Phraseological Preposition afin de in the Customs Discourse: A Case Study of French-Language Customs Press

Abstract

The article investigates the semantic and grammatical aspects of modern branch discourse on the example of French-language texts devoted to customs control. Noting to the frequent use of constructions with the phraseological preposition afin de in the texts under study, the author suggests analysing not only their structural, semantic, and discursive characteristics, but also exploring them as a significant communicative means that reveals the semantic potential of grammar in the French-language customs discourse. The discursive-pragmatic strategy of the addressee is manifested in the choice of prepositional constructions that determine the discursive features of French-language customs texts. Stylistically colored vocabulary, infinitives in negative form, and phraseological units employed in the constructions are discussed as factors aimed to influence the addressee. The results of the study allow us to view the phraseological preposition afin de as a grammatical tool with a communicative orientation, which plays an important role in the formation of French-speaking customs discourse.

Keywords

• industry press
• french-language texts
• customs discourse
• phraseological preposition
• semantics