Publication
Title
"Il fallut que je sois fusse...": à la recherche d'un temps perdu (2001-2012)
Author
Abstract
Mais vous croyez vraiment que je vais aller voir ma mère et lui dire il fallut que je sois fusse Qu'est-ce qu'elle va comprendre? exclaims Esmeralda in the movie The Class (Entre les murs, 2008). The subjunctive imperfect continues nonetheless to provide fodder for conversation. It enjoys a degree of media interest documented in this paper by means of a sample of the often biased comments it has been getting in the written press between 2001 and 2012. It is furthermore claimed that those who employ the subjunctive imperfect without the stated aim of trying to illustrate its potentially incongruous nature often draw attention to themselves. Biased comments on the tense in general and comments on individual usage that either appears out of character or divides public opinion are listed separately. We also ask, or rather revisit, the question of whether the subjunctive imperfect has a future. It goes without saying that media interest alone will not guarantee the survival of a verb tense that has virtually disappeared from the spoken language and is therefore doomed to be doomed.
Language
French
Source (journal)
Pratiques : théorie, pratique, pédagogie. - Metz, 1974, currens
Publication
Metz : 2015
ISSN
0338-2389 [print]
2425-2042 [online]
DOI
10.4000/PRATIQUES.2732
Volume/pages
(2015) , p. 167-168
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Publication type
Subject
External links
Record
Identifier
Creation 29.03.2019
Last edited 22.08.2023
To cite this reference