Langue française n° 157 (1/2008)
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The paper considers verbal structures where the verb is followed by Prep ce que P and attempts to detect the differences between P que and Prep ce que P, using the same verb : je me réjouis qu’il soit venu /je me réjouis de ce qu’il a enfin réussi. Ce reproduces a structure that existed already in Old French, not necessarily with the same function or meaning. The use of either of these structures is related to the type of verb, the meaning of the preposition, and, most importantly, the construal (visée) of the verb. Ce is defined as an “introducer” and as a “cataphoric enunciator”, its function being to transform a preposition into a conjunction. The demonstrative features that enable the category change are pointed out as well.