1

THE CONSTRUCTION OF ENGLISH AND FRENCH NOUN PHRASE

USING DEFINITE ARTICLES IN THE J. K. ROWLING’S NOVEL

BY

I WAYAN SUSADA ARIMBAWA

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT, FACULTY OF LETTERS UDAYANA UNIVERSITY

2013

ABSTRAK

Jurnal ini berjudul “The Construction of English and French Noun Phrase Using Definite Articles in the J. K. Rowling’s Novel”. Tujuan penelitian dalam jurnal ini adalah untuk menganalisisjenis-jenis konstruksi yang terdapat dalam penyusunan frasa kata benda, baik dalam bahasa Inggris maupun bahasa Perancis, persamaan antara frasa kata benda bahasa Inggris dan Perancis, dan perbedaan frasa kata benda dalam kedua bahasa tersebut . Teori yang digunakan dalam jurnal ini adalah teori yang dikemukakan oleh Hurford (1994) untuk artikel definit bahasa Inggris dan Jones (1995) untuk artikel definit bahasa Perancis. Dalam menganalisisjurnal, metode yang digunakan adalah metode kualitatif. Pembahasan data diawali dengan membaca, memberi tanda dan mencatat frasa kata benda yang menggunakan artikel definit, baik dalam bahasa Inggris maupun Perancis dengan konstruksi yang terkait berdasarkan teori yang digunakan.

Kata kunci: konstruksi frasa kata benda, artikel definit, ilmu perbandingan.

  • 1.    Background

The recognition of nouns and noun phrases in French and in English raises no major practical problems for many people. A noun in French is most often translated into noun in English and often the accompanying modifying elements show a lot of similarities. However, this facade of similarity conceals many deep differences between the two languages. (Salim, 1991:4)

Based on the background above, this study has a purpose to compare the construction of noun phrase using English and French definite articles in a novel as the data source, namely a novel called Harry Potter and the Chamber of

Secrets by J. K. Rowling. This data source belongs to prose fiction types, which definitely provide plenty of noun phrases, which can also be the data of this study.

  • 2.    Problems of the Study

Based on the background above, there are three major problems discussed:

  • 1)    What are the constructions of English and French noun phrases using definite articles in the J. K. Rowling’s novel?

  • 2)    What are the similarities between English and French noun phrases using definite articles found both in the J. K. Rowling’s novel?

  • 3)    What are the differences between English and French noun phrases using definite articles found in the J. K. Rowling’s novel?

  • 3.    Aims of the Study

The aims of this study are to find out the construction of English and French noun phrases using definite articles, and to analyze the similarities and differences between English and French noun phrases using definite articles found in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets novel.

  • 4.    Research Method

The research method used in analyzing data in this study includes the determination of the data source, the method and technique of collecting data, and technique of analyzing data. This paper is categorized as a library research.

  • 4.1    Data Source

The primary data were taken from a novel entitled Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling, printed in Vancouver, Canada and

published by Raincoast Books in 1999, and its French version Harry Potter et Chambre des Secrets translated by Jean-François Menard in 1999.

  • 4.2    Method and Technique of Collecting Data

The method applied in this study was a documentation method, where the data were collected through some stages. First of all, the novel was read deeply from chapter one to chapter nine to find words or phrases classified as noun phrase. Second, it was followed by note taking of the important things of the data.

  • 4.3    Method and Technique of Analyzing Data

The collected data were analyzed qualitatively using qualitative method, where they were all done through qualitative analysis specifically in descriptive qualitative analysis. It used narrative in answering the questions. Firstly, the data found were categorized as the English and French noun phrases with definite articles. The second step was continued by identification or classification. Third, the sentences that represented all constituents of the noun phrase construction were ready to analyze and put in the analysis column.

  • 5.    Analysis of the Construction of English and French Noun Phrase Using Definite Articles in the J. K. Rowling’s Novel

    • 5.1    The Construction of English and French Noun Phrase Using Definite Article

      • 5.1.1    Determiner + Head

        No.

        English NP                         French NP

        Determiner + Head                  Determiner + Head

        1.

        COMMENT AS-TU PU AVOIR ‘HOW DARE YOU THREATEN

        DUDLEY!’ roared Uncle Vernon,       L'AUDACE DE MENACER

        DUDLEY ! rugit l'oncle Vernon en pounding the table with his fist.

        martelant la table de son poing.

        (Rowling, 1999:8)                        (Rowling, 1999:2)

In this example, there is an English definite article “the” that functions as determiner and it is followed by a head “table” that functions as noun. The same thing occurs in the French noun phrase. The French definite article shown in this example is la which also functions as determiner and placed before a head table. However, since the word table the French is categorized as feminine noun, the definite article should be preceded by the definite article la.

5.1.2 Determiner + Modifier + Head

No.

English NP

French NP

Determiner + Modifier + Head

Determiner + Modifier + Head

1.

The little creature on the bed had large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis ball. (Rowling, 1999:15)

La petite créature assise sur le lit avait de grandes oreilles semblables à celles d'une chauve-souris, et des yeux verts globuleux de la taille d'une balle de tennis.

(Rowling, 1999:7)

This example shows that the English definite article “the” is used as determiner, meanwhile “little” is a modifier which functions as adjective, and “creature” is a head functioning as noun. The same thing occurs in the French data, where la in the French definite article functions as determiner, petite is a modifier in adjective form that is usually placed in front of the noun, and créature functions as head in the form of noun and categorized as feminine noun.

5.1.3 Determiner + Head + Post-modifier

No.

English NP

Data

Det.

Head

Post-mod

1.

a) … the bars dangling a few feet above the ground.

