de la faỗade ộtaient recouvertes d’une glycine abondante qui grimpait jusqu’au toit L55
(3) Antoine profita d’un feu rouge pour récupérer sa serviette posée aux pieds de Mathias L68
- Les adjectifs indiquant la forme : rond, courbe, triangle, étroite…
(1) La jeune femme esquissa une grimace en posant la main sur son ventre rond L9
(2) Une pièce rectangulaire [Vercollier ; Vercollier ; Bourlier, 2004]
Certain expressions, though unusual, remain in use, such as "oh Snow White," "oh a white thorn," "oh a blue coat," and "oh a round execution of The Rite of Spring by Karajan." Additionally, we can juxtapose color adjectives for literary or personal reasons.
- Les adjectifs accompagnés d’un adverbe long, par exemple :
(1) Un long développement mais un développement extrêmement long [Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
(2) Un vigoureux cheval mais un cheval remarquablement vigoureux [Chevalier ; Blanche-Beveniste ; Arrivé ; Peytard, 1964]
(3) Une belle personne mais une personne moralement belle I
In fact, we can describe an extremely long development, a remarkably vigorous horse, or a morally beautiful person In these situations, the attributive adjective can be placed either before or after the noun, depending on the author's intention.
Épithètes obligatoirement placés derrière le nom
- Les adjectifs dérivés d’un nom propre d’une personne ou d’un nom de continent, de pays, de province, d’ẫtat, de religion… : franỗais, vietnamien, canadien, asiatique, européen, shakespearien, newtonien, protestant, catholique…
(1) Du fromage suisse.[Vercollier ; Vercollier ; Bourlier, 2004]
(2) Un enfant juif.[Vercollier ; Vercollier ; Bourlier, 2004]
(3) Une église médiévale.[Vercollier ; Vercollier ; Bourlier, 2004]
- Les participes passés employés comme adjectifs et les adjectifs verbaux, par exemple :
(1) La pluie se mit à tomber, Mathias leva les yeux et regarda le ciel voilé L29
(2) Antoine entra dans le restaurant et remarqua aussitôt les traits décomposés de son ami L40
(3) Elle ôta sa blouse blanche pour la suspendre à la patère en fer forgé L47
- Les adjectifs qui ont un complément, par exemple :
(1) Un plus grand appartement mais un appartement plus grand que le nôtre.[Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
(2) Une longue maladie mais une maladie longue à guérir [Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
(3) Un bon pneu mais un pneu bon à jeter [Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
Antéposed epithets are adjectives that are positioned before the noun Typically, these are short adjectives, consisting of one or two syllables and are usually shorter than the noun they modify Common examples include: small, large, good, bad, beautiful, pretty, short, long, next, last, other, new, expensive, young, old, true, false, big, rare, half, lesser, better, and worse.
(1) Tu es mon meilleur ami ou le sien ? L31
(2) En les regardant, Antoine se dit que seule la vie avait pu imaginer une si jolie ressemblance L33
(3) C’est vrai que tu restes ? demanda la petite fille étouffée de baisers L34
- Les adjectifs ordinaux : troisième, cinquième, onzième…
(1) C’est la troisième fois que l’on m’offre un poste important au Quai d’Orsay L38
(2) Puisqu’elle ộtait à Londres, la chaợne de tộlộvision qui l’employait lui demandait de réaliser un deuxième reportage sur les principaux centres d’intérêt touristiques de la ville L156
(3) Le tome 2 des Légendes d’Ecosse était en évidence sur son bureau, elle récita à voix haute le troisième paragraphe de la page ouverte devant elle L188
- Les épithètes dites de nature expriment une caractéristique traditionnellement associée au nom (commun ou propre)
(1) La blanche neige [Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
(2) Les vertes prairies [Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
(3) La belle Hélène [Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
Double-meaning epithets are adjectives that alter their meaning based on their position in a sentence Certain adjectives convey different meanings depending on their placement and the nouns they modify Typically, when an adjective has two interpretations, the distinction between the literal and figurative meanings arises from its position relative to the noun.
