Understanding Reflexive Verbs in French: A Study on Bilingual Dictionaries, Lecture notes of French

Download Understanding Reflexive Verbs in French: A Study on Bilingual Dictionaries and more Lecture notes French in PDF only on Docsity! Richard WAKELY, Department of French, University of Edinburgh, Scotland The treatment of French reflexive verbs in bilingual dictionaries Abstract This paper arises from a preliminary study of errors made by English learners of French in the area of reflexive/ non-reflexive verb pairs such as casser/se casser; passer/se passer. After presenting a categorization of reflexive verbs based on Zribi-Hertz (1987) and Jones (1996), the paper identifies two areas of particular difficulty. It goes on to study these as presented in four bilingual French-English dictionaries to see how typical problem verbs are handled and how much help is given to the learner. The results are often disappointing and the paper makes some suggestions as to possible approaches, including some discussion of the use of bilingual dictionaries in ways similar to those usually associated with monolingual ones. 1. Introduction This paper looks at some problems faced by English-speaking learners of French when using dictionaries to help them both to translate in the direction S(ource) L(anguage) => T(arget) L(anguage) and to distinguish forms and meanings in the TL. The problems concern knowing how and when to use reflexive verb forms such as se casser. We exclude from our study cases which pose little or no problems to learners: (i) verbs which have a reflexive form in -self in English: "they washed themselves carefully ils se sont lavés avec soin ", (ii) reciprocal verbs: "they love one another =z> ils s'aiment", (iii) verbs which have been learnt in their reflexive form, often in set expressions: "hurry up! dépêchez-vous!; be quiet! => taisez-vous! ". The fact that dépêcher and taire exist as non-reflexive verbs as in dépêcher quelqu'un sur place or taire son nom does not generally pose a problem to learners for whom such construc­ tions are rare and are generally acquired later, i.e. questions of frequency, as perceived by the learner, can be of importance and can lead the reflexive form to be thought of as the 'preferred' one. We also disregard problems such as: "to break one's leg => se casser la jambe", since the difficulty here does not simply concern the reflexive form but involves further problems concerning possessive adjectives. (Ruwet (1972) reports a remark by Kayne, saying that dictionary compilers have a (theoretical or intuitive) understanding of the differing nature of reflexive verbs and often include uses such as "je me suis cassé le bras " under casser rather than under se casser.) 2. Categorizations of Reflexive Verbs 2.1. Most categorizations try to make use of appropriate semantic criteria, some of which may have syntactic reflects, e.g. past participle agreement. Zribi-Hertz (1987) starts with tradition­ al divisions, cited by Stefanini (1962): Pronominaux réfléchis: Pierre se lave EURALEX '98 PROCEEDINGS Pronominaux réciproques: Pierre et Marie s'aiment Pronominaux passifs: La vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid Pronominaux subjectifs (dits aussi 'intransitifs', 'moyens' ou 'neutres'): tous les autres We have already stated that the first two categories are of no especial interest here. Zribi- Hertz sees that there is a problem with the excessively general nature of the fourth and final category and she presents a further categorization for it: verbes essentiellement pronominaux : s'évanouir, se repentir verbes figés dans un emploi réfléchi devenu homonyme de l'emploi non réfléxif : douter/se douter, jouer/se jouer verbes intransitifs ayant pu s'employer aussi réflexivement : mourir/se mourir verbes dont l'emploi réfléxif apparaît comme la contre-partie 'intransitive' d'une forme transitive associée, cp : Pierre a cassé/brisé la branche, la branche s'est brisée/cassée. One needs, as Zribi-Hertz says, to mention under the last category the fact that only some verbs allow a non-reflexive use with the site of the process expressed as subject: "la branche a cassé" but "*la branche a brisé". The 'homonym/distinct lexeme' verbs can pose problems for students if they fail to recognise, or to master, the different senses (and see below cases with passer vs se passer). 2.2. Jones (1996), in a categorization based explicitly on Ruwet (1972), and if we exclude the 'réfléchi' and 'réciproque' categories, divides pronominal verbs into: Intrinsic: s'évanouir; se souvenir; s'écrouler Neutral: s'ouvrir; se casser; se transformer Middle: as in — ce vin se boit chambré; ce livre se lit facilement; cette voyelle se prononce comme... 