Denise Deshaies

Pragmatic functions of local diaphonic repetitions in conversation

This article focuses on the basic pragmatic functions of a specific type of repetition, namely local diaphonic repetitions, which will be viewed as markers of dialogue structure. We propose that diaphonic repetition, in addition to the various pragmatic effects that it may have in context, is systematically linked to at least one of the following four functions: (a) a taking into account function, signaling that the immediately prior talk of the interlocutor has been correctly heard and interpreted; (b) a confirmation request function, signaling a problem related to some aspect of the interlocutors talk; (c) a positive reply function, signaling agreement with the interlocutors talk; and (d) a negative reply function, signaling disagreement with the interlocutors talk. On the basis of this theoretical analysis, the functions of 80 local diaphonic repetitions are examined according to the structure of the exchange in which they are embedded and according to particular prosodic characteristics, namely, intonation, speech rate, register and key. The data are taken from the self-recordings of four Quebec French families living in Montreal (Montreal 95 corpus).

Rules of stress assignment in Québec French: Evidence from perceptual data

This article seeks to contribute to the analysis of the prosodic system of Quebec French in a variationist framework. However, major problems have to be resolved before one can give a comprehensive view of this system, one of these concerning stress assignment. In order to examine the validity of the traditional view claimed for French by most linguists, which states that stress is always superposed on the final syllable of lexical words, different perceptual tests were devised and carried out with two groups of students. The results of these tests show the effect of structural factors on the perception of stressed syllables in Quebec French and demonstrate that this canonic rule does not always hold for varieties of Quebec French. On the basis of these results, a subset of stress rules is then proposed and illustrated with examples of words tested in the perceptual tests. Counterexamples to these rules are thereafter discussed, and a reconsideration of the principles of syllabification that are usually taken for granted for French is proposed in light of variable rules.