The French pronominal paradigm demonstrates a colloquial variation between
expressing the 1st person plural as on and as nous (On est 19 dans ma classe
meaning the same as Nous sommes 19 dans ma classe). This use of definite on
is stigmatized by some as working class and incorrect and seen as a spreading
feature, but seen by others as a stable stylistic ressource. The present article
(inspired by Coveney 2000) investigates the speech of six young Parisians in
different kinds of speech situations, in order not only to examine the possible
diaphasic dimension of the on/no us alternation, but also to look into their
other uses of on, in search of an explanation of the increasing popularity of this
pronoun in French.