In:Romance Languages and Linguistic Theory 12: Selected papers from the 45th Linguistic Symposium on Romance Languages (LSRL), Campinas, Brazil
Edited by Ruth E.V. Lopes, Juanito Ornelas de Avelar and Sonia M. L. Cyrino
[Romance Languages and Linguistic Theory 12] 2017
► pp. 185–198
Chapter 12Epistemic uses of the verb decir in La Paz Spanish
Digamos and dice
Published online: 19 October 2017
https://doi.org/10.1075/rllt.12.12qua
https://doi.org/10.1075/rllt.12.12qua
Abstract
This paper explores semantic extensions and pragmatic functions of two evidential forms found in La Paz Spanish, digamos ‘let’s say’ and dice ‘s/he says’. Both forms are inflected forms of the verb decir ‘to say’. The form dice ‘s/he says’ has the function of a reported evidential form, conforming to results from previous studies (Babel 2009; Olbertz 2007; Travis 2006; Laprade 1981), while the form digamos is used according to a previously unnoticed function of an inferential evidential.
Keywords: indirect evidentiality, epistemic modality, stance, grammaticalisation
Article outline
- Introduction
- Evidentiality, modality and stance
- The evidential marker dizque in American Spanish
- Materials, participants and method
- The analysis of dice
- Functions of dice
- Syntactic placement, semantic scope and pragmatic implications of dice
- The analysis of digamos
- Functions of digamos
- Syntactic placement, semantic scope and pragmatic features of digamos
- Discussion
Notes References
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