Le marqueur ONLY en tant que connecteur argumentatif

Abstract

The study focuses on a specific use of the marker only, namely its use as an inter-clausal and inter-sentences connective marker (allowing clauses or even sentences to be joined together). The syntactic status of only in this use is discussed, in order to determine whether it is a conjunction proper or a linking adverb. Its discourse status is then questioned, by contrasting the properties of a connector with those of a discourse marker. The study also highlights the argumentative dimension of only in this use. Its interpretations in context are also examined, in relation to the host configurations, and then reduced to a common denominator, namely its fundamental value. Finally, the factors leading to the different possible interpretations of only in this use are examined.

Keywords

• only
• linking adverb
• connector
• argumentative value.