La selección modal del subjuntivo/indicativo en el Corpus sociolingüístico Preseea-Medellín

Abstract

This article provides a descriptive analysis of the use of the subjunctive and the uses of the indicative that experience variation with the subjunctive in the spoken speech of Medellin, Colombia. This research evaluates 638 cases of subjunctive and 219 cases of indicative that originate from 18 informants from the Preseea-Medellin Corpus and analyzes them using sociolinguistic (external) variables and 14 linguistic (internal) variables. The research found that of the sociolinguistic variables studied (level of education, gender and generation), age is the only factor that experienced significant differences as almost 50% of subjunctive productions were enunciated by the youngest generation. Of the linguistic variables, it can be concluded that in general, in the speech spoken in Medellin, the use of the subjunctive almost always corresponds to a standard use as non-standard uses of the subjunctive only represent .93% (8 cases) of all cases studied. Overall, it can be affirmed that the factors that most determine the characteristics of the use of the subjunctive in the speech spoken in Medellin are more linguistic (internal) in nature than social (extra-linguistic), and that this speech community may be characterized as having a standard (conservative) use of the subjunctive.