The sociolinguistic aspects of the pragmatics of French loanwords in Quebec English

The language situation in Quebec favours the spread of French loanwords in Quebec English and their potential to fulfil pragmatic functions.This article outlines the main pragmatic effects of French loanwords used in Quebec English, taking into account the realities of the region.It presents data collected through a survey of bilingual Quebecers regarding their attitudes towards borrowing from French in general and towards specific examples.The study concludes that, within a broader framework of borrowing motivation, these pragmatic implications are largely due to the overall linguistic and political divide in Quebec.The main pragmatic effect sought through the use of loanwords is therefore to reproduce the 'us/them' dichotomy.