Nous pouvons observer deux expressions suivantes :
(1) Un brave homme.[Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
(2) Un homme brave.[Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
Ces deux énoncés ont-ils le même sens ? La réponse est certainement négative
La phrase (1) désigne un homme gentil et serviable, c’est le sens figuré L’énoncé (2) signifie un homme courageux L’adjectif ô brave ằ a deux sens diffộrents selon sa position dans la construction phrastique
(1) Une pauvre femme.[Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
(2) Une femme pauvre.[Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
Ces deux énoncés ne se ressemblent pas sémantiquement La phrase (1) au sens figuré indique une femme pitoyable tandis que l’expression (2) au sens propre désigne une femme qui n’a pas d’argent
In French, many adjectives change meaning based on their position, such as "grand," "petit," and "ancien." This often leads to confusion for non-native speakers, who may struggle to place adjectives correctly before or after nouns to convey their intended meaning Consequently, some learners find it challenging to distinguish the nuanced differences in meaning that these adjectives can convey, as their richness makes mastery difficult.
Dans le tableau suivant, nous présentons quelques adjectifs à double interprétation sémantique:
Tableau 1 : Les adjectifs à double interprétation
ANCIEN un ancien officier (qui n’exerce plus sa fonction) un meuble ancien (qui existe depuis longtemps, vieux)
BEAU un bel homme (qui est bien fait de sa personne) un homme beau (contraire de laid)
(qui est humble) un homme bon (qui est gentil, complaisant)
(qui est ordonné, probe) un homme brave (qui est courageux)
CERTAIN jusqu’à un certain point (qui est défini, déterminé) des nouvelles certaines (qui sont sûres, garanties)
(qui est bien-aimé) un chapeau cher (qui est d’un prix élevé)
(unanimement) une voix commune (qui est ordinaire, normale)
DERNIER la dernière année (après laquelle il n’y a plus rien, contraire de première) l’année dernière (qui est la plus récente, contraire de prochaine)
(qui est remarquable) un homme grand (dont la taille est élevée)
HONNÊTE un honnête homme (homme aux manières distinguées) un homme honnête (qui est probe, intègre)
JEUNE un jeune homme (ô dộsigne une personne à un moment de sa vie ằ) un homme jeune (contraire de vieux)
(qui est peu abondant) un dợner maigre (qui ne contient ni de viande, ni de graisse, qui
MÉCHANT un méchant écrivain (dont les œuvres ne sont pas bonnes) un écrivain méchant (qui est malicieux)
PAUVRE une pauvre femme (ô qui inspire de la pitiộ, de la commisộration ằ) une femme pauvre (qui n’est pas riche)
PETIT C’est un petit théâtre
C’est un théâtre petit (qui n’emploie pas beaucoup d’artistes)
(qui est ridicule, drôle) un personnage plaisant (qui est amusant)
PROPRE ses propres termes ; de sa propre main (ô de la personne mờme termes propres (qui est juste, approprié); la main propre
17 dont il est question ằ) (qui n’est pas sale)
(qui est méprisable) un personnage triste (qui n’est pas heureux)
(ami du temps jadis) un ami vieux (qui n’est plus jeune)
(qui est parfait) une comédie vraie (qui est véritable) [Dictonnaire Larousse, 2011 ; Ducháček, 1955 : 318-319]
Variable-position epithets are adjectives that can occupy two positions without altering their meaning, or those with optional placement that shift for various reasons Typically, these adjectives default to a position after the noun when they only convey their descriptive coded meaning It is likely that these adjectives, or non-standard cases, are applicable to common evaluations regarding emotional and appreciative values or the discursive emphasis attached to the preceding epithet.
(1) Merci pour cette agréable soirée / Merci pour cette soirée agréable. [Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
(2) Il nous a servi une horrible piquette / Il nous a servi une piquette horrible.[Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
(3) Les sanglots longs des violons de l’automne / Les longs sanglots des violons de l’automne.[Riegel ; Peillat ; Rioul, 2016]
1.2.2.5 Ordre des adjectifs dans le groupe nominal
Quand un groupe nominal a deux adjectifs ou plus, nous nous demandons quel est leur ordre ?
When multiple adjectives modify a noun, they can be either coordinated using a conjunction or juxtaposed with or without a comma These adjectives may precede, follow, or surround the noun they describe.
Sitting side by side on a bench by the carousel, Antoine and Mathias watched as a man in a blue suit placed a large pink bag at the foot of a chair and accompanied his little girl to the ride.
