Reanalyses and multiple segmentations of a complex signifier: the case of cou-de-pied in French

Abstract

This article investigates the dynamics of construction, segmentation, and reanalysis of the complex French signifier cou-de-pied. Drawing on enactive grammar and chronosignificance, it shows how the various historical spellings—cou-de-pied, coude-pied, coudepied, coup-de-pied—reflect shifting bodily analogies, perceptual–motor processes, and cultural preferences. The study examines the diachronic evolution of these forms, their presence in usage and normative sources, and their morphological and submorphological coherence. The analysis highlights that linguistic meaning emerges through embodied, dynamic, and culturally parameterized processes, where formal variations reveal perceptual and cognitive adjustments within the speech community.