Kate Beeching
University of the West of England
Bon, quand même, quoi !
A sociolinguistic survey of semantic change
Thursday 29th November 2007
4.00-5.00 pm
Claremont Bridge, 4th floor, CURDS Seminar Room
Abstract:
This whistle-stop tour of the results of over 15 years’ research devoted to the
pragmatic functions and distributional frequencies of ‘little words’ in French hopes to
illustrate the usefulness of sociolinguistic survey approaches in the investigation of
semantic change.
It will be argued that, though they are often decried as ‘parasites’, fillers or tics, these
small particles serve a vital role in oiling the wheels of ordinary everyday social
interaction.