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31 pages, 3037 KiB

Open AccessArticle

What Formal Approaches to Syntactic Interfaces Can Tell Us about the Syntax of Preverbal and Prenominal Constituents in Galician

by Timothy Gupton and Brian Gravely

Languages 2024, 9(8), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9080267 - 31 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1197

Abstract

An important line of research within a generative, formal approach to syntax in the early 21st century has centered on exploring phenomena related to the interface between syntax and other linguistic modules in human language. In this paper, we review the notion of [...] Read more.

An important line of research within a generative, formal approach to syntax in the early 21st century has centered on exploring phenomena related to the interface between syntax and other linguistic modules in human language. In this paper, we review the notion of interfaces and how they have been viewed within formal theoretical approaches to monolingual and bilignual competence and language acquistion, noting their relevance as they relate to language acquisition and bilingualism in the context of Galicia (Spain). We review a selection of Noun Phrase (NP) structures that implicate a syntactic interface: subject position, clitic directionality, and determiner clitic allomorphy. We provide a review of the relevant literature and the theoretical issues of interest as they relate to our understanding of these syntactic interfaces, reporting on our current theoretical understandings, persistent questions, and our view of the path forward as it relates to linguistic research on the Galician language. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Galician Linguistics)

23 pages, 1173 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Semantic Fields and Castilianization in Galician: A Comparative Study with the Loanword Typology Project

by María Álvarez de la Granja and Francisco Dubert García

Languages 2024, 9(7), 244; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9070244 - 9 Jul 2024

Viewed by 956

Abstract

This study examines the correspondence between the borrowability indices from the Loanwoard Typology (LWT) project and Castilianization indices from the Atlas Lingüístico Galego (ALGa) across seven semantic fields. To this end, we identified all Castilianisms in the ALGa and [...] Read more.

This study examines the correspondence between the borrowability indices from the Loanwoard Typology (LWT) project and Castilianization indices from the Atlas Lingüístico Galego (ALGa) across seven semantic fields. To this end, we identified all Castilianisms in the ALGa and conducted a quantitative analysis to compare these indices. Results obtained indicate a mismatch between the rankings of the LWT project and the ALGa. For example, the field ‘The body’ has the highest level of Castilianization according to the ALGa but the lowest borrowed score in the LWT project. Moreover, Castilianization levels in the ALGa show greater dispersion than borrowability levels from the LWT project. In fact, in each semantic field, many concepts (52.2%) have low levels of Castilianization, between 0% and 10%, and only a few concepts have high levels. A more detailed analysis of three semantic fields (‘The body’, ‘Agriculture and vegetation’, and ‘The physical world’) suggests that explanations based solely on semantic criteria (such as the existence of an unalterable central lexicon) are insufficient; other factors such as prestige, urbanization, cultural modernity, frequency of word usage, and perhaps other intralinguistic factors should be taken into account. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Galician Linguistics)

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30 pages, 3485 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variable Acceptability of Differential Object Marking in Bilingual Galician–Spanish Speakers: An Exploratory Study

by Manuel Delicado Cantero and M. Carmen Parafita Couto

Languages 2024, 9(7), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9070228 - 24 Jun 2024

Viewed by 1069

Abstract

This paper presents an initial study of the acceptability of differential object marking (DOM) by Galician–Spanish bilinguals in Galicia. The research explores judgments provided by these bilinguals (n = 69) on DOM in both Galician and Spanish and it also explores data from [...] Read more.

This paper presents an initial study of the acceptability of differential object marking (DOM) by Galician–Spanish bilinguals in Galicia. The research explores judgments provided by these bilinguals (n = 69) on DOM in both Galician and Spanish and it also explores data from a monolingual Spanish control group (n = 12). The surveys target contexts covering key syntactic and semantic–pragmatic contexts for DOM in Galician and Spanish, based on the existing literature. The Galician data reveal a tendency towards reduced acceptability of DOM compared to Spanish, but without a generalized rejection of DOM in any of the contexts. The Spanish data show variability in both groups. The study contributes insights from an under-studied language pair and aims to open avenues for further work. More generally, it enhances our understanding of DOM in bilingual grammars, particularly in microcontact situations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Galician Linguistics)

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20 pages, 1240 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Two Languages, One Goal: Code-Switching in Doctor–Patient Communication in the Galician Healthcare System

by Vanesa Rodríguez Tembrás

Languages 2024, 9(6), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060209 - 6 Jun 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1277

Abstract

This paper examines bilingual communications between family doctors and patients in Galicia (Spain). The study adopts a sociolinguistic and sociopragmatic approach to analyze how language choice and code-switching (CS) impact their interactions. The main objectives are understanding language dynamics within a speech community [...] Read more.

