French
Contributed by Elena Kordi & Elizaveta Zabelina (Academia.edu profile). The data were gathered in 2021.
How to cite
Kordi, Elena & Elizaveta Zabelina. 2022. Nominal causal constructions in French. In: Say, Sergey, Natalia Logvinova, Elizaveta Zabelina, and Natalia Zaika (eds.). 2022–. NoCaCoDa: Typological database of nominal causal constructions. St. Petersburg: Institute for Linguistic Studies, RAS. (Data first published on December 1, 2022; last revised on December 1, 2022). (Available online at https://nocacoda.info. Accessed on .)
1
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| Le | mouchoir | est | mouill-é | à | cause | des | larme-s. |
| def . m | handkerchief( m ) | be. prs .3 sg | soak- ptcp . prf . m | to | cause | of. def . pl | tear( f )- pl |
| The handkerchief is wet from tears. | |||||||
2
Status: main; causal marker: sous
| La | branche | s’ | est | cass-é-e | sous | le | poids | de | l' | oiseau. |
| def . f | branch( f ) | refl .3 | be. prs .3 sg | break. ptcp . prf - f | under | def . m | weight( m ) | of | def . m | bird( m ) |
| The branch broke under the weight of the bird. | ||||||||||
3
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| La | femme | touss-e | à | cause | de | la | fumée. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | cough- prs .3 sg | to | cause | of | def . f | smoke( f ) |
| The woman is coughing because of the smoke. | |||||||
4
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| On | ne | voit | pas | la | rive | à | cause | de | la | brume. |
| one | neg | see. prs .3 sg | neg 2 | def . f | shore( f ) | to | cause | of | def . f | fog( f ) |
| The shore isn’t visible because of the fog. | ||||||||||
5
Status: main; causal marker: par
| L’ | homme | a | été | arrêt-é | par | erreur. |
| def . m | man( m ) | have. prs .3 sg | be. ptcp . prf | stop- ptcp . prf . m | by | mistake( f ) |
| The man was arrested by mistake. | ||||||
6
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| L’ | arbre | est | tomb-é | à | cause | du | vent. |
| def . m | tree( m ) | be. prs .3 sg | fall- ptcp . prf . m | to | cause | of. def . m | wind( m ) |
| The tree fell because of the wind. | |||||||
7
Status: main; causal marker: n.a.
| L’ | homme | est | mort | électrocut-é. |
| def . m | man( m ) | be. prs .3 sg | die. ptcp . prf . m | electrocute- ptcp . prf . m |
| The man died from electric shock. | ||||
| Note: This translation is not included in the database because the causing event is expressed as a dependent clause, not a noun phrase. | ||||
7
Status: alternate; causal marker: suite a
| L’ | homme | est | mort | suite | à | l’ | électrocution. |
| def . m | man( m ) | be. prs .3 sg | die. ptcp . prf . m | following | to | def . f | electrocution( f ) |
| The man died after the electric shock. | |||||||
8
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| La | femme | s’ | est | réveill-é-e | à | cause | du | bruit. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | refl .3 | be. prs .3 sg | wake- ptcp . prf - f | to | cause | of. def . m | noise( m ) |
| The woman woke up from the noise. | ||||||||
9
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| L’ | homme | a | mal | à | la | tête | à | cause | de | la | bière. |
| def . m | man( m ) | have. prs .3 sg | wrong( m ) | to | def . f | head( f ) | to | cause | of | def . f | beer( f ) |
| The man has a headache from the beer. | |||||||||||
10
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| La | femme | a | ri | à | cause | du | chiot. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | have. prs .3 sg | laugh. ptcp . prf | to | cause | of. def . m | puppy( m ) |
| The woman laughed because of the puppy. | |||||||
11
Status: main; causal marker: n.a.
