Expressivity in French

Abstract This chapter documents the formal means conveying expressive meaning in European French. Expressive modification makes use of lexical markers, but also of recognizable syntactic structures. Only one item can be used both for expressive modification and for expressive intensification, putain de. Apart from this marker, expressive intensification is marked by dedicated adverbs. The study of expressive predication shows that expressive nouns can be used as main predicates in constructions lacking an overt subject. The use of an identificational relative clause is a frequent strategy to disambiguate the reference of these bare predicates. The chapter also discusses the relationship between expressivity and politeness, focusing on the basic honorification strategy in the system of grammatical person (T/V alternation). Other expressive patterns are presented as well, such as the expressive use of GO and COME, the syntax of -ment adverbs, and the use of discourse markers and discourse particles.