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Como dijera el antiguo uso del subjuntivo: Un estudio sobre el «uso etimológico» de la forma -ra del pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo

As the old use of the subjunctive said: A study on the “etymological use” of the imperfect subjunctive’s -ra form in the Spanish language

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Author

  • Joan Cornejo Svensson

Summary, in English

The present study investigates the intersection of temporal, modal, and aspectual values conveyed through the etymological use of the imperfect subjunctive’s -ra form in the Spanish language. This usage can be seen in journalistic, literary, or essayistic texts, and is expressed through forms such as: “He who was a minister for three years has indicated that...”. The study analyzes this usage in a corpus of contemporary texts (21st century) from different diatopic varieties. It delves into the various values of the indicative mood expressed by this form, in addition to the aspectual characteristics and discursive connotations identified in the analyzed cases. The study concludes that the “etymological use” is an active linguistic phenomenon in contemporary Spanish, and its use cannot be attributed merely to stylistic or archaizing intentions. The intersection of temporal, modal, and aspectual values observed in the use of this form allows information to be conveyed in a manner that differs from its corresponding indicative forms.

Department/s

Publishing year

2024

Language

Spanish

Document type

Student publication for Bachelor's degree

Topic

  • Languages and Literatures

Keywords

  • uso etimológico
  • subjuntivo
  • aspecto
  • ambigüedad
  • marcación

Supervisor

  • Carlos Henderson (Research fellow)