(Rowling, 1999:25)

The

Bars

dangling a few feet above the ground

b) Form                  ∖

Def. art. ∖ Noun        ∖

Relative clause

French NP

a)

… les barreaux qui pendaient au bout de la corde, à moins d'un mètre du sol.

(Rowling, 1999:17)

Les

Barreaux

qui pendaient au bout de la corde

b)

Form

Def. Art.

Noun

Relative clause

In the English example, the definite article “the” is a determiner, and “bars” is a head which is formed by a plural noun, meanwhile the relative clause “dangling a few feet above the ground” functions as post-modifier. Like in English, the function of the French definite article les is also as a determiner but in this case this definite article is used for plural noun, namely a word barreaux that functions as head, and the relative clause qui pendaient au bout de la corde functions as post-modifier.

5.1.4 Determiner + Modifier + Head + Post-modifier

No.

English NP

Data

Det.

Mod.

Head

Post-mod.

1.

a) The famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool.

(Rowling, 1999:61)

The

Famous

Hogwarts sorting Hat

on a stoll

b) Form

Def. art.

Adj.

Noun

Prep. Phrase

French NP

Data

Det.

Mod.

Head

Post-mod.

a) Le célèbre Choixpeau magique de

Poudlard sur un tabouret.

(Rowling, 1999 :49)

Le

célèbre

Choixpeau magique de Poudlard

sur un tabouret

b) Form

Def. art.

Adj.

Noun

Prep. Phrase

The determiner of the example of English noun phrase is “the”, while the adjective word “famous” functions as a modifier, then it is followed by a collective noun “Hogwarts sorting Hat” as head, and the prepositional phrase “on a stoll” is the post modifier. As in English, the determiner of this example is also laid in the definite article, le, and the modifier is célèbre that is formed by an adjective, this adjective modifies the collective noun Choixpeau magique de Poudlard as the head, next the post-modifier in this example is sur un tabouret in the form of propositional phrase.

  • 5.2    The Similarities between English and French Noun Phrase Using Definite Article

The English and French definite articles have the same function in their usage, they function as determiner. Structurally, both of the English and French definite articles are always placed in front of the noun.

No.

English NP

French NP

1.

The car, however, had reached the end of its tether.

(Rowling, 1999:60)

La voiture recula aussitôt mais l'arbre ne se calma pas pour autant.

(Rowling, 1999 :48)

This data show the same form in the construction of noun phrase. The definite article “the” and the French definite article la have the same function as determiner, where both of them are placed before noun, meanwhile the English noun “car” and the French noun voiture is the head. Because of the French word voiture is categorized as feminine noun, the French definite article used is la.

  • 5.3    The Differences between English and French Noun Phrase Using

Definite Articles

The differences between English and French noun phrase can be found in the form or construction of their noun phrases. Sometimes the placement of modifier in English is different as in the French one.

No.

English NP

French NP

1.

‘Now what?’ said Harry, blinking at the solid mass of cloud pressing in on them from all sides.

(Rowling, 1999:57)

Et maintenant ? dit Harry en regardant la masse compacte des nuages qui les enveloppait.

(Rowling, 1999:46)

In English example, there is “the” as determiner that is formed by definite article, “solid” is modifier formed by an adjective, and “mass” is head which is formed by noun. In French example, la is a definite article which has function as determiner, masse is a noun, especially feminine noun which functions as head, and compacte is an adjective functioning as modifier. In contrast to English form, the modifier in French example is instead placed after noun, it is because in some cases in French grammar, there are some adjectives which are placed in front of noun and some others placed after the noun. In this example, the adjective compacte is one that should be placed after noun.

  • 6.    Conclusion

The conclusions will be presented in the following lists bellow:

  • 1)    Based on the theories of Jones, there were four kinds of constructions that can be applied in forming a noun phrase in English and French language: Determiner + Head, Determiner + Modifier + Head, Determiner + Head + Post-modifier, and Determiner + Modifier + Head + Post-modifier.

  • 2)    The similarities between English and French noun phrase using definite articles can be seen from the function of each constituent, they can also have the same construction when using definite articles in some cases.

  • 3)    The differences between English and French noun phrase using definite articles can be found from their form or construction of their noun phrases. Sometimes the placement of modifier in English is different from that in French.

  • 7.    Bibliography

Dryer, Matthew. 2003. The World Atlas of Language Structure. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Flowers, Jim. 2010. Journal of Technology Education: Vol. 21 No. 2. The Problem in Technology Education (A Definite Article), Spring. 10.

Hurford, James R. 1994. Grammar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Jelita, Mutiara Navynia. 2010. “The Comparative Study of English and French Definite Article Used in Noun Phrase”. Non-Regular Program English Department Faculty of Letters Udayana University.

Jones, Michael A. 1996. Foundations of French Syntax. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Moindjie, Abdou Mohamed. 2006. “A Comparative Study of Literary Translation from Arabic into English and French”. University of Sains Malaysia.

Murphy, Raymond. 1985. English Grammar in Used. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.

Rowlett, Paul. 2007. The Syntax of French. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.

Salim, Abdou. 1991. French and English Noun Phrases. Honors Theses. Paper 61. Spring. 91.

Septiari, Vivi Made. 2003. “French Definite Articles and Its Equivalence in English”. Extention Program Faculty of Letters Udayana University.

Vinay, Jean-Paul and Jean Darbelnet, trans. And ed. by Juan C. Sager and M.-J Hamel. 1995. Comparative Stylistic of French and English. Amsterdam/Philadelphia. John Benjamins Publishing Company.