Haber and impersonality in Spanish: sociolinguistic and geolectal patterns
Abstract
Is Spanish, haber with existential value features cases of both discordance with its argument (hubo fiestas) or concordance (hubieron fiestas). RAE and ASALE (2009: 3063) point out that concordance of haber in plural is currently expanding in Spanish. Furthermore, Fernández Soriano and Táboas Baylín (1999) state that in Latin America, the concordance is the norm. These assertions must be weighed against the results of sociolinguistic studies, which have been numerous in both Spain and America. However, these are not easily comparable since they have been based on different corpora and methodologies. Only those studies that have been carried out based on the PRESEEA Project share variables and methodology. They can therefore provide us with more realistic materials of haber concordance in use. The results of these studies point to the fact that the categorical statements of the reference grammars of Spanish need to be qualified since the division between American and European Spanish is not the determining factor in the concordance rate.
Downloads
Article download
Crossmark
License
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.
