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Part of
Current Theoretical and Applied Perspectives on Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics
Edited by Diego Pascual y Cabo and Idoia Elola
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 27] 2020
► pp. 253–272

Chapter 12
Proposing a tripartite intensifier system

Re, muy, and bien in Buenos Aires and Tucumán, Argentina

| University of Pittsburgh
| Georgia College & State University

Tripartite systems demonstrate how a dominant form coexists with other variants without any falling into disuse, as each occupies a particular space (Kapatsinski, 2009). Intensifiers reveal language change through rapid variability and recycling in popularity (Tagliamonte, 2008), as seen in variationist analyses of Spanish intensification via bien and muy (Brown & Cortés-Torres, 2013).

We consider an additional variant (i.e., re) and determine to what extent we can classify Argentinean intensifiers as a tripartite system. In a contextualized task which manipulated adjective quality, verb type, and animacy, 136 speakers from Buenos Aires and Tucumán selected their preferred intensifier. Mixed-effects regressions indicated re is constrained linguistically and socially, and that it occupies a different, specialized space from bien, while muy pervades cross-contextually.

Keywords: intensifiers, variable intensification, default forms, Argentinean Spanish
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Previous research
    • 2.1Default forms and tripartite systems
    • 2.2Intensifiers
  • 3.The current study
  • 4.Method
    • 4.1Participants
    • 4.2Tasks
    • 4.3Analysis
  • 5.Results
    • 5.1Distribution of forms
    • 5.2Mixed-effects regression models
  • 6.Discussion
  • 7.Limitations, future directions, and conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 4 June 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.27.12kan
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