(2) Sous son imperméable serré à la taille, elle portait une robe noire, décolletée, simple et élégante L145
(3) Tous ceux qui ont un minimum de jugeote savent bien que le désespoir est une défense émotionnelle saine J231
In example (1), two adjectives are juxtaposed as they directly complement the noun "bag." Similarly, in statement (3), two adjectives are placed together In expression (2), the adjective "black" is juxtaposed without a comma, while "decollete," "simple," and "elegant" are separated by commas The adjectives "simple" and "elegant" are coordinated using the conjunction "and."
Présentation du corpus
The position of the attributive adjective is a well-studied issue in French grammar To better understand this challenge, we analyzed a corpus from two literary and journalistic styles, as both tend to uphold linguistic purity Writers, poets, and journalists possess a deep understanding of linguistics, allowing them to skillfully craft sentences, descriptions, imagery, dialogue, and narratives Their high level of mastery over textual aesthetics makes them language elites, resulting in precise word usage.
Both styles convey reality but differ in several aspects Each has its own tools, methods, and techniques to engage and capture the reader's attention The journalistic style aims to inform by prioritizing information to attract a broad audience, while the literary style adheres to specific norms and techniques, making literary writing an end in itself, crafted for its own sake and aspiring to perfection.
Based on the rules governing the placement of epithets, we created a corpus to compare practical application with theoretical understanding This corpus consists of two parts: all noun groups containing one or more epithets from the novel "Mes amis, mes amours" [Levy, 2006], and selected groups from online newspapers Thus, the first criterion for our corpus is that each noun group must contain at least one epithetic adjective Additionally, the principle applied in "Mes amis, mes amours" [Levy, 2006] involves stripping down the text for clarity.
In our analysis, we focus on the use of attributive adjectives, particularly in online newspapers like lemonde.fr, lefigaro.fr, and lepoint.fr, where we observe variable placement of these adjectives We specifically highlight unusual usages, which we categorize as non-standard cases Our corpus includes a literary work from the 21st century alongside excerpts from contemporary newspapers to ensure consistency in the usage of adjectives These three criteria are essential for our study.
For our literary analysis, we selected Marc Levy's work "Oh My Friends, My Loves." As a modern romantic writer, Levy's use of attributive adjectives aligns closely with contemporary styles The literary section contains a total of 339 noun groups featuring 170 different epithets across 278 statements We focused on all statements that include attributive adjectives to examine variations in their positioning and to analyze instances of repositioning.
In our analysis of journalistic style, we focused on specific cases where the adjective has a variable position, allowing us to compare it with literary style and synthesize the actual usage of adjectives We collected 306 noun phrases containing 173 different adjectives from 143 online news articles Our references included official French daily newspapers available on the Internet, such as Lemonde.fr, Lefigaro.fr, Lepoint.fr, Leparisien.fr, Lesechos.fr, and 20minutes.fr.
Our corpus includes a total of 644 noun phrases featuring 290 different epithets This consists of 371 instances with a single anteposed epithet (AS), 211 cases with a single postposed epithet (SA), 15 examples with two anteposed epithets (AAS), 9 cases with two postposed epithets (SAA), and 38 instances with two epithets positioned on both sides of the noun (ASA).
La distribution des occurrences selon leur place se présente dans le tableau suivant
Tableau 2 : Distribution des occurrences selon leur place dans le corpus
Total AS SA AAS SAA ASA
In standard usage, epithets can occupy either a fixed or a mobile position A fixed position requires epithets to be either exclusively placed before or after the noun In contrast, a variable position applies to two types of epithets: adjectives with dual interpretations that change meaning depending on their placement relative to the noun, and mobile adjectives that can occupy either position without significant alteration in meaning but are subject to different syntactic rules.
According to the standard rules, our corpus includes many unusual cases Specifically, in the literary section of the corpus, we identified 30 noun phrases that do not conform to the norm, representing 8.88% of a total of 338 noun phrases.
