Der Einfluss der préciosité auf das Gegenwartsfranzösische. Eine korpusbasierte Untersuchung formelhafter Wendungen aus Molières Les Précieuses ridicules (1659)

Molière’s farce Les Précieuses ridicules (1659) contains a vast selection of formulaic expressions. The play serves as a historical reference for the identification of formulaic language influenced by a period called the préciosité, originating in 17 -century France. Based upon a survey of French native speakers, this paper will deal with the question of whether these formulaic expressions have left traces upon present day French. Given the empirical evidence, one must conclude that the majority of these expressions are widely known and are in general use today. Furthermore, the hypothesis that such expressions predominate in higher-register French (cf. Klare 2011: 126) is confirmed.