A classification of French adverbs based on distributional, syntactic and prosodic criteria

Abstract

This study explores formal criteria for the classification of adverbs in French. Distributional analysis tests whether adverbs appear in particular morpho-syntactic contexts, including syntactic constructions. It analyses combinations of adverbs, and their relative order in particular syntactic contexts. Finally it tests whether using adverbs in these positions imposes prosodic restrictions. These criteria result in a classification which is compatible with those found in major studies on this topic.