(And yet) another proposal for ser/estar

Abstract

This paper puts forward an l-syntactic account of non-trivially alternating copulas ser/estar building on incorporation of a prepositional head (p*). I propose that p* is to be seen as a locus of encoding and variation of the relevant properties whereby ser/estar diverge, but also as the element constraining selection and interpretation of the predicate. First, I use the distinction between telicity and boundedness as a starting point for developing a reformulation of the Hale-and-Keyserian analysis of ser/estar that supports a new typology of p heads within the Central Coincidence domain. This is important to capture wider sets of corpus and analytic data, but also in order to reflect an adequate division of work between verbal (Aktionsart) and constructional aspect. Then, I propose a novel implementation based on p-conflation and Hyponym Argument Relations. If correct, the analysis handles different facts and at the same time positions ser/estar into a much ampler frame.