Constructions in Spanish is the first book-length English-language volume in the field of usage-based and Cognitive Construction Grammar dedicated exclusively to Spanish. The contributions investigate a wide range of constructions from both a synchronic and a diachronic perspective, cutting across morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. The constructionist perspective is also linked to comparative and typological research, to language learning and teaching and to multi-modal discourse analysis. The volume aims both at increasing the visibility of constructionist approaches to Spanish, and at offering data and analyses of Spanish for scholars working on constructional analyses of other languages. The volume thus addresses both scholars in Spanish and Romance linguistics, as it builds connections between more traditional approaches and constructionist approaches, and construction grammarians generally, especially scholars interested in comparative work.

This study, first published in 1990, presents a comprehensive description of the comparative constructions of Spanish and French, and shows that the apparently numerous differences in their syntactic realisations can be accounted for by general constraints on the expression of comparison. There is also a discussion of parallel constructions in other Romance languages, showing that these languages display a range of constructions equally compatible with the suggested pattern of possibilities resulting from the general constraints proposed. This title will be of interest to students of language and linguistics.

This book discusses a class of Reduced Constructions which exhibit both mono- and bi-clausal characteristics. In Spanish, as well as other Romance languages, the most salient mono-clausal characteristic is the possibility of clitic climbing, i.e. the possibility of an object clitic attaching to a verb that is higher (in the appropriate sense) than the verb which selects the object to which the clitic corresponds. Reduced constructions come in essentially two varieties: clause reduction (or restructuring) constructions and union (or causative / perception verb)constructions. There has been a good deal of work on a number of aspects of reduced constructions; here the author discusses work in three areas: the analysis of pronominal clitics, the structure of clause reduction and union constructions (and how these treatments interact with the analysis of clitics to yield an account of clitic climbing), and the encoding of embedded subjects in union constructions.

The purpose of this book is not only to serve as an English-Spanish reference book to look up a term when needed, but also as a guide to learn the most frequently used construction terms. Learn just a few terms every day, and soon you will be acquainted with the most common construction terminology in English and Spanish. Cómo Usar Este LibroEl propósito de esta publicación -aparte de servir como obra de referencia donde se puedan consultar términos de la construcción cuando sea necesario- es poner al alcance del lector una sencilla guía con la que pueda familiarizarse con los términos de la construcción que más frecuentemente se utilizan. Si se aprenden tres o cuatro términos cada día, en poco tiempo aprenderá los términos de la construcción más comúnmente utilizados en inglés y español.

This book explores syntactic and semantic change in three types of construction in Spanish and Portuguese: (i) complex determiner phrases with clausal adjunction (el hecho de, o facto de), (ii) complex prepositions/complementizers and complex connectives (sin embargo de/sem embargo de, so(b) pena de), and (iii) complex predicates containing light verbs (dar consejo/conselho de). While these constructions are syntactically different, they are all clause-taking complex expressions containing a noun followed by the functional preposition de ('of'). This book is the first work to use a systematic comparative corpus study to explore these expressions together; this approach allows individual changes to be distinguished from general changes, as well as emphasizing the chronological clustering of changes that involve complex constructions in both languages. By studying mechanisms of language change and their outcomes in two sister languages, Patrícia Amaral and Manuel Delicado Cantero address questions such as: How do complex constructions evolve? How does the meaning of the noun change when considered in isolation and when compared to the meaning of the whole construction? And how do syntactic categories change over time? This study of two closely-related languages reveals distinct developments occurring in parallel, and provides a crucial test case for theories of language change.

This dictionary contains essential language for homeowners or tradesmen maintaining or renovating property in Spain. It contains the most up-to-date dictionary of Spanish building terms, including hundreds of technical words you won't find in a usual dictionary. Easy to use, this book will help you to communicate and avoid costly misunderstandings.

The purpose of this book is not only to serve as an English-Spanish reference work to look up a term when needed, but also as a guide to learn the most frequently used legal terms. Learn just a few terms every day, and soon you will be acquainted with the most common construction terminology in English and Spanish.