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The se-ra Alternation in Spanish Subjunctive

  • Matías Guzmán Naranjo EMAIL logo

Abstract

In this paper I take a look at a classic problem in Spanish morphosyn-tax, namely the alternation between the forms -se and -ra in the Imperfect Subjunctive (Imperfecto de Subjuntivo). Research on this topic has mainly focused on sociolinguistic variation, and has been done almost exclusively with impressionistic data and speakers’ intuitions. I address the problem from a usage-based perspective, using corpus linguistics methods. The main claim is that the choice between -se and -ra correlates to a certain extent with morpho-syntactic and discourse factors. Through collostructional analysis I also show that there exists repelled and attracted collexemes that distinguish and relate both forms.

Appendix

Variable levels for contextual predictors:

Realization of the subject:

DROP: No explicit subject (pro-drop).

NP: A simple noun phrase.

NULL: No subject (impersonal sentences).

PP: A preposition phrase.

PRON: A personal pronoun.

SE: Impersonal sentences with se.

Definiteness of the subject/object:

ABST: Abstract subjects (mostly verb phrases working as subjects).

DEF: Definite subjects (el, la, los, etc.).

IND: Indefinite subjects (un, una, algunos, etc.).

NULL: No subject (impersonal sentences).

Animacy of the subject/object:

ANI: Animate subjects (human and animal).

INA: Inanimate subjects (including abstract, drop and se impersonals).

NULL: No subject (impersonal sentences).

Realization of the object:

ADJ: Adjectives and adjective phrases.

ADV: Adverbs and adverbial phrases.

DROP: No object mentioned but implied.

NP: Noun phrases.

NULL: Verb with no complements.

PP: Prepositional phrase.

PRON: Personal pronoun.

SE: se reflexives.

SUB: Subordinate sentences with a complementizer.

VP: Verbal phrases without a complementizer.

Sentence type:

ADVER: Adversatives and counterfactual sentences.

CONDI: Conditional sentences.

FINAL: Final sentences.

INDICATIVE: Indicative uses of the subjunctive.

POTEN: Sentences expressing possibility or doubt, also the default level and prototypical use of the subjunctive.

TEMP: Sentences expressing temporal relations.

POS tags:

A=adjective, C=conjunction, D=determiner, R=adverb, N=noun, V=verb, P=pronoun, S=adposition, F=punctuation mark, W=date, Z=numeral.

Acknowledgment

Thanks to Doris Schönefeld for her very helpful comments and corrections, the members of the IGRA graduate school for their useful feedback, the participants of the CSDL 2014 Santa Barbara, and the two anonymous reviewers of this article. Usual disclaimers apply.

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Published Online: 2016-2-11
Published in Print: 2017-5-1

© 2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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