The Incorporation of Phrasal Names Into VN Compounds in French

This study focuses on French verb-noun (VN) compounds in which phrasal names appear in the N position. Using the frTenTen23 corpus, we investigate the mechanisms of this type of formation from a constructionist perspective. In French, the formation of VN compounds (e.g. porte-drapeau ‘flag holder’ or ‘standard bearer’) is subject to phonological size constraints. As previous studies have pointed out, the optimal length of VN compounds is two to three syllables, with the V slot being practically monosyllabic. However, the corpus records VN compounds in which the N has longer and more complex forms (e.g. porte-cartes de visite ‘business card holder’). Constructions such as carte de visite are called “phrasal names”. The problem is that the formation of phrasal names is based on syntax, whereas VN compounding is a morphological process. To treat both types of formations on the same level, we adopt a constructionist approach, assuming that both the formation schemas of phrasal names and those of VN compounds are “constructions”, that is, stored elements consisting of fixed components and underspecified slots. According to this approach, phrasal names can be defined as lexical units, just like simple nominal lexemes. Consequently, the N slot of VN compounds can be filled by a phrasal name. This is a case of “schema unification”, a phenomenon where one schema is incorporated into another. Through schema unification, the formation of longer and more complex forms becomes possible. In effect, our results demonstrate that [porte(-)[carte(s) (X)]N] constructions consist of two to eight syllables, whereas previous studies have not reported any cases exceeding six syllables. By contrast, our study confirms the existence of phonological size constraints on the V slot, as evidenced by the fact that multi-word V (e.g. prendre soin ‘take care’) cannot be incorporated into this slot.