Temporal structures in Occitan and French oral narrative

Abstract This article explores the temporal structuring of Occitan and French oral narratives. Using contemporary linguistic theory through a corpus-based analysis, it aims to explore relationship between language orality, with specific focus on two key features narrative, i.e. frames connectives. The authors create digitised corpus involving three sub-corpora demonstrating different degrees orality in these are also compared corpus. analysis shows that there is quantitative evidence support idea connectives have complementary roles inverse proportions four sub-corpora. In terms results suggest not only use particular strongly associated as opposed written narratives but factors relating sources, transmission storytelling practice highly influential interact each other complex ways. Frames generally ‘primarily structural’ function rather than ‘temporal certain frame introducers recur all differences clear link story-type. Questions narrative central our argumentation throughout particularly striking case sub-corpus.