This paper examines bilingual communications between family doctors and patients in Galicia (Spain). The study adopts a sociolinguistic and sociopragmatic approach to analyze how language choice and code-switching (CS) impact their interactions. The main objectives are understanding language dynamics within a speech community and identifying factors influencing language use in healthcare, focusing on language alternation, associated with language choice, and language accommodation. The research utilized a twofold dataset. First, a corpus of 586 audio-recorded medical consultations and eight semi-structured interviews with all participating doctors offered real-life linguistic dynamics between doctors and patients. Additionally, a second dataset with 208 questionnaires and 15 semi-structured interviews provided insights into language preferences and attitudes, inside and outside the doctor’s office. The findings indicate that doctors and patients strategically select and switch between Spanish and Galician to achieve communication goals. Approximately half of the consultations are bilingual, either with or without code-switching, showing that language negotiation is key in the Galician healthcare system. The insights gained can inform healthcare professionals, policymakers, and language planners in developing strategies to improve communication. The study also provides contextual data for understanding the role of language in shaping social dynamics beyond the healthcare setting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Galician Linguistics)

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28 pages, 3257 KiB

Open AccessArticle

‘The Subversion of Dialects’: Changing Attitudes towards Rural Varieties of Galician

by Montserrat Recalde and Mauro Fernández

Languages 2024, 9(6), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060204 - 2 Jun 2024

Viewed by 1074

Abstract

The gheada and the seseo are the two pronunciations most stigmatised by the top-down standardising tradition of Galician from the mid-19th century. Social stereotypes of peasantry, ignorance, and vulgarity were built on them. Nowadays, those stereotypes are the basis for indexical pointing. These [...] Read more.

The gheada and the seseo are the two pronunciations most stigmatised by the top-down standardising tradition of Galician from the mid-19th century. Social stereotypes of peasantry, ignorance, and vulgarity were built on them. Nowadays, those stereotypes are the basis for indexical pointing. These pronunciations were outlawed from schools in the past. Today, despite having been considered standard by The Royal Galician Academy since 1982, they are almost absent from the classrooms, including those of Galician language and literature. This situation is detrimental to the linguistic capital of its users as compared to that of standard speakers. Nonetheless, since the end of the 20th century, there has been a social resignification of the gheada and seseo, symbolically used to express authenticity, ethnolinguistic adherence, and/or socio-political and cultural resistance. Currently, the emergence of vernacular language ideologies (VLIs) counterbalances the weight of standard language ideologies (SLIs) on these phenomena. This article analyses the linguistic attitudes of a sample of young people towards these two dialectal varieties as opposed to the standard pronunciations. It also identifies the indexical associations of contrasting varieties and their evolution over time. For this purpose, the matched-guise technique in combination with semantic differential scales (SDSs) has been applied. The results show that whereas standard pronunciations index social success, dialectal pronunciations index solidarity. However, while the standard indexical values are very stable, a rise in dialectal ratings is observed over fifteen years, which means an improvement of the attitudes towards them. As in other European minority languages, this phenomenon indicates a process of value levelling of the linguistic varieties and the growing weight of the VLIs in late modernity in Galicia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Galician Linguistics)

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15 pages, 356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Galician Perfective Periphrases among Complex Predicates: Degrees of Grammaticalization and the Possibility of a Perfect Tense

by Natalia Jardón

Languages 2024, 9(6), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060196 - 27 May 2024

Viewed by 1293

Abstract

The so-called perífrasis perfectivas in Galician present the action as concluded or realized. This particular aspectual feature constitutes the common ground for an otherwise heterogeneous set of constructions, ranging from rematar de ‘finish’+ infinitive (e.g., rematóu de beber ‘(s/he) finished drinking’) to ter [...] Read more.

