Bien venu et Adieu, mon amy: Expressions figurées et elliptiques pour ouvrir et clore une conversation en 1527

Résumé

The article analyzes the three conversations in the 1527 version of Noel van Barlainmont’s Dutch-French conversation manual with regard to these questions: (1) What types of address forms are used? (2) What types of opening and closing greetings are used? (3) Are there any pragmaticalized formulas (a. figurative, b. semantically void, c. shortened)? It can be seen that there are figurative and shortened phrases in constructions with modified echo response, complementary reaction and contrastive reaction among salutations as well as among valedictions, while constructions with full-echo response, and thus constructions totally deprived of their original meaning, are common only among valedictions. In this sense it could be said that, in the language of the non-nobles in the first third of the 16th century, pragmaticalization is more advanced among valediction formulas.