TY - JOUR AU - Bazaco, Carmelo PY - 2020/11/12 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Copulas in Spanish: Scalar structure and interpretive economy JF - Borealis – An International Journal of Hispanic Linguistics JA - Borealis VL - 9 IS - 2 SE - Articles DO - 10.7557/1.9.2.5432 UR - https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/borealis/article/view/5432 SP - 233-256 AB - <p>This article analyzes the distribution of the copulas <em>ser</em> and <em>estar</em> in Spanish, based on a scalar theoretical framework. The main proposal is that their distribution can be captured in terms of the scalar structure of the predicates involved and the presence of cognitive salient points on those scales. The proposed framework centers around <em>ser</em> predicates involving a single degree on the scale, while those with <em>estar</em> involve an interval, which additionally must involve an onset, or salient point.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This analysis has two advantages. First, it accounts for subjects and closed-scale adjective pairs not being able to alternate between <em>ser</em> or <em>estar</em>. The endpoints present on closed-scales act as strong salient points that, based on the Principle of Interpretive Economy, require that the copula <em>estar</em> is used if it can. Second, this analysis also accounts for the distribution of <em>estar</em> with open-scale predicates and explains why adjectives like <em>famoso</em> ‘famous’ or <em>rico</em> ‘rich’ are virtually absent from <em>estar</em> predications, despite having the appropriate temporal reading. Cognitive salient points are also responsible for generating the appropriate scalar interval required for <em>estar</em> predications, although their being weaker than endpoints on closed-scales does not require <em>estar</em> be the only copula available. The article also accounts for the nature of these onsets on open-scale adjectives and provides a diagnostic tool to determine which adjectives have them, and consequently can appear in <em>estar</em> predications.</p> ER -