| L’ | homme | est | mort | après | avoir | mangé | du | poisson | venimeux. |
| def . m | man( m ) | be. prs .3 sg | die. ptcp . prf . m | after | have. inf | eat. ptcp . prf | of. def . m | fish( m ) | poisonous. m |
| The man died after having eaten some poisonous fish. | |||||||||
| Note: This translation is not included in the database because the causing event is expressed as a dependent clause, not a noun phrase. | |||||||||
12
Status: main; causal marker: de
| La | fille | est | contente | de | sa | note. |
| def . f | girl( f ) | be. prs .3 sg | satisfied. f | of | poss .3 sg . f | grade( f ) |
| The girl is satisfied with her grade. | ||||||
13
Status: main; causal marker: par
| La | femme | a | été | fâch-é-e | par | les | parole-s | de | son | mari. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | have. prs .3 sg | be. ptcp . prf | anger- ptcp . prf - f | by | def . pl | speech( f )- pl | of | poss .3 sg . m | husband( m ) |
| The wife was angered by her husband’s words. | ||||||||||
14
Status: main; causal marker: de
| Le | garçon | est | ravi | de | cette | proposition. |
| def . m | boy( m ) | be. prs .3 sg | thrilled. m | of | this. f | suggestion( f ) |
| The boy is thrilled by this suggestion. | ||||||
15
Status: main; causal marker: par
| L’ | homme | est | affaibli | par | la | faim. |
| def . m | man( m ) | be. prs .3 sg | weaken. ptcp . prf . m | by | def . f | hunger( f ) |
| The man is weakened by hunger. | ||||||
16
Status: main; causal marker: de
| L’ | homme | est | mort | de | faim. |
| def . m | man( m ) | be. prs .3 sg | die. ptcp . prf . m | of | hunger( f ) |
| The man died of starvation. | |||||
17
Status: main; causal marker: de
| L’ | homme | cri-e | de | douleur. |
| def . m | man( m ) | scream- prs .3 sg | of | pain( f ) |
| The man screams from the pain. | ||||
18
Status: main; causal marker: de
| La | femme | trembl-e | de | froid. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | shiver- prs .3 sg | of | cold( m ) |
| The woman shivers from the cold. | ||||
19
Status: main; causal marker: de
| L’ | enfant | pleur-e | de | peur. |
| def . m | child( m ) | cry- prs .3 sg | of | fear( f ) |
| The child cries from fear. | ||||
20
Status: main; causal marker: de
| L’ | enfant | rit | de | joie. |
| def . m | child( m ) | laugh. prs .3 sg | of | joy( f ) |
| The child laughs out of joy. | ||||
21
Status: main; causal marker: n.a.
| L’ | enfant | s’ | est | cach-é | dans | une | grange | car | il | avait | peur. |
| def . m | child( m ) | refl .3 sg | be. prs .3 sg | hide- ptcp . prf . m | in | indef . f | barn( f ) | as | 3 sg . m | have. impf .3 sg | fear( f ) |
| The child hid in the barn as he was afraid. | |||||||||||
| Note: This translation is not included in the database because the causing event is expressed as a dependent clause, not a noun phrase. | |||||||||||
21
Status: alternate; causal marker: par
| L’ | enfant | s’ | est | cach-é | dans | une | grange | par | peur | de | quelque | chose. |
| def . m | child( m ) | refl .3 sg | be. prs .3 sg | hide- ptcp . prf . m | in | indef . f | barn( f ) | by | fear( f ) | of | some | thing( f ) |
| The child hid in the barn, afraid of something. | ||||||||||||
22
Status: main; causal marker: par
| L’ | homme | n’ | a | rien | dit | par | modestie. |
| def . m | man( m ) | neg | have. prs .3 sg | nothing | say. ptcp . prf | by | modesty( f ) |
| The man didn't say a word out of modesty. | |||||||
23
Status: main; causal marker: par
| La | femme | par | peur | a | pris | son | frère | par | le | bras. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | by | fear( f ) | have. prs .3 sg | take. ptcp . prf | poss .3 sg . m | brother( m ) | by | def . m | arm( m ) |
| The woman held onto her elder brother’s arm in fear. | ||||||||||
24
Status: main; causal marker: par
| La | femme | est | fatigu-é-e | par | un | long | travail. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | be. prs .3 sg | tire- ptcp . prf - f | by | indef . m | long. m | work( m ) |
| The woman got tired from long work. | |||||||
25
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| La | femme | ne | peut | pas | s’ | endorm-ir | à | cause | des | moustique-s. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | neg | can. prs .3 sg | neg 2 | refl .3 | fall.asleep- inf | to | cause | of. def . pl | mosquitoe( m )- pl |
| The woman can’t fall asleep because of the mosquitoes. | ||||||||||
26
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| L’ | eau | sembl-e | claire | à | cause | de | la | Lune. |
| def . f | water( f ) | seem- prs .3 sg | bright. f | to | cause | of | def . f | moon( f ) |
| The water looks bright because of the moon. | ||||||||
27
Status: main; causal marker: grace a
| L’ | homme | a | réussi | à | la | chasse | grâce | à | son | chien. |
| def . m | man( m ) | have. prs .3 sg | achieve. ptcp . prf | to | def . f | hunt( f ) | thanks | to | poss .3 sg . m | dog( m ) |
| The man had a successful hunt thanks to his dog. | ||||||||||
28
Status: main; causal marker: contre
| La | femme | s’ | est | fâch-é-e | contre | son | mari. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | refl .3 | be. prs .3 sg | anger- ptcp . prf - f | against | poss .3 sg . m | husband( m ) |
| The wife got angry at her husband. | |||||||
29
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| La | femme | a | été | en | retard | pour | son | travail | à | cause | de | son | mari. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | have. prs .3 sg | be. ptcp . prf | at | delay | for | poss .3 sg . m | work( m ) | to | cause | of | poss .3 sg . m | husband( m ) |
| The woman was late for work because of her husband. | |||||||||||||
30
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| Des | homme-s | sont | mort-s | à | cause | d’ | un | tremblement | de | terre. |
| indef . pl | man( m )- pl | be. prs .3 pl | die. ptcp . prf - pl | to | cause | of | indef . m | tremor( m ) | of | earth( f ) |
| People died because of the earthquake. | ||||||||||
31
Status: main; causal marker: n.a.
