Les locutions prendre effet ou fin : figement vs néologisation

The purpose of this paper is to show that the neologization process depends on discourse strategies closely related to social activities in a specific domain (here, the domain of Law). It is centered on French prendre effet and prendre fin. The authors show how prendre effet is not only a set expression but also a neologism, in opposition to prendre fin. The analysis is partly based on Guillaume’s notion of “subduction”.