Suffixal nominal derivation in pre-classical and classical French

Abstract

The paper analyses a number of derivational patterns (quality nouns, deverbative nouns in -ment) of pre-classical and classical French and signles out several explanatory factors and mechanisms such as paradigmatisation, suffixal competition and restructuration of lexical relations.

Keywords

• derivational pattern
• suffixation
• quality noun
• deverbative noun
• paradigmatisation
• suffixal competition
• lexical relations