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Article published In:
Bringing Figurative Language into Real L2 Classrooms: The challenges of empirical testing
Edited by Ana M. Piquer-Píriz and Reyes Llopis-García
[Review of Cognitive Linguistics 22:2] 2024
► pp. 564–604
Regular article

The Spanish subjunctive and grounding

A cognitive approach to the cante paradigm

ORCID logo | Charles University, Faculty of Arts
The paper offers a cognitively oriented approach to the Spanish subjunctive. This verb form is examined in light of Langacker’s grounding theory. In my understanding, the ground is defined as the communication situation with three inherently interrelated components: temporality, modality and evidentiality. The subjunctive is then analysed in relation to these three categories. Particular attention is paid to the evidential component of the ground and its relationship to the Spanish subjunctive. I define the contexts in which the subjunctive appears as grounding inhibitors. Consequently, the subjunctive is understood as a verb form lacking temporal, modal and evidential grounding (in opposition to the indicative, which denotes fully grounded processes).
Keywords: subjunctive, grounding, evidentiality, modality, tense
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Formal paradigm of the Spanish subjunctive and contexts for its use
  • 3.Pragmatically and cognitively oriented approaches to the subjunctive
    • 3.1Pragmatic presupposition (old information) and non-assertion vs. assertion
    • 3.2Dominions of epistemic and effective control
    • 3.3Force dynamics
  • 4.The subjunctive and the grounding theory
    • 4.1Grounding
    • 4.2Grounding in Spanish and its relationship to tense, modality and evidentiality
    • 4.3The subjunctive as a marker of an ungrounded process
  • 5.The subjunctive as a grounding inhibitor: Contexts
    • 5.1Grounding inhibitor: Volition, purpose
    • 5.2Grounding inhibitor: Evaluation, comment
    • 5.3Grounding inhibitor: Non-factuality, virtual scenario
    • 5.4Grounding inhibitor: Arbitrariness
    • 5.5Grounding inhibitor: Uninferred prospective process
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Note
  • References
Published online: 15 September 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/rcl.00160.kra
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