| L’ | homme | est | coupable | de | tous | les | maux. |
| def . m | man( m ) | be. prs .3 sg | guilty. m | of | all. pl | def . pl | wrong( m ). pl |
| Man is guilty of all the miseries. | |||||||
| Note: This translation is not included in the database because the expected causal noun phrase is expressed as the grammatical subject. | |||||||
32
Status: main; causal marker: grace a
| La | vue | de | cet | homme | s’ | est | amélior-é-e | grâce | à | l’ | opération. |
| def . f | vision( f ) | of | this. m | man( m ) | refl .3 sg | be. prs .3 sg | improve- ptcp . prf - f | thanks | to | def . f | surgery( f ) |
| The eyesight of this man has improved thanks to the surgery. | |||||||||||
33
Status: main; causal marker: grace a
| La | femme | est | en | vie | grâce | à | cet | homme. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | be. prs .3 sg | at | life( f ) | thanks | to | this. m | man( m ) |
| The woman is alive thanks to that man. | ||||||||
34
Status: main; causal marker: par
| L’ | homme | l’ | a | dit | à | sa | femme | par | bêtise. |
| def . m | man( m ) | 3 sg . m . acc | have. prs .3 sg | say. ptcp . prf | to | poss .3 sg . f | woman( f ) | by | foolishness( f ) |
| The man told his wife about it out of stupidity. | |||||||||
35
Status: main; causal marker: par
| La | femme | a | gliss-é | par | inattention. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | have. prs .3 sg | slip. ptcp . prf | by | inattention( f ) |
| The woman slipped because of carelessness. | |||||
36
Status: main; causal marker: grace a
| Le | pilote | a | su | faire | atterrir | l’ | avion | grâce | à | sa | grande | expérience. |
| def . m | pilot( m ) | have. prs .3 sg | be.able. ptcp . prf | do. inf | land. inf | def . m | plane( m ) | thanks | to | poss .3 sg . f | big. f | experience( f ) |
| The pilot was able to land the plane thanks to his solid experience. | ||||||||||||
37
Status: main; causal marker: par
| Le | pilote | n’ | a | pas | su | faire | atterrir | l’ | avion | par | manque | d’ | expérience. |
| def . m | pilot( m ) | neg | have. prs .3 sg | neg 2 | be.able. ptcp . prf | do. inf | land. inf | def . m | plane( m ) | by | lack( f ) | of | experience( f ) |
| The pilot couldn’t land the plane due to the lack of experience. | |||||||||||||
38
Status: main; causal marker: n.a.
| Pendant | la | guerre, | les | gens | mang-eaient | l’ | herbe | parce | qu’ | ils | av-aient | faim. |
| during | def . f | war( f ) | def . pl | person- pl | eat- impf .3 pl | def . f | grass( f ) | because | comp | 3 pl | have- impf .3 pl | hunger( f ) |
| During the war, people ate grass because they were hungry. | ||||||||||||
| Note: This translation is not included in the database because the causing event is expressed as a dependent clause, not a noun phrase. | ||||||||||||
39
Status: main; causal marker: par
| La | femme | est | rentr-é-e | à | l’ | intérieur | par | curiosité. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | be. prs .3 sg | return- ptcp . prf - f | to | def . m | interior( m ) | by | curiosity( f ) |
| The woman went inside out of curiosity. | ||||||||
40
Status: main; causal marker: par
| L’ | homme | a | tu-é | sa | femme | par | jalousie. |
| def . m | man( m ) | have. prs .3 sg | kill- ptcp . prf | poss .3 sg . f | woman( f ) | by | jealousy( f ) |
| The man killed his wife out of jealousy. | |||||||
41
Status: main; causal marker: par
| L’ | homme | a | tout | racont-é | par | vanité. |
| def . m | man( m ) | have. prs .3 sg | everything | tell- ptcp . prf | by | vanity( f ) |
| The man told everything out of vanity. | ||||||
42
Status: main; causal marker: n.a.
