Si ferai je, oïl, voire, et volentiers: quelques marqueurs d’affirmation en français médiéval

Abstract

This article describes some affirmative markers of the Medieval French from a syntactic, semantic and pragmatic point of view. The choice of the affirmative marker is influenced by the preceding type of utterance. An injunctive utterance may be followed by the next to minimal answer of the type si feray ge, non avra il, etc. or by the minimal answer voluntiers. In both cases, the speaker expresses a positive attitude to do what he is asked to. Si feray ge, non avra il, etc. may also respond to an interrogative utterance, as well as the minimal answers oïl and nennil. The difference between both types of markers relays on how the prior question functions: oïl and nennil respond to real questions, therefore they provide new information, whereas si feray ge, etc. respond to orientated questions, they confirm something the speaker who asks the question already knows. Finally, the minimal answer voire marks agreement with assertive utterances.