On pseudo-coordination in Spanish

Ana Bravo

doi:10.7557/1.9.1.5365

Abstract

Abstract. Pseudo-coordination, that is, sequences of a least two verbs of the form <V1 + and + V2> raise a number of problems that stem from the fact that they share properties with a wide range of different syntactic phenomena. As regards Sp. <V1 + and + V2> schema, in this paper I address the discussion of whether it qualifies as a verbal periphrasis or not. A number of arguments are provided that show that the relation between V1 and V2 is not that of auxiliarization. Likewise, it is argued that its meaning is not aspectual. Instead, a stance is taken in favour of the analysis that argue that it is discourse related. In addition to this, it is shown that Sp. pseudo-coordinatives are subject to a high variation. Namely, V1 verbs may be divided into two big classes: go-class verbs, highly grammaticalized and, take-class verbs, less grammaticalized and with an agentive meaning. In addition to this, va y lit. goes and functions as an adverb, similarly to puede que lit. can that, ‘maybe’.

Highlights

In what pertains to the grammatical properties, the discussion supports the conclusion that the Spa. sequences should be split into two classes: the ir class and the agarrar class, depending mainly on whether the V1 allows or not for an agentive reading
This cross-linguistic parallelism confirms García Sánchez (2007) hypothesis with respect to the close connection existing between the semantics of the lexical verb and the meaning it conveys as an auxiliary verb
Conclusions and further research Pseudo-coordination structures raise a number of problems that stem from the fact that they share properties with a wide range of different syntactic phenomena

Summary

Introduction

This distinction has been recently proposed for Eng. pseudo-coordinations by Krivochen and Schmerling (2017) and it partially coincides with Ekberg’s (1993), Vannebo (2003) and Wiklund’s (2007) analysis for Swedish and Norwegian, too This cross-linguistic parallelism confirms García Sánchez (2007) hypothesis with respect to the close connection existing between the semantics of the lexical verb and the meaning it conveys as an auxiliary verb (see in quite different frameworks and with the precisions to be made in this paper, Stefanowitsch 1999 and Wiklund 2007). GO AND verb scheme, they have all been already described, except for a couple of them, not trivial, though

V1 as an auxiliary verb

Conclusions and further research