The permeability of tag questions in a language contact situation

Abstract

In this paper, we utilize negative polarity tag questions in order to assess to what extent discourse-pragmatic variables are susceptible to language contact induced changes. Based on a comparison of forms and functions of negative tags in the varieties spoken by Portuguese-Spanish bilinguals in a community on the Uruguayan-Brazilian border with the one spoken by monolinguals in the Uruguayan capital, we aimed at assessing to what extent any differences in this variable behavior may be affected by contact with Portuguese. Our results indicate that, despite the high permeability of discourse-pragmatic features in contact situations attested in the literature and the presumed tendency for cognate languages to converge, the forms and functions of negative tags in bilingual Spanish did not radically differ from the monolingual variety. We found, instead, an intricate pattern of convergences and divergences that challenges the presupposed assumptions about extreme permeability of cognate discourse pragmatic systems in contact.

Mechanisms of Grammaticalization in the Variation of Negative Question Tags

“…Prior studies have shown that phonetically reduced tag forms, such as int and innit, are favored for non-conducive functions (Cheshire 1981(Cheshire , 1982Pichler , 2021a. The same is true of the equivalent of innit in Brazilian Portuguese, the reduced form né (Carvalho & Kern 2019). These observations align with the trajectory in which further eroded forms are more advanced along the cline of grammaticalization and have changed their function in the process.…”

Marcadores Discursivos na Fala Bilíngue Talian-Português Brasileiro: Limites de Análise entre Empréstimo Linguístico, Code-Switching e Code-Mixing

“…A incorporação de MDs emprestados resultam no deslocamento dos nativos (cf. SANKOFF et al, 1997;HLAVAV, 2006;CARVALHO;KERN, 2019;GONZÁLEZ;SIL-VANO, 2022;BALTHAZAR, 2022); e a adição de MDs ao repertório da língua receptora para cumprir funções de discurso não cumpridas por MDs nativos (CARVALHO; KERN, 2019).…”

“…Curiosamente, numa situação de contato de línguas, é bem conhecido que as palavras de conteúdo, como substantivos, verbos e adjetivos, são geralmente emprestadas da língua majoritária e incorporadas à língua minoritária (CARVALHO; KERN, 2019). No português, são exemplos de itens lexicais tomados de empréstimo do inglês os provenientes do campo da alimentação, da moda e dos esportes e em domínios especializados como negócios, ciência e tecnologia, embora se tenha conhecimento da existência de correspondentes vernáculos:…”

“…Assim, fica claro que esses MDs do português não são palavras ajustadas e emprestadas à língua talian, mas sim palavras de uma língua incluídas em outra durante a fala do indivíduo, que é bilíngue. Como o português brasileiro é a língua majoritária (sociopoliticamente mais dominante) em Caibi, não descartamos a hipótese de, no futuro, os MDs do PB substituírem os MDs do talian (língua minoritária), conforme verificado por (SANKOFF et al, 1997;TORRES, 2002;HLAVAC, 2006;CARVALHO;KERN, 2019;GONZÁLEZ;SILVANO, 2022;BALTHAZAR, 2021;CARVALHO;KERN, 2019).…”

On the Functional Convergence of Pragmatic Markers in Arizona Spanish

“…Past studies have established several key features of PMs: (i) they are the result of grammaticalization, where PMs lose referential meaning, and take on discursive functions (Martín Zorraquino and Portolés Lázaro 1999); (ii) there is a potential variability of form, a side-effect of grammaticalization (Martín Zorraquino and Portolés Lázaro 1999; Silva-Corvalán and Enrique-Arias 2017); (iii) they have the ability to diffuse throughout the syntactic structure, previously described as optionality to the syntax (Clayman and Raymond 2021;Kern 2019;Pichler 2013;Portolés Lázaro 1998;Silva-Corvalán and Enrique-Arias 2017); and (iv) they are multifunctional, with one overall dominant function in any given context (Allerton 2009;Gómez González 2012;Kern 2019;Palacios Martínez 2014;Travis 2005). Furthermore, previous investigation of PMs in bilingual varieties (Aaron 2004;Andersen 2022;Carvalho and Kern 2019;Palacios Martínez 2014;Pichler 2021;Said-Mohand 2007;Sankoff et al 1997) show that intense contact between languages can potentially cause changes within the pragmatic system of the recipient language, sometimes accelerating change and its diffusion (Pichler 2021), and at other times diversifying the system without the attrition of native forms (Aaron 2004).…”