Abstract

KORNFELD, Laura Malena. MITIGATORS IN COLLOQUIAL ARGENTINE SPANISH. Lingüística [online]. 2013, vol.29, n.2, pp.17-49. ISSN 2079-312X.

paper aims at characterizing a set of expressions very frequent in colloquial spoken varieties of Argentine Spanish (particularly among young people), used as mitigators: medio, onda, tipo, como  casi (que). These expressions are utilized in different categorial domaines (nominal, adjectival, adverbial, verbal, sentential) in order to weaken the impact of the meaning of a word or of the whole assertion. First, we characterize the different processes of grammaticalization of medio, onda, tipo, como  casi (que) as mitigators, parting from other functional values or from a lexical-conceptual meaning. Then we analyze their uses in different domains,  specially the cases in which they function as sentential markers, trying to explain their distribution  their compatibility with various modalities, moods, polarities, contexts of subordination, etc., in order to describe their basic grammatical properties. Finally, we discuss which differences exist between mitigators  markers that express epistemic doubt (por ahí, capaz, a lo mejor),  also which would be the specific kind of mitigation involved in our expressions. In this way, the paper intends to emphasize the relevance for grammar of the notion of mitigation, conceived as strategies or resources that the speaker uses with certain pragmatic goal.

Keywords : modality; mitigation; colloquial spoken varieties; Argentine Spanish.

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