Les emplois du marqueur discursif « di va » en ancien français

This paper deals with the different uses of the discourse marker “di va” in Old French. It focuses on three main points: the fixation of the sequence “di va” compared to the occurrences of “va + di”, the pragmaticalization of the imperative “di”, and the position and the function of “di va” within reported speech. The study defines “di va” as a polysemic discourse marker, and distinguishes between the uses of “di va 1”, where the primary lexical meaning of the verb “dire” is still present, and those of “di va 2”, where this lexical meaning has disappeared. In this case, “di va” may occur in injunctive and assertive contexts. “Di va 2, P” is always used in initial position, and frequently represents the speaker’s reaction to the previous discourse or attitude of the addressee. It can then adopt several expressive values, ranging from denial to benevolence and disbelief. “Di va 1” on the other hand always appears in the immediate context of a question (which it does not necessarily precede), and thus behaves as an interjection which is only used to call the addressee’s attention to the speaker’s question.