Diaphrasia = the study of the capacity of speakers to vary their manner of talking according to circumstances (situation, person(s) to whom they are talking, activity, etc.)
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There are three circumstances in which ‘que’ is used.
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The relative ‘que’
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The general subordinating conjunction
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Other circumstances
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The relative ‘que’
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In standard French one says
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L’homme que j’ai vu
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Because the verb takes a direct object – j’ai vu un homme
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However, one says
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L’homme dont je parle; or
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L’homme de qui je parle; or
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L’homme duquel je parle
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Le garage dans lequel il est rentré
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La reunion à laquelle j’ai assisté
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Because the verb is indirectly transitive (it requires an object introduced by a preposition) or it takes a direct and an indirect object
An example of a verb requiring an object introduced by à is assister à
Some verbs are ditransitive (they take a direct object and an indirect object introduced by a preposition
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L’homme à qui j’ai donné le livre ; or
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L’homme auquel j’ai donné le livre
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The non-standard usages in these circumstances are:
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L’homme que je parle de lui; or
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L’homme que j’en parle
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Le garage qu’il est rentré dedans
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La réunion que j’assiste à elle
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La réunion que j’y assiste
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L’homme que j’ai donné le livre à lui
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L’homme que je lui ai donné le livre
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This is known as the ‘décumul du rélatif’ or relieving of the relative pronoun of some of its functions.
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French relative pronouns bear a heavy syntagmatic load, because they have to fulfil a number of functions
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Introduce the subordinate clause
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Replace a substantive already mentioned
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Indicate the function of that substantive in the subordinate clause; i.e. is the subject or object of the verb; if the object is it the direct or indirect object, etc
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Gadet suggests that in français populaire the relatives, such as the non-standard usages illustrated above, have a decumulative function.
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‘que’ merely indicates the start of the relative clause. The task of replacing the preceding substantive is shifted to a pronoun.
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The functional role of indicating syntagmatic relationships/parts of speech is shifted either to a pronoun (in the examples above ‘lui’ ‘en’ or ‘y’) or a proposition (in the examples above ‘à’ or ‘de’) or an adverb (in the examples above ‘dedans’)
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Sometimes there is the use of hypercorrection or pleonasm
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L’homme dont j’en parle
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L’homme dont je parle de lui
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Gadet also identifies the ‘defective’ relative – the use of ‘que’ on its own and distinguishes this from the relatives of français populaire
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L’homme que je parle
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While the relatives of français populaire are used by educated people (i.e. the use or non-use is diaphasic) defective relatives are only used by lower classes. (i.e. the use or non-use is diastratic)
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The general subordinating conjunction
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Standard French employs a range of subordinating conjunctions
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Autant que, comme, puisque, sinon que, tandis que, bien que, après que, etc.
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Non-standard usages reduce these to ‘que’
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Je vais voir les enfants qu’ils font beaucoup de bruit = je vais voir les enfants parce qu’ils font beaucoup de bruit
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Other circumstances
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Gadet identifies other functions
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‘Une incise d’énonciation’ – an interpolation
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Quatre degrés à Lamorna le matin qu’il a dit le boucher
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An ‘introducteur du prédicat’
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Heureusement qu’il a réussi
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‘Téléscopage’
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T’as besoin de rien que je monte ? = est-ce que je te monte quelque chose ?
