La signification générique et les moyens linguistiques qui la soutiennent
The Significance of Generic and the Linguistic Means that Support It

Summary/Abstract: In the present study, we want to analyze the linguistic means used to express, morphologically, the generic value of some enunciations, having a higher degree of generality, enunciations which epitomize a general truth or opinion. The fundamental concepts of a nation, its wisdom are embodied in some linguistic structures typical of these enunciations. Without modifying the structure, the speaker retransmits gnomic, preexistent enunciations, but recreated when we deal with their significance into the general - particular situations. In the first part of this study, we shall present the generic enunciations and their deictic character. In the second part of the study, we shall focus to identify the linguistic forms sustaining the nature of generality of these enunciations. First of all, it is about the Present Tense, a personal verbal form (also called eternal or omnitemporal) used at the 3rd person in the singular and at the 2nd person, singular and plural. It associates with a series of adverbs of time, with some determinatives which precede the Nominal Group. On the other hand, it is about the Infinitive which also can fulfill in specific contexts, the function of an omnitemporal form. In order to illustrate this theme with examples, we chose: proverbs, idiomatic phrases, definitions and general statements. We have also used examples from the electronic dictionaries.

• Details
• Contents