Le subjonctif dans le français parlé à Orléans : variation, dépendance et silence modal

Laboratoire EMA, CY Cergy Paris Université

Abstract

This study examines the subjunctive in spoken French based on the ESLO surveys (ESLO1/ESLO2), from a micro-diachronic and discursive perspective. The results reveal a dual dynamic: (i) morphological simplification and increased syncretism between indicative and subjunctive forms, (ii) a reconfiguration of syntactic and discursive dependencies that ensure modal coherence despite formal erosion. In spoken language, modality shifts toward the enunciative and prosodic structure, which we describe as a modal silence: the mode is no longer identified by morphology, but reconstructed by the context (governing factor, informational organization, prosody). Finally, the study identifies the areas of stabilization and withdrawal of the subjunctive according to interaction situations.