Les nous de Robespierre ou le territoire impossible

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Abstract
THE NOUS OF ROBESPIERRE OR THE IMPOSSIBLE TERRITORY Starting from a general hypothesis concerning sociopolitical designation, A.G. analyses the apparent exception : the case of nous (we/us). Working on a corpus of speeches of Robespierre (1789-1794, 136 233 occurrences), she draws attention to the inadequacy of counting simply surface units in order to carry out a comprehensive study of the sociopolitical designation. She then goes on to analyse the 1 500 NOUS present in the corpus, focussing on the principal function of this term : to indicate the possible amount of human beings associated with the enunciator. The two levels that are found most frequently in the corpus are, first, a pseudo-dialogical NOUS, which calls unpon other adressées (creatures of discourse, not to be confused with a real public), and, second, a national NOUS. The latter is constructed from the possessive nos via the syntagm nos ennemis (our enemies) and the theme of war. The unity of NOUS is therefore the consequence not of a positive community but of a coagulation determined by external forces.

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