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Chapter 5. Borrowed Spanish discourse markers in narrative

A comparison across three generations of Tojol-ab’al (Mayan) speakers
  • Mary Jill Brody
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Language Variation and Contact-Induced Change
This chapter is in the book Language Variation and Contact-Induced Change

Abstract

This pilot study examines texts from three generations of speakers of Tojol-ab’al, a Mayan language that has been in long-term contact with Spanish, to determine the influence from Spanish on Tojol-ab’al narrative discourse. Discourse markers borrowed from Spanish and those indigenous to Tojol-ab’al are examined to determine discourse structure. Discourse markers borrowed from Spanish appear frequently even in the speech of the oldest, monolingual generation. Although the youngest generation uses many more words (nouns, verbs) borrowed from Spanish than do the earlier generations, narrative discourse structure, as indicated by the use of both borrowed and indigenous discourse markers, remains substantially the same through time.

Abstract

This pilot study examines texts from three generations of speakers of Tojol-ab’al, a Mayan language that has been in long-term contact with Spanish, to determine the influence from Spanish on Tojol-ab’al narrative discourse. Discourse markers borrowed from Spanish and those indigenous to Tojol-ab’al are examined to determine discourse structure. Discourse markers borrowed from Spanish appear frequently even in the speech of the oldest, monolingual generation. Although the youngest generation uses many more words (nouns, verbs) borrowed from Spanish than do the earlier generations, narrative discourse structure, as indicated by the use of both borrowed and indigenous discourse markers, remains substantially the same through time.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Part I. Population migration and contact-induced language change
  5. Chapter 1. Spatial reconfigurations of Spanish in postmodernity 11
  6. Chapter 2. Female migration and its impact on language choice and use among Afro-Costa Rican women 35
  7. Chapter 3. Hard come, easy go 63
  8. Part II. Internal and external factors in pragmatic variation
  9. Chapter 4. Afro-Hispanic contact varieties at the syntax/pragmatics interface 85
  10. Chapter 5. Borrowed Spanish discourse markers in narrative 111
  11. Chapter 6. Hasta perder la última gota de mi sangre 127
  12. Chapter 7. Discourse markers in variation 153
  13. Part III. Morphosyntactic variation and change
  14. Chapter 8. Yo no le conocí a mi abuela 175
  15. Chapter 9. Attitudes toward morphosyntactic variation in the Spanish of Valencian speakers 199
  16. Chapter 10. Stable variation or change in progress? A sociolinguistic analysis of pa(ra) in the Spanish of Venezuela 223
  17. Part IV. Current issues in bilingual variation
  18. Chapter 11. El futuro es perifrástico 249
  19. Chapter 12. L2 Spanish in the U.S. and the question of motivation 279
  20. Chapter 13. Espero estén todos 299
  21. Index 335
https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.340.06bro

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Part I. Population migration and contact-induced language change
  5. Chapter 1. Spatial reconfigurations of Spanish in postmodernity 11
  6. Chapter 2. Female migration and its impact on language choice and use among Afro-Costa Rican women 35
  7. Chapter 3. Hard come, easy go 63
  8. Part II. Internal and external factors in pragmatic variation
  9. Chapter 4. Afro-Hispanic contact varieties at the syntax/pragmatics interface 85
  10. Chapter 5. Borrowed Spanish discourse markers in narrative 111
  11. Chapter 6. Hasta perder la última gota de mi sangre 127
  12. Chapter 7. Discourse markers in variation 153
  13. Part III. Morphosyntactic variation and change
  14. Chapter 8. Yo no le conocí a mi abuela 175
  15. Chapter 9. Attitudes toward morphosyntactic variation in the Spanish of Valencian speakers 199
  16. Chapter 10. Stable variation or change in progress? A sociolinguistic analysis of pa(ra) in the Spanish of Venezuela 223
  17. Part IV. Current issues in bilingual variation
  18. Chapter 11. El futuro es perifrástico 249
  19. Chapter 12. L2 Spanish in the U.S. and the question of motivation 279
  20. Chapter 13. Espero estén todos 299
  21. Index 335
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