Analyses de l’œuvre ô Mes amis, mes amours ằ
Afin d’entrer dans l’analyse des rộsultats, nous commenỗons par l’œuvre ô Mes amis, mes amour ằ [Levy, 2006]
In literary occurrences, it is observed that the majority of noun phrases feature the epithet in the pre-modified position Specifically, out of 338 noun phrases analyzed from the novel, 161 contain a single pre-modified epithet, while 156 have a single post-modified epithet Additionally, there are 9 instances with two pre-modified epithets, 3 with two post-modified epithets, and 9 with one epithet on each side of the noun Notably, the cases of a single pre-modified epithet dominate the literary work, accounting for 47.63% of the total.
23 place est méritée aux cas d’une seule épithète postposée (46,15%) Et les cas avec deux épithètes postposées remportent 0.89%
The analysis reveals that a significant number of noun phrases in this segment of the corpus adhere to the standard placement of epithets However, there are also instances of non-standard usage, such as "a charming little bookstore," "the regrettable idea," and "a magnificent umbrella." This literary section contains 30 non-standard noun groups, with several epithets repeated, including "immense," "generous," and "charming." Upon examining this part of the corpus, we identified 19 epithets with variable placement, including "magnificent," "generous," "fast," "huge," "famous," "charming," "strange," "impressive," "gigantic," "immense," "delicious," "any," "undisputed," "main," "excellent," "infinite," and "narrow."
Tableau 3 : Distribution des usages standards et non-standards dans la tranche littéraire
Total Cas non-standards Cas standards
Alors, pourquoi y a-t-il des usages non-standards ?
The example of the phrase "the regrettable idea of dying" illustrates a non-standard usage of the adjective "regrettable," which typically follows the noun it modifies In this case, it precedes the noun, making it an exception in the text This unique structure occurs only once in the novel and features a complement followed by the noun "idea of dying." If this complement were absent, the phrase would conform to the standard structure of "a regrettable idea." The deviation from the norm arises because the noun includes a complement.
The article discusses the use of the epithet "immense" in a novel, highlighting its frequent occurrence in various phrases such as "an immense space" and "an immense laugh." Typically positioned after the noun, "immense" appears in the novel with a notable 100% in the anteposition This structure mirrors that of "the regrettable idea of dying," where the adjective precedes the noun and its complement However, the phrase "the immense esplanade of the Montparnasse station" deviates from this norm due to the complement "of the station." The author employs this positioning to emphasize the characteristic of the noun, as seen in "an immense laugh burst in the room," where the adjective highlights the significance of "laugh," distinguishing it from a mere smile Additionally, this placement maintains a strong connection between the noun and the verb, reinforcing the author's intent to accentuate the epithet "immense."
Another epithet that clearly expresses the dynamic usage in this novel is "oh delightful." This phrase is used to describe a charming young woman, the lovely city of Airth, the enchanting little village of Speyside, and a delightful small bookstore.
Dans cette œuvre, l’ộpithốte ô ravissant ằ apparait 4 fois et 4 fois d’antộposition (soit
In certain cases, the author may choose to place the adjective in postposition rather than adhering to standard norms, aiming to emphasize the statement and create a specific effect This deviation from the norm highlights the adjective's significance in the context.
In the context of non-standard usage, the adjective "généreux" appears multiple times, specifically in phrases such as "généreux pourboire" and "généreuse idée." In the literary analysis, "généreux" is consistently placed in the anteposition, highlighting its role in the text This non-standard application serves to enhance coherence and convey the author's intent For instance, the phrase "Il remercia le chauffeur d’un généreux pourboire" and "l’homme l’écouta attentivement et accepta le généreux pourboire que Mathias lui offrait" emphasize the noun "pourboire," while "c’était une belle et généreuse idée" underscores the noun "idée." Overall, the strategic placement of "généreux" reinforces the thematic connections within the narrative.
Another non-standard epithet is "enormous." Similar to previous non-standard cases, the epithet "enormous" is used to highlight and create an effect in literary works This epithet appears twice in the literary corpus and is always placed before the noun, demonstrating a 100% occurrence of this positioning The use of "an enormous puff of cigar" can be explained by the noun complement, where the subject of this noun phrase has the complement "puff of cigar," thus placing the epithet in the anteposition The phrase "an enormous hug" emphasizes the noun "hug." To illustrate how the epithet shifts for expressive effect, consider the entire sentence: "Antoine took his son in his arms and gave him an enormous hug, a hug that contained the love of four joined arms." The noun "hug" is repeated to maintain coherence and underscore the author's intent.
