Abstract
This chapter studies cognitive aspects of the Spanish subjunctive. Rather than the loosely connected list of structures usually found in Spanish grammars (e.g. Alarcos Llorach 1994; Butt & Benjamin 1996), the uses of the present and past subjunctives in Spanish can be derived from a formula that captures the mental representation of these tenses. Also, in this chapter, I develop a cognitive rule explaining the retention of frequently used irregular future subjunctives in Spanish legalese. Apparently, diverse patterns in the uses of the Spanish subjunctive can be handled by such cognitive formula and functional mechanisms of language use, in interaction with markedness principles, whereby systematic developments occur in marked and unmarked categories and environments.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2003 Eduardo D. Faingold
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Faingold, E.D. (2003). The Mental Representation of Linguistic Markedness: Cognitive Aspects of the Spanish Subjunctive. In: The Development of Grammar in Spanish and The Romance Languages. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230006218_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230006218_6
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-50735-1
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-00621-8
eBook Packages: Palgrave Language & Linguistics CollectionEducation (R0)