This paper deals with the interaction between the ser/estar distinction and word
order. In Spanish the VSX order imposes a thetic, wide focus interpretation
(Leonetti, 2014a). This word order pattern is compatible with estar predication.
In contrast, ser predication is typically excluded with VSX… read more
This paper aims at explaining why irony is particularly salient in a certain kind of Spanish sentences that involve fronting of a constituent. This fact should be totally unexpected if one assumes – as we do – that irony is mainly a contextual phenomenon (Wilson & Sperber 1992 et passim). An… read more
This paper addresses the question of why VSX word order is possible in Spanish but excluded in other Romance languages (Catalan and Italian). It aims at offering an overview of the properties of VSX in Spanish, as well as explaining how the availability of VSX depends on interface requirements on… read more
Suñer’s (1982) Naked Noun Constraint explains the ban on bare nouns in preverbal subject position in Spanish as the result of the incompatibility between bare nouns and Topic positions. In this paper this proposal is assumed and placed inside a general hypothesis that derives the distributional… read more
The Definiteness Effect (DE) in existential contexts appears as a robust constraint in some languages (Spanish) while it seems to be absent in others (Italian, Catalan). However, a closer inspection of Italian and Catalan data shows that the DE has some presence in those languages as well, when the… read more