Another case of non-standard usage is applied to the adjective "magnificent." This epithet appears twice in the literary excerpt, once in the pre-position and once in the post-position, indicating that 50% of the time it is used in the pre-position According to theory, post-position is the more common placement for this epithet The author intentionally uses pre-position in "a magnificent umbrella" (L272) to emphasize the beauty of the umbrella Between the expressions "an umbrella magnificent" and "a magnificent umbrella," we can sense a distinct difference in emphasis.
26 la deuxiốme expression a une grand apprộciation ô Un magnifique parapluie ằ souligne la beauté du parapluie
Another noteworthy epithet in the list of non-standard cases is "impressive." The term "impressive" serves as a present participle used as an adjective, and being a long adjective, it typically follows the noun it modifies However, in the example "the impressive building," it is placed before the noun to emphasize "building."
The non-standard cases remaining in this novel arise from the same reasons as previous cases A narrow strip of grass and the main tourist attractions do not adhere to the norm due to their descriptive additions Additionally, a quick glance reveals the famous castle, an unusual conversation, and an unspecified comfort.
The author's intention is highlighted through phrases such as "a strange story" and "undeniable youth," which emphasize the subject matter Additionally, expressions like "an infinite caution" and "the charming princess" accentuate the nouns while conveying appreciation The use of "an excellent student" further underscores the significance of the nouns, even when the epithet may not conform to standard norms.
In the work "Oh My Friends, My Loves," there are non-standard cases that can be attributed to several factors: the use of nouns followed by complements, the author's intent, the emphasis placed on names or epithets, and the overall appreciation of the text.
Analyses des articles de presse
After analyzing the first segment of the corpus, particularly the work "My Friends, My Loves," we can identify non-standard placements of epithets within the journalistic segment Specifically, in "My Friends, My Loves," we discovered several reasons for the deviation from conventional norms regarding epithets To further elaborate on these non-standard cases, we will highlight the second segment of the corpus, focusing on the placement of epithets in press articles.
In the journalistic context, most noun phrases feature preposed epithets Out of 306 noun phrases analyzed from online newspapers, 210 contain a single preposed epithet, while 55 have a single postposed epithet Additionally, there are 6 phrases with two preposed epithets, 6 with two postposed epithets, and 29 phrases with epithets on both sides of the noun Consequently, single preposed epithets account for a significant portion of the journalistic corpus, representing 68.63% Postposed epithets rank second at 17.97%, and noun phrases with a single preposed epithet constitute 1.96% The frequency of single postposed epithets matches that of single preposed ones.
In the second segment of the corpus, it is evident that the positioning of adjectives in noun phrases often deviates from conventional norms Many long adjectives are placed before the noun, contrary to standard rules For instance, phrases such as "the fabulous notebook," "a delightful sense of transgression," and "a vigorous resumption of hiring" illustrate this trend This journalistic section contains 206 non-standard cases, with frequent epithets including "immense," "famous," "peaceful," "main," and "potential."
Tableau 4 : Distribution des cas standards et non-standards dans la tranche journalistique
Total Cas non-standards Cas standards
D’abord, nous pouvons voir que dans la partie journalistique, beaucoup d’ộpithốtes longues se placent en antộposition, par exemple, ô fabuleux ằ, ô vigoureux ằ, ô abondant ằ, ô gigantesque ằ, ô effroyable ằ Cela s’oppose à la
The article discusses the norm that long attributive adjectives typically follow the postposition rule in relation to nouns However, certain newspapers deviate from this norm by placing adjectives before the noun, as illustrated by examples such as "an awful backache" and "a delightful feeling of transgression." These noun groups are structured as adjective + noun + noun complement When there is no noun complement, the adjective can occupy the expected position, as seen in phrases like "an official procedure" and "a delightful feeling." The article concludes that if a noun is followed by a complement, the qualifying adjective tends to be placed before the noun, even if it is long In the analyzed corpus, 56 instances of this non-standard structure were identified, representing 27.32% of the total 205 cases.
Many long attributive adjectives are positioned before their nouns, even when the noun lacks a complement Typical examples include phrases like "a productive wanderer."
