Central semantic of value interjections

Morphosyntactic criterion

1. Interjections are invariable and autonomous phrasal units. They can be simple units (eh!) or complex units (nom de Dieu!). Interjections can be derived from other pos-values; for example diable! is derived from the noun diable. In this case, the form used as interjection is invariable (diable!, bon!, dis donc!). Furthermore, the syntactic behavior of these interjections is different in comparison to the syntactic behavior of the morphological units from which the interjections are derived (for example où ai-je mis mes lunettes!).

Test

If X is an onomatopoeia, X is an interjection.

• chut! /pos=interjection  
• pst! /pos=interjection  
• boum!/pos=interjection  

Test

If X is invariable, if X has always emotive or phatic function, and if X can stay at the beginning of a sentence in anteposition, or if X constitutes a phrase, X is an interjection.

• zut! /pos=interjection  
• hein!/? /pos=interjection  
• allô! /pos=interjection  
• nom d'une pipe!/pos=interjection  
• nom de Dieu! /pos=interjection  
• tu parles! /pos=interjection  
• diable! /pos=interjection  
• bon! /pos=interjection  

Test

Given X an adjective which can be used at the beginning of a sentence P in anteposition, if ``c'est X, P'', ``il est X, P'' is not possible, or semantically not appropriate, X is also an interjection.

• mince/pos=interjection  , je me suis trompé! / *c'est mince, je me suis trompé!
• bon/pos=interjection  , j'ai fini! / *c'est bon, j'ai fini!

but:

• chouette/pos=interjection  , j'ai fini! / c'est chouette, j'ai fini!