Reflexiones metalingüísticas acerca del voseo costarricense

Abstract

Este trabajo describe los resultados de una encuesta metalingüística completada por veinte costarricenses sobre el uso del pronombre de tratamiento (vos, tú o usted) en varios contextos sociales. En esta investigación, se ha valido del programa S.P.S.S. para cruzar las respuestas del uso pronominal con las variables sociales de género, estado civil, edad, ingresos, estudios y provincia de nacimiento. La forma de tratamiento no-marcada en todas las situaciones estudiadas es el pronombre usted, tanto en ámbitos de solidaridad (familiaridad, amistad y confianza) como en los de distanciamiento y de poder. Los encuestados indican el empleo del vos, siempre la forma marcada y de uso minoritario, en ciertas relaciones de confianza y amistad, por ejemplo, con miembros de la familia, amigos y, a veces, con compañeros de trabajo. La prueba chi-cuadrado de Pearson muestra una dependencia significativa entre el empleo del vos en contextos de confianza y las variables independientes de género y edad. El uso costarricense del vos no equivale ni al vos de otras regiones voseantes ni tampoco al tú. El tratamiento con tú, pronombre tradicionalmente ajeno al sistema costarricense, aparece con escasa frecuencia entre las respuestas.

Register and Forms of Address in Costa Rica: Sociolinguistic Realities and Pedagogical Implications

“…The voseo was used to indicate trust if the right people used it in the appropriate context; otherwise, it was perceived as insulting. Variable categories highlighted in other research include sociolinguistic indicators, age and educational level of interlocutors, and degree of intimacy and trust as perceived by conversation participants (Benavides, 2003;Cabal Jim enez, 2013;Hern andez, 2007;Kapovi c, 2007;Lotherington, 2007;Moser, 2006Moser, , 2008Murillo Medrano, 2010;Thomas, 2008;Vargas Dengo, 1974).…”

“…Given the vast geography of Latin America, it is not surprising that there exists some linguistic variation within the forms of the voseo itself. Several researchers have delved extensively into particular linguistic alternatives, including the confusion of interlocutor usage among verbal and pronominal forms associated with vos (Congosto Martín, ; Hernández, ; Kapović, ; Moser, , ; Thomas, ; Vargas Dengo, ). (For an extensive treatment of the forms of the voseo as well as numerous examples, please see the authors cited in the previous sentence.…”

“…While the tuteo is ever present in Spanish classrooms and textbooks, in Costa Rica its use is sporadic at best and is not often viewed in a positive light (Benavides, ; Cameron, ; Congosto Martín, ; Jara Murillo, ; Kapović, ; Mason & Nicely, ; Vargas Dengo, ). With the tuteo largely absent, the interlocutor interplay now primarily involves the voseo in alternation with the ustedeo (Cabal Jiménez, ; Jara Murillo, ; Kapović, ; Moser, ; Murillo Medrano, ; Thomas, ). Several research studies have tried to pinpoint the variables that prompt said alternation.…”

“…These terms have been defined by the Real Academia Española (Real Academia Española, n.d.) as the form of address for usted, vos , and tú , respectively. Although a number of previous studies have addressed this topic (Hasbún Hasbún & Solís Hernández, ; Jara Murillo, ; Thomas, ), to date no study has systematically investigated the voseo across a strategically selected diverse geographic and socioeconomic pool of interviewees. Rather, most studies have concentrated on participants in the province of San José or a few areas located in the Central Valley.…”

Perceptions of Second Person Singular Pronoun Use in San Salvador, El Salvador

“…Among studies of Latin American pronouns we can cite Henríquez Ureña (1921), Rona (1964Rona ( , 1967, Zamora & Guitart (1982), Benavides (2003), Rey (1997), Pinkerton (1986), Thomas (2008), Torrejón (1986Torrejón ( , 1991, Castro (2000) and Moyna & Ceballos (2008), among many others. Central America and El Salvador, in particular, have received relatively little attention in the literature when compared to other varieties.…”