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This paper offers a broad overview, seen from the perspective of Diachronic Construction Grammar, of the readings and values developed in Latin by the construction so/eo+iNF. The evidence provided and the analysis of the various factors involved in the interpretation of this periphrasis show that its original and basic value is not the expression of habitual aspect, as traditional models maintain, but a typifying meaning that should be considered in the framework of the continuous aspect. On the other hand, the structural possibilities and the behavior of so/eo+iNF in Latin allow to set an interesting reference framework to explain some particular uses of so/er+ INF in the earliest stages of the Spanish language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the description of the verb soleo, the Latin cognate of the Spanish auxiliary soler, with the aim of contributing to the explanation of the Spanish lexical periphrasis soler + INF, when considering it from a diachronic perspective. Soleo is an especial verb whose singularity is manifested in its etymology and its grammatical particularities. Concerning its etymology, two hypotheses have been considered which start from two different Aktionsart stems: one makes it derive from a Proto-Indo-European iterative stem, the other from a stative one. From this second etymological hypothesis, soleo could be included among Latin denominative stative *e-presents with the basic meaning of 'to be of oneself, to have as one's own, to be normal, to be custom'. Regarding its morphosyntactic features, the semi-deponent soleo has a morphologically passive perfect stem, solitus sum, whose use with aoristic value comes into contradiction with the morphological restriction of the Spanish auxiliary soler and with the aspectual categorization of habitual auxiliary attributed to it. Together with the function as an auxiliary verb constituting a periphrasis with an infinitive, it also presents a use as a full lexical verb in which the prototypical semantic value of its etymology emerges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the main results of the allophonic variation of the consonantal group /...ɾ/ in a variety of Chilean Spanish -that of speakers that have not completed secondary education- obtained from eight cities (Iquique, La Serena, Valparaíso, Santiago, Concepción, Temuco, Coyhaique and Punta Arenas), using two elicitation tasks -semi-spontaneous interview and reading-aloud- completed by male and female speakers. The results showed that the sequence of plosive followed by a tap, that is /...ɾ/, was more frequent. In addition, the independent variables geographic origin, elicitation task and gender were shown to have a statistically significant effect on the phonetic realizations of /...ɾ/. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a broad overview, seen from the perspective of Diachronic Construction Grammar, of the readings and values developed in Latin by the construction soleo+INF. The evidence provided and the analysis of the various factors involved in the interpretation of this periphrasis show that its original and basic value is not the expression of habitual aspect, as traditional models maintain, but a typifying meaning that should be considered in the framework of the continuous aspect. On the other hand, the structural possibilities and the behavior of soleo+INF in Latin allow to set an interesting reference framework to explain some particular uses of soler+INF in the earliest stages of the Spanish language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the description of the verb soleo, the Latin cognate of the Spanish auxiliary soler, with the aim of contributing to the explanation of the Spanish lexical periphrasis soler + INF, when considering it from a diachronic perspective. Soleo is an especial verb whose singularity is manifested in its etymology and its grammatical particularities. Concerning its etymology, two hypotheses have been considered which start from two different Aktionsart stems: one makes it derive from a Proto-Indo-European iterative stem, the other from a stative one. From this second etymological hypothesis, soleo could be included among Latin denominative stative *ē-presents with the basic meaning of 'to be of oneself, to have as one's own, to be normal, to be custom'. Regarding its morphosyntactic features, the semi-deponent soleo has a morphologically passive perfect stem, solitus sum, whose use with aoristic value comes into contradiction with the morphological restriction of the Spanish auxiliary soler and with the aspectual categorization of habitual auxiliary attributed to it. Together with the function as an auxiliary verb constituting a periphrasis with an infinitive, it also presents a use as a full lexical verb in which the prototypical semantic value of its etymology emerges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the diatopic variation of the periphrasis andar + GER, comparing its use in Mexican and Peninsular Spanish. To this end, the relative frequency of the construction is analyzed in several corpora, as well as its most distinctive semantic and syntactic features. Our quantitative analysis shows, on the one hand, the high frequency of andar + GER in Mexican Spanish as compared to Peninsular Spanish. On the other hand, it reveals that the periphrasis occurs, above