'Intrinsic' includes verbs similar to the 'homonym' category in Zribi-Hertz. This includes se passer, se rendre, se comporter, s'attendre but not se pouvoir, which is close in meaning to pouvoir, (see Zribi-Hertz's third sub-category). The 'intrinsic-always-reflexive' verbs pose problems only if students think that they have a non-reflexive form and, on the whole, they do not, since they learn the verbs in the combined 'SE + VERB' form. The 'neutral' category consists of intransitive verbs which all have transitive, non-reflexive counterparts. In their transitive use, they often have human agent subjects, as in "Pierre a ouvert la porte", "zut! j'ai cassé ce verre", etc. With the reflexives, however, no human agent may be specified: "*la porte s'est ouverte par Pierre/le verre s'est cassé par moi". The agent may be understood, and may be a non-human cause, but the reflexive form is usually chosen in order to leave unspecified the agent or cause. The problem for students here is that the reflexive verbs do not occur systematically as equivalents to the transitive, non-reflexive ones. And sometimes both are possible. One can say both "la branche a cassé" and "la branche s'est cassée" but only, as we saw above, "cela s'est brisé". The 'middle' verbs, (cp. Zribi-Hertz's 'pronominaux passifs'), are somewhat similar to the 'neutral' ones but refer to general events or give general recommendations. Given that type of sense, certain consequences ensue: 422 BILINGUAL LEXICOGRAPHY OHD: la branche a cassé sous le poids des fruits; ça casse très facilement, la clé s'est cassée net Harraps: l'assiette a cassé en tombant; cela casse comme du verre se casser (a): break snap, e.g. of twig, string CR: ça casse facilement; ça casse comme du verre (se briser)(objet) la tasse s'est cassée en tombant; l'anse s'est cassée; se casser net Lar.: Contexts [verre, chaise], [fil], [poignée] la tige a cassé + [en deux]; [s'est détachée] se casser net + [en deux]; [se détacher] OHD enters se casser as a sub entry (III) of casser but there is no attempt to explain whether you can have both casser and se casser as translations for any object breaking or snapping. Likewise, Harraps gives little help to the learner. Why should the example with assiette use casser, while se casser applies to 'twig, string'? Is casser for 'smash' and se casser for 'break in two'? CR also gives little help in distinguishing the reflexive from the non-reflexive, and, in Larousse, 'break off appears with the context [poignée] both with the reflexive and the non-reflexive verb. 5.1.2. Break OHD Break vi: se casser, se briser, se fracturer, se déchirer, etc. china breaks easily, la porcelaine se casse facilement; the vase broke in two/into a thousand pieces, le vase s'est brisé en deux/en mille morceaux Note: casser (not reflexive) appears under the v;', but only for snooker and pool Break off\. (snap off) se casser, se détacher Harraps Break2 -2vi.:se casser, se briser, se rompre to break in two/into pieces, se casser en deux/en morceaux; the sea breaks against the rocks, la mer se brise sur les rochers Break off 2 vi se casser net, se détacher net the handle just broke off in my hand, l'anse vient de me rester dans la main CR Break: 4 vi.: (se) casser, se briser, se rompre, se fracturer to break in two, se casser en deux Break off :\ vi. se détacher net, se casser net Lar. Break vi 1 [split into pieces - glass, furniture] se casser, se briser; [- branch, stick] se casser, se rompre; [- lace, string] se casser to break apart, se casser or se briser en morceaux; the plate broke in two, l'assiette s'est cassée en deux 3. [become inoperable - lock, tool] se casser; [- machine] tomber en panne 4 2 5 EURALEX '98 PROCEEDINGS 426 Break off. vi insep 1 [become separated] se détacher, se casser a branch has broken off une branche s'est détachée (de l'arbre) In OHD, the intransitive use of casser only appears under break off and not under break, and this despite the fact that the English-French half gives examples of both (though without explanation). In Harraps, no help is given to the learner on the casser/se casser (or briser/se briser) distinction, e.g. as applied to twigs, branches, plates, etc. CR does present the intransitive translation as (se) casser, and so the learner is introduced to the idea that both forms are possible, but the examples do not show whether both can be used in all circumstances. In Lar., the examples mainly use the reflexive form, so there is little to say when you can use (intransitive) casser. 