This study compares simultaneously interpreted German speech to non-interpreted German discourse in order to determine whether interpreted language is characterised by any of the laws that have been found to feature in translated text, i.e. the law of growing standardisation and the law of interference. It is hypothesised that interpreters typically exaggerate German communicative norms, thereby producing manifestations of growing standardisation. In order to test this hypothesis, comparative and parallel analyses are carried out using corpora of interpreted and non-interpreted discourse. During the comparative phase, two types of interpreted German speech are each compared to non-interpreted language and to each other in order to determine how interpreted speech differs from non-interpreted discourse. During the parallel analysis, the interpreted German segments are compared to their source language counterparts with the aim of determining the reasons for the production of the patterns discovered during the first phase. The results indicate that interpreters do not produce patterns similar to those that characterise translated text: neither the law of growing standardisation nor the law of interference is manifest in the data. Instead, a different feature, namely an increased degree of generalisation, is discovered in the interpreters‟ output. This feature appears to be the result of the use of strategies that enable interpreters to deal with time, memory and linearity constraints inherent in SI. It can hence be confirmed that interpreted German differs from non-interpreted German discourse in certain respects. / Linguistics / M.A. (Linguistics)

This study compares simultaneously interpreted German speech to non-interpreted German discourse in order to determine whether interpreted language is characterised by any of the laws that have been found to feature in translated text, i.e. the law of growing standardisation and the law of interference. It is hypothesised that interpreters typically exaggerate German communicative norms, thereby producing manifestations of growing standardisation. In order to test this hypothesis, comparative and parallel analyses are carried out using corpora of interpreted and non-interpreted discourse. During the comparative phase, two types of interpreted German speech are each compared to non-interpreted language and to each other in order to determine how interpreted speech differs from non-interpreted discourse. During the parallel analysis, the interpreted German segments are compared to their source language counterparts with the aim of determining the reasons for the production of the patterns discovered during the first phase. The results indicate that interpreters do not produce patterns similar to those that characterise translated text: neither the law of growing standardisation nor the law of interference is manifest in the data. Instead, a different feature, namely an increased degree of generalisation, is discovered in the interpreters‟ output. This feature appears to be the result of the use of strategies that enable interpreters to deal with time, memory and linearity constraints inherent in SI. It can hence be confirmed that interpreted German differs from non-interpreted German discourse in certain respects. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Linguistics)

Cette thèse sur le changement des normes communicatives en allemand contemporain se positionne dans le paradigme explicatif du changement linguistique par Rudi Keller, connu sous le nom de « théorie de la main invisible ». L’objectif de recherche est de montrer par l’analyse de cinq faits « variants » que le changement des normes communicatives a lieu sous l’impulsion d’un désir des locuteurs germanophones contemporains de plus d’authenticité et de respect de l’autre. Cette mentalité communicative, héritée de la remise en cause sociétale par les mouvements contestataires de la fin des années 1960, conditionne les attentes des locuteurs germanophones dans la réception des discours publics en terme d’ethos et de positionnement éthique. Au corpus sur lequel sont effectuées les analyses linguistiques des cinq faits variants – les « mots à charge négative » (ou « belastete Wörter »), les néologismes euphémistiques, la neutralisation du genre, l’ethos des locuteurs politiques, le tutoiement d’adresse – composé de documents prescriptifs universitaires, de discours politiques, et de supports publicitaires de l’espace public allemand, s’ajoute un corpus de réception relevant du type épilinguistique, composé de métacommentaires de locuteurs non-spécialistes. L’étude révèle la parole des locuteurs ordinaires comme signe annonçant et accompagnant le changement linguistique. / This PhD dissertation focuses upon the change of communicative norms in contemporary German and positions itself on the explanatory paradigm of language change by Rudi Keller,also known as “the theory of the invisible hand”. My research aims at pointing out – through the analysis of five “variant” facts – that the change of communicative norms is driven by the desire of contemporary German native speakers for more authenticity as well as respect for the other. The communicative mentality inherited from the counter-culture movements in the late 1960’s that challenged society order influences German native speakers’ expectations towards the reception of public discourses in terms of ethos and ethical positioning. In addition to the corpus upon which the linguistic analyses of the five variant facts are carriedout – the “negative words” (or “belastete Wörter”), euphemistic neologisms, gender neutralisation, the ethos of politicians, being on first name terms with someone – which consists of prescriptive college documents, political discourses and the advertising supports ofthe German public space – , there is a reception corpus that amounts to epilinguistic type and is composed of metacomments from non-specialist speakers. The study brings the speech ofordinary speakers to the fore as a sign that announces and goes along with language change.