*4.4.5 Expressing wishes*

This strategy consists mostly in invoking blessings upon the addressee. The speaker is saying indirectly: "since you have been so kind to me, I wish you well and I invoke God's blessings upon you." The most frequent construction used to pray to God to bless the addressee is *Que Dieu te/vous bénisse*! "May God bless you." This construction is, in some cases, modified by replacing the verb *bénir* "to bless" with *récompneser* "to recompense," *protéger/garder* "to protect," etc., as in *C'est Dieu qui vous récompensera* "God will reward you"; *Dieu vous bénira* "God will bless you"; *Que Dieu vous garde et vous bénisse*. "May God protect and bless you"; *Que Dieu vous protège* "May God protect you." Some informants use more complex structure to wish their interlocutors well as in *Que Dieu contribue à la réalisation de tes rêves* "May


**Table 5.**

*Types of supportive acts and their distribution.*

contribute to the realization of your dreams." This type of thanks is always associated with other types, as can be seen in (17).

17. Je vous remercie infiniment que Dieu vous garde et vous bénisse (stranger)
