Elision in French: a category that is no longer categorical

Elision is the least well investigated of the processes collectively known as 'linking phenomena' in French phonology. Data from a corpus of late 20th-century interviews show that 39% of new CV onsets created by forward resyllabification are due to elision (considerably more than those due to liaison or enchainement of fixed consonants) and a further 9% to sites created by intrusive fillers (notably euh and hein), a source hitherto overlooked. Yet elision is not categorical. We document instances of minor but stable variability alongside tokens of non-elision of que and its compound forms. Nonelision is characteristic of fluent, relaxed speech and seems to be spreading. We argue that it is not motivated by phonology but by register and discourse factors in continuous speech.

Automated summary

Elision, a process in French phonology, is less researched compared to other linking phenomena. Data analysis shows that elision often occurs due to certain factors, while nonelision is more common in fluent, relaxed speech and appears to be spreading. This phenomenon is believed to be driven by register and discourse factors rather than purely phonological reasons.