5.2. Passer/pass; se passer/happen, etc. We concentrate here on senses which relate, or can relate, to TIME or EVENTS. The main translations are pass, go by, elapse for passer and happen, occur, go on, go by, take place, for se passer. Since the dictionary entries are much longer than for casser/break, etc., we shall indicate the type of examples that all four dictionaries give and only quote, individually, the differing cases, labels, etc. 5.2.1. Passer/se passer All the dictionaries consulted give: — for passer, examples such as: deux ans/des années/la journée a/ont passé (often + adv.); le temps passe; cela lui passera; laisser passer qqch; passer à côté de qqch; la douleur/ l'orage/la beauté passe. — for se passer, examples like: cela s'est passé (+ time or place, and + bien/mat); que se passe-t-il?; qu'est-ce qui se passe?; il ne se passe pas de ... que ...; ça ne se passera pas comme ça!; attendre que ça/les ennuis se passe(nt); cela s'est passé (+ adv., e.g. agréablement). In OHD, the sub-entry for passer II vi includes: "8 (négliger); 13 (disparaître) [douleur, événement] : 17 (s'écouler) [temps]". That for III se passer vpr places the time/events senses first, thus: "1 (se produire) to happen; 2 (être situé); 3 (se dérouler) [opération, examen, négociations]; 4 (s'écouler) [période]". (This last sub-section includes an example with soirée.) In Harraps, passer 1 vi includes: "(h) (disparaître, finir) to disappear, to cease; (i) (s'écouler) to elapse, to go by". The entry for 3 se passer vpr gives: "(a) (se produire, arriver); (b) (cesser); (of time)". CR gives quite a number of contexts. The entry passer I vi. includes: "e [temps]; 1 (disparaître) [couleur] [mode] [douleur] [colère] [orage] [beauté] [jeunesse]; (mourir) [personne]". For 3 se passer vpr we have: "a (avoir lieu); (arriver) (+ many examples); b (finir) to pass off, be over". Lar. has a sub-section under passer vi (surtout avec être) which reads: "D. EXPRIME UNE ÉVOLUTION DANS LE TEMPS" — very useful. The entry continues: "1 [s'écouler - temps] to pass, to go by; 2. [s'estomper] [douleur, malaise, mode, jeunesse, etc.]". Then, for se BILINGUAL LEXICOGRAPHY passer vpi we have: " 1 . [s'écouler - heures, semaines] to go by, to pass (examples with soirée and journée); 2. [survenir - événement] to take place, to happen; 3. [se dérouler - dans certaines conditions] to go (off)". A few comments on the above entries. In OHD, deux ans occurs as context for both reflexive and non-reflexive, with no indication of any possible distinction. In Harraps, the indication "of time" under se passer (b) may cause confusion. Learners need to master above all that le temps passe but un événement se passe. In CR, the cases of se passer with mal/bien are especially useful. But several dictionaries have examples of "pain, difficulty", etc. with both passer and se passer. Lar. gives no help to the learner in distinguishing between examples such as: la journée est passée agréablement and la soirée s'est passée tranquillement. Clearly, both are correct, but do they mean the same? In OHD, it seems odd to include événement under sense 13 of passer as one does not say: un événement passe. But it is helpful to pair passer with s'écouler and se passer with arriver. In Harraps, it is quite useful to have remarks like 'elapse', 'take place', etc. given that the main difference between passer and se passer is that between time passing and events happening. 5.2.2. Go by/on, happen, pass We shall take each source entry in turn. For Go by typical translations are passer, s'écouler and typical examples are: "as time goes by, à mesure que le temps passe, avec le temps ". Indications include "[time], (elapse)"CR gives as translation (se) passer but the examples do not include a reflexive form. With Go on, typical translations are (se) passer, se dérouler, durer. Indications for se passer include "(happen, take place, elapse, pass) [time] [years]". The main distinction is between "happen, take place" = se passer and "elapse, pass" = passer and the examples reflect this: "what's going on here?, qu'est-ce qui se passe ici?" compared to: "as time goes on, à mesure que le temps passe". Many entries make this distinction quite clear, which is extremely useful. Moving on to happen we find long entries, giving as principal translations: arriver, se passer, se produire. The indications and contexts are: "(occur) (befall) (materialize) (go wrong) (become of)" and "[accidents]". Typical examples include: "when/where/how did it happen?, quand/où/comment est-ce arrivé?, quand/où/comment cela s'est-il passé or produit?; what's happening?, qu'est-ce qui se passe?; whatever happens, quoi qu'il arrive; it may/can happen that, il arrive parfois que; these things happen, ce sont des choses qui arrivent, ça peut arriver; it happened ten years ago, cela s'est passé il y a dix ans; did someone see what happened?, quelqu'un a-t-il vu ce qui s'est passé ou est arrivé?; what has happened to him?, (what has occurred?) qu'est-ce qui lui est arrivé?; (what has become of him?) qu'est-ce qu'il est devenu?; if anything happens to me, (if I die) s'il m'arrive quelque chose; a funny thing happened to me this morning, il m'est arrivé quelque chose de bizarre ce matin; just as if nothing had happened, tout comme s'il n'était rien arrivé; I pulled the lever but nothing happened, j'ai tiré sur le manche mais il ne s'est rien passé or ça n'a rien fait; what happened next?, que s'est-il passé ensuite?; what's happening to us?, qu'est-ce qui nous arrive? " Looking finally at pass, we find as main translations: (se) passer, avoir lieu, s'écouler, disparaître. Equivalents include: "(go by), (happen), (take place), (elapse), (end), (disap- 427