all, in informal language modalities. Semantically, the present study corroborates that, in periphrases with a gerund, the verb andar ('to walk'), has progressively lost its lexical meaning of physical movement and has come to transmit pragmatic values, particularly of determination and insistence. In addition, unlike Peninsular Spanish, in Mexican Spanish the periphrasis is less subject to selectional restrictions with respect to the gerund, a relatively recent change that points to a strong grammaticalization. Syntactically, the grammaticalization process is reflected in the adjacency of the auxiliary and the gerund, the fixed internal order of the two components of the periphrasis, clitic climbing and a drop in the frequency of coordinated gerunds. The case of andar + GER demonstrates that grammaticalization of the same construction can take place in different ways depending on the specific dialectal environment. Likewise, and at a more general level, it stresses the importance of a diatopic approach in studies on verbal periphrases and grammaticalization processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a diachronic study of the inchoative periphrases comenzar a and empezar a + INFINITIVE drawing upon grammaticalization theory, in an attempt to contribute to the history of Spanish and, particularly, to the studies focused on verbal periphrases. Based on the results of an analysis of a large number of documented occurrences between the 11th and 21st centuries, we propose that the lexical meaning of words to be relevant in the construction of grammatical pieces; therefore synonymy seems to play an important role in shaping the grammar of a language. As we will see, alternation of the studied forms shows that both coexist nowadays, and that their use is conditioned both by contextual and chronological factors, because both express the same semantic values. Since the use of empezar a + INFINITIVE increases around the 19th century, we reflect on other change processes linked to verbal periphrases during this period, and on their importance in the syntactic periodization of Spanish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the studies and widespread international appraisal of Andrés Bello's writings, his crucial importance in the history of Spanish Grammar is not only highlighted, but also does this paper manifest his remarkable role as precursor of the major currents of linguistic studies of the 20th century: the European and the American structuralisms, the generative grammar and the pragmatics. By referring to Bello's traditional studies his significance in Modern Philology is clearly shown, and some unique and surprising findings on Bello's idea on the translation of libretti (i.e. the actual vocal parts of opera) are presented by the author of this paper. Bello's characterization and assessment of the difficulties that arise from the symbiosis of text and music in these texts are pronounced about 80 years ahead of Gustav Becher's famous holistic theory on the translation of this type of texts. A theory which, according to distinguished European musicologists, has lead the way in the discussion of the functionality of these distinct interlingual transfers throughout the 20th century, as well as a revaluation of this specific activity during the preceding centuries (15th - 19th century). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some Castilian grammars intended for use in secondary school are published in the decade of1850. These grammars must be understood in relation with those used in primary school. They participate in the consolidation of national subjectivities (thanks to the spread of the common language), in social disciplining (determining the standard to be met by the practice) and in the reproduction of social structures (educating the members of the elite). The present paper refers to the subject of syntax in four texts published respectively in Buenos Aires, Santiago, Guanajuato and Madrid. We consider the units established in the grammars, the treatment of figures and the analysis they propose in exercises or in recapitulating illustrations. The study allows us to appreciate the guidance offered by grammars but also the different perspectives on grammatical knowledge, on its function in secondary school and on the subject who attends school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the grammatical trait peculiar to Spanish and other Romance languages consisting in the ateposition of the preposition a to the direct object when this object refers to a person. The study begins with some considerations on transitivity and types of direct object, states that prepositional direct object must have its origin in Latin, since it exists in an ample zone of the Romania, examines possible semantic-functional motivations for its use (disambiguation when subject and object are animated and can therefore act as agents, individualition, or emphasis). Afterwards it presents an extense number of texts with direct object, with and without a; it concludes that in using or omitting the preposition a with direct object the speaker has much freedom to choose one or the other alternative provided there is no abiguity and that the only rule never violated in this respect is that personal pronouns functioning as direct object must be preceded by a ("La veo a ella") [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]