The (in)transparency of meaning change and variation: A study of the indefinite cualquiera in European and Argentinian Spanish

Kellert, Olga

ISBN 10: 3985541531 / ISBN 13: 9783985541539

Published by Language Science Press, 2025

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: The (in)transparency of meaning change and variation: A study of the indefinite cualquiera in European and Argentinian Spanish
• Publisher: Language Science Press
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3985541531
• ISBN 13: 9783985541539
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

This book investigates the development of indefinites like cualquiera in European and Argentinian Spanish, tracing their path from modal meanings like free choice and random selection to evaluative and even pejorative uses. Drawing on corpus data, variation across dialects, and formal semantic tools, the study probes how transparent these shifts are and what they reveal about the mechanisms of meaning change. The findings will interest linguists working on indefinites, variation, or the interface between form and interpretation-whether in synchrony or diachrony.