The so-called perífrasis perfectivas in Galician present the action as concluded or realized. This particular aspectual feature constitutes the common ground for an otherwise heterogeneous set of constructions, ranging from rematar de ‘finish’+ infinitive (e.g., rematóu de beber ‘(s/he) finished drinking’) to ter ‘have’ + participle (e.g., teñen ido ‘(they) have gone (Rep.)’). This work provides a critical assessment of their syntactic and semantic properties in cases where the participle may not show agreement. This is the case for periphrases built on three auxiliaries: ter, levar, and dar, of which ter + participle stands out as the most grammaticalized one. The case of ter is further investigated in relation to European Portuguese (EP) and Brazilian Portuguese (BP), where ter + participle is considered a fully-fledged perfect tense. Additionally, the use of these periphrases in areas where Spanish is also present is evaluated from a contact perspective. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Galician Linguistics)

12 pages, 407 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mood Alternation with Adverbs of Uncertainty in Galician: A Multifactorial Analysis

by Vítor Míguez

Languages 2024, 9(6), 195; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060195 - 24 May 2024

Viewed by 1009

Abstract

This study investigates the factors that significantly constrain mood selection in Galician within uncertainty adverb constructions, applying a logistic regression model. This analysis identified several significant factors affecting the choice between the indicative and subjunctive moods, including the temporal context of the clause, [...] Read more.

This study investigates the factors that significantly constrain mood selection in Galician within uncertainty adverb constructions, applying a logistic regression model. This analysis identified several significant factors affecting the choice between the indicative and subjunctive moods, including the temporal context of the clause, the preceding adverb, and the interaction of fictional and nonfictional registers with the verb type of the predicate and the gender of the speaker/writer. Time reference and the preceding adverb emerged as primary factors conditioning mood choice, with present and future time frames and adverbs encoding weaker epistemic values significantly predisposing toward the subjunctive mood. This study also highlighted the influence of the gender of the speaker/writer, demonstrating the preference of women toward the indicative mood in fictional texts. Verb type and register interact in complex ways that only partially align with previous findings. The results of the present study contribute to a deeper understanding of syntactic variation in Galician, adding to a growing body of quantitative research on Galician grammar. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Galician Linguistics)

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18 pages, 392 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Language Ideologies and Linguistic Practices of Transgenerational Return Migrants in Galicia

by Nicola Bermingham and Carme Silva-Domínguez

Languages 2024, 9(6), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060187 - 21 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1116

Abstract

This article explores transgenerational return migration to Galicia, Spain, focusing on participants of the Scholarships for Outstanding Youth Abroad (BEME) programme. It examines how descendants of Galician emigrants, primarily grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Galician emigrants to Latin America, engage with the Spanish and [...] Read more.

This article explores transgenerational return migration to Galicia, Spain, focusing on participants of the Scholarships for Outstanding Youth Abroad (BEME) programme. It examines how descendants of Galician emigrants, primarily grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Galician emigrants to Latin America, engage with the Spanish and Galician languages. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 30 participants, the article explores participants’ language ideologies regarding Galician as a minoritised language and Spanish as a global language. This article highlights the role of language as a symbolic resource in transgenerational return migration, offering a sociolinguistic perspective to the understanding of this migration phenomenon. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Galician Linguistics)

13 pages, 370 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variant Choices of Future Time Reference in Galician: The Grammaticalization of [haber (de) + infinitive] as a Window to Diachronic Change

by Esther L. Brown and Javier Rivas

Languages 2024, 9(4), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9040142 - 15 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1241

Abstract

Compared to neighboring Romance languages, Galician currently maintains a more ubiquitous usage of the construction [haber (present) + (de) + infinitive] as a future marker in variation with the periphrastic construction with ir ‘go’ and the morphological [...] Read more.

Compared to neighboring Romance languages, Galician currently maintains a more ubiquitous usage of the construction [haber (present) + (de) + infinitive] as a future marker in variation with the periphrastic construction with ir ‘go’ and the morphological future. We examine this under-studied construction to gain a better understanding of Galician grammar and also contribute new data with which to consider diachronic change regarding the grammaticalization of the future from obligation markers. We conduct a variationist analysis of 1589 tokens of future forms in recorded conversations (CORILGA) in order to determine the frequency of usage, patterns of variation, linguistic conditioning and degree of grammaticalization of the periphrastic forms with haber and ir in contrast to the morphological variant. We find evidence to suggest that the periphrastic construction with haber is highly grammaticalized as a future marker and we identify factors of the production context that modulate the grammaticalization process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Galician Linguistics)

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