Table of contents
Prefacevii
Chapter One: The Nature of Content Systems1
1. Introduction1
1.1 Origin of the idea1
1.2 System in phonology2
1.3 System and grammatical structure4
1.4 System in language7
1.5 Tongue and discourse8
1.6 Systems and rules10
1.7 Content systems and referential meaning11
1.8 Prior studies with Guillaumian influence14
1.9 Conclusion15
Chapter Two: Verbal Paradigms and their Content17
2. Introduction17
2.1 The paradigm of tense17
2.2 Mood23
2.3 Aspect27
2.4 Voice33
2.5 The verbal paradigms of French34
Chapter Three: Chronogenesis35
3. Introduction35
3.1 Three morphosyntactic types35
3.2 Stage I: the quasi-nominal mood37
3.3 Stage II: subjunctive mood41
3.4 Stage III: indicative mood43
3.5 Conclusion46
Chapter Four: Aspect48
4. Introduction48
4.1 Distinguishing tense from aspect49
4.2 Sequence of tenses in English59
4.3 Use of the surcomposé in main clauses60
4.4 Conclusion61
Chapter Five: Voice63
5. Introduction63
5.1 The grammatical representation of agent and patient64
5.2 Passive voice in French66
5.3 The pronominal verbs69
5.4 The verbs of resultant state71
5.5 Middle voice76
5.6 Active and middle with inanimate objects82
5.7 Conclusion83
Chapter Six: Tense85
6. Introduction: tense and aspect85
6.1 Defining tense and aspect in cognitive terms86
6.2 Tense in cognitive terms88
6.3 Tense and the experience of time89
6.4 The parameters of tense in French92
6.5 Past tenses96
6.6 Future and conditional105
6.7 Conclusion110
Chapter Seven: Mood111
7. Introduction111
7.1 A simple cognitive contrast111
7.2 The subjunctive as a position in the system112
7.3 The indicative/subjunctive contrast114
7.4 Facing the problems of subjunctive usage123
7.5 Conclusion124
Chapter Eight: Present and Present Perfect129
8. Introduction129
8.1 Concrete cognitive activity129
8.2 The nature of a threshold130
8.3 Cognitive contrasts, lexical and grammatical131
8.4 Conclusion138
Chapter Nine: Semiology, the System of Signs139
9. Introduction139
9.1 The arbitrary nature of the sign139
9.2 Arbitrariness and the law of coherence141
9.3 Allomorphs of aller144
9.4 The ‘verbes de puissance’144
9.5 The morphology of the imperative145
9.6 Coclusion146
Chapter Ten: Verbal Paradigms148
10. Introduction: regular and irregular verbs148
10.1 Verbal paradigms of French148
10.2 Derivational verb suffixes of Latin149
10.3 The French suffix /-i(s)-/150
10.4 The axial consonant151
10.5 Other correspondences in the paradigms152
10.6 The forms of the Latin perfect154
10.7 The past participle155
10.8 Conclusion155
Bibliography158
General Index170
Index of Verb Forms182
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