Abstract
In this article, I examine the intrusion of the Spanish preposition de into the languages of Mexico. Following Matras and Sakel (2007), I apply the distinction of matter (mat) and pattern (pat). The exploration of the 35 Archivo de lenguas indígenas de México publications which serve as a comparable database shows that Chontal, Mexicanero, Nahuatl de Acaxochitlán, Otomi, Yucatec, Zoque, and Zapotec, have borrowed de or a variant thereof. All languages give evidence of combined mat/pat-borrowing, while five of the seven languages also exhibit mat-borrowing only. The results demonstrate that none of the replica languages fully complies with the Spanish pattern regarding the usage of de. Indeed, it is essential to identify the functional domain of de in each recipient language separately. Further, the findings are briefly reviewed in light of processing factors corroborating the prominent role of frequency in language change.
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