In the exploration of adjectives such as "productive," "unfortunate," "pleasant," "excellent," and "indomitable," we observe a deviation from traditional grammar rules where these lengthy adjectives precede nouns instead of following them This intentional placement enhances the emphasis on the noun, as seen in the phrase "tiny droplets," which conveys a vivid image of their smallness The journalist strategically positions the adjective "tiny" before the noun to evoke readers' imagination regarding the size of the droplets Similarly, the phrase "an excellent opportunity" illustrates the use of the adjective "excellent" as a non-standard epithet, further showcasing this stylistic choice within the corpus.
The use of antithesis highlights the noun "occasion," emphasizing it as a highly desirable and excellent opportunity Additionally, rearranging elements without adhering to traditional syntactic rules can convey the author's subjective appreciation Phrases like "an excellent circuit" and "this magnificent landscape" underscore the nouns and express contentment and satisfaction In total, there are 121 non-standard cases, accounting for 59.02% of 205 irregular phrases, driven by the writer's intent, the emphasis on nouns, and the desire to create an impactful sentence.
In journalistic writing, we often encounter noun phrases that include at least two attributive adjectives There are two scenarios to consider: one where the adjectives are positioned on either side of the noun, and another where both adjectives precede the noun.
We observe two types of constructions where attributive adjectives are positioned on either side of the noun The noun group includes a relational epithet, such as "a profound identity crisis," "a significant ministerial position," "tiny scattered debris," "the main scientific publications," and "the prestigious financial institution." Additionally, the noun group can contain a past participle used as an adjective, exemplified by "narrow guarded doors" and "a fragile and elegant illuminated silhouette."
In the following examples, we observe that the relational adjectives "ministerial" and "scientific" replace the noun complement, while other adjectives such as "important" and "main" are positioned before the noun Additionally, there are noun groups featuring a postposed past participle alongside an anteposed adjective, such as "narrow guarded doors" and "fragile and elegant illuminated silhouette." In these instances, the past participles are placed after the noun, with the other adjectives preceding it For two-sided adjectives, the positional shift primarily affects longer adjectives for aesthetic or rhythmic purposes.
In French nominal groups featuring two adjectives in the preposition, we observe instances such as "a sudden and powerful radiation" and "a potential new crisis." Typically, adjectives like "sudden," "powerful," and "potential" are positioned after the noun, yet in these cases, they precede it This deviation from the norm highlights the journalist's intention to create coherence and emphasize the noun For instance, in "a potential new crisis," the adjective "new" is in the usual preposition, while "potential," which normally follows, is placed before the noun Furthermore, adjectives ending in -eux, -al, -el, -ant, and -ent often precede the noun, as seen in examples like "the fabulous notebook," "a delightful feeling," and "an unfortunate line." Thus, we can conclude that the suffix is a significant factor influencing the placement of adjectives within a phrase or nominal group.
After analyzing the journalistic corpus, we can assert that there are often non-standard uses regarding the placement of the epithet Numerous factors explain these cases, including shifts in meaning, the syntax of noun phrases, the author's subjective intention to emphasize either the noun or the epithet, as well as stylistic or evaluative reasons.
TROISIÈME PARTIE : SYTHÈSE DES RÉSULTATS
The placement of the attributive adjective is a complex issue that has generated extensive discussion among researchers and linguists After thoroughly examining and analyzing the corpus, I have obtained several key findings.
The analysis reveals that within the corpus, certain epithets consistently maintain their designated position, specifically color adjectives (black, blue, red), nationality adjectives (American, Italian, Londoner), relational adjectives (scientific, ministerial, financial), and past participles (pressed, veiled, decomposed) These epithets are consistently placed in postposition, with no observed irregularities in their placement.
Double-meaning epithets, which can be positioned before or after a noun with a change in meaning, closely adhere to linguistic norms The repositioning of these epithets serves to alter their significance For instance, phrases like "the last one," "the different one," and "the old one" illustrate this concept However, there are instances where the placement of an epithet does not significantly change its meaning For example, "a small boy" and "a boy small in size" convey similar ideas; "a small boy" indicates a young boy of small stature, while "a boy small in size" emphasizes the boy's height Here, the epithet "small" is placed after the noun to highlight the boy's petite stature.