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In:New Perspectives on the Study of Ser and Estar
Edited by Isabel Pérez-Jiménez, Manuel Leonetti and Silvia Gumiel-Molina
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 5] 2015
► pp. 173–202

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What do Spanish copulas have in common with Tibetan evidentials?

Published online: 28 October 2015
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.5.07cam
The Spanish copula estar ‘be.stage-level’ has both well-known aspectual restrictions and evidential uses. Tibetan evidential ‘dug also shows similar aspectual constraints. Both features are derived from assuming that the relevant property in both cases is the gradability of the predicate, which establishes a comparison class within-individuals (yielding estar ‘be.stage-level’) or between-individuals (yielding ser ‘be.individual-level’). A between-individual comparison class is anchored by the nature of the comparison, whereas a within-individual comparison class must be contextually located. This location requirement results in the possibility of having evidential readings.
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Gumiel-Molina, Silvia & Isabel Pérez-Jiménez
2023. Introduction. Spanish in Context 20:2 ► pp. 251 ff. DOI logo
Wilson, Daniel
2023. The case for broader copulas. Spanish in Context 20:2 ► pp. 389 ff. DOI logo
Bazaco, Carmelo & Melvin González-Rivera
2020. Nominal predication withestar. Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 13:2 ► pp. 251 ff. DOI logo
Adamou, Evangelia, Stefano De Pascale, Yekaterina García-Márkina & Cristian Padure
2019. Do bilinguals generalize estar more than monolinguals and what is the role of conceptual transfer?. International Journal of Bilingualism 23:6 ► pp. 1549 ff. DOI logo

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