| La | femme | a | cass-é | toute | la | vaisselle | car | elle | était | fâch-é-e. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | have. prs .3 sg | break- ptcp . prf | all. f | def . f | kitchenware( f ) | as | 3 sg . f | be. impf .3 sg | anger- ptcp . prf - f |
| The woman broke all the dishes out of anger. | ||||||||||
| Note: This translation is not included in the database because the causing event is expressed as a dependent clause, not a noun phrase. | ||||||||||
43
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| La | femme | s’ | est | couch-é-e | habill-é-e | à | cause | du | froid. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | refl .3 | be. prs .3 sg | go.to.bed- ptcp . prf - f | dress- ptcp . prf - f | to | cause | of. def . m | cold( m ) |
| The woman went to sleep dressed because of the cold. | |||||||||
44
Status: main; causal marker: pour
| Le | professeur | a | compliment-é | l’ | enfant | pour | son | costume. |
| def . m | professor( m ) | have. prs .3 sg | compliment- ptcp . prf | def . m | child( m ) | for | poss .3 sg . m | suit( m ) |
| The professor complimented the child on his uniform. | ||||||||
45
Status: main; causal marker: pour
| L’ | homme | a | battu | son | voisin | pour | ses | parole-s. |
| def . m | man( m ) | have. prs .3 sg | beat. ptcp . prf | poss .3 sg . m | neighbour( m ) | for | poss .3 sg . pl | speech( f )- pl |
| The man beat his neighbor because of his words. | ||||||||
46
Status: main; causal marker: pour
| Les | enfant-s | se | sont | battu-s | pour | un | ballon. |
| def . pl | child( m )- pl | refl .3 | be. prs .3 pl | beat. ptcp . prf - pl | for | indef . m | ball( m ) |
| The children fought over a ball. | |||||||
47
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| L’homme | s’ | est | disput-é | avec | son | frère | à | cause | de | l’ | héritage. |
| def . m | man( m ) | refl .3 | be. prs .3 sg | argue- ptcp . prf | with | poss .3 sg . m | brother( m ) | to | cause | of | def . m inheritance( m ) |
| The man argued with his brother over the inheritance. | |||||||||||
48
Status: main; causal marker: pour
| La | femme | a | achet-é | ce | livre | pour | les | dessin-s. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | have. prs .3 sg | buy- ptcp . prf | this. m | book( m ) | for | def . pl | drawing( m )- pl |
| The woman bought the book for the drawings. | ||||||||
49
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| La | femme | a | décid-é | de | ne | pas | voir | son | amie | à | cause | de | sa | mauvaise | humeur. |
| def . f | woman( f ) | have. prs .3 sg | decide- ptcp . prf | of | neg | neg 2 | see. inf | poss .3 sg . f | friend( f ) | to | cause | of | poss .3 sg . f | bad. f | mood( f ) |
| The woman decided not to meet her friend because of her bad mood. | |||||||||||||||
50
Status: main; causal marker: n.a.
| Il | a | plu | cette | nuit | car | je | vois | les | flaque-s | d’ | eau. |
| 3 sg . m | have. prs .3 sg | rain. ptcp . prf | this. f | night( f ) | as | 1 sg | see. prs .1 sg | def . pl | puddle( f )- pl | of | water( f ) |
| It rained last night as I can see puddles. | |||||||||||
| Note: This translation is not included in the database because the causing event is expressed as a dependent clause, not a noun phrase. | |||||||||||
51
Status: main; causal marker: n.a.
| L’ | eau | bout | déjà | . | Car | je | vois | les bulle-s. |
| def . f | water( f ) | boil. prs .3 sg | already. | as | 1 sg | see. prs .1 sg | def . pl | bubble( f )- pl |
| The water is already boiling as I can see bubbles. | ||||||||
| Note: This translation is not included in the database because the causing event is expressed as a dependent clause, not a noun phrase. | ||||||||
52
Status: main; causal marker: n.a.
| Rentr-e | à | l’ | intérieur, | car | il | fait | froid. |
| return- imp .2 sg | to | def . m | interior( m ) | as | 3 sg . m | do. prs .3 sg | cold( m ) |
| Come back inside, as it is cold. | |||||||
| Note: This translation is not included in the database because the causing event is expressed as a dependent clause, not a noun phrase. | |||||||
53
Status: main; causal marker: n.a.
| Où | est | mon | pull | ? | Il | fait froid. |
| where | be. prs .3 sg | poss .1 sg . m | sweater( m )? | 3 sg . m | do. prs .3 sg | cold( m ) |
| Where is my sweater? It is cold. | ||||||
| Note: This translation is not included in the database because the expression corresponding to the causing event is not a syntactic dependent of the expression corresponding to the caused event. | ||||||
54
Status: main; causal marker: a cause de
| Ce | nombre | ne | peut | pas | être | inférieur | à | 1 | à | cause | des | règle-s | de | mathématique. |
| this. m | number( m ) | neg | can. prs .3 sg | neg 2 | be. inf | inferior | to | 1 | to | cause | of. def . pl | law( f )- pl | of | mathematics( f ) |
| This number cannot be less than one per mathematical laws. | ||||||||||||||