The pseudo-copular use of the Spanish verbs hacerse and volverse: two types of change

Abstract

The distinctions proposed in the literature to account for the pseudo-copular relation of change expressed by means of hacerse ‘to make-refl’ and volverse ‘to return-refl’, viz., [± intentionality], [± gradualness], [± positivity], appear to be insufficient and inadequate. Outside the pseudo-copular construction hacer essentially conveys the notion of ‘making, producing’ and volver that of ‘turning, turning back’. Some central components of these source meanings persist in the pseudo-copular reflexive form that expresses a change-of-state; these components are the notions of ‘(auto)generation’ and of ‘(auto)diversion’, respectively. Possible interpretations in terms of progression or promotion, on the one hand, or of decline or regression, on the other, are analyzed as prototypicality effects. In addition, it is possible, especially in the case of hacerse, to distinguish various degrees of subjectivization. The analysis is based on a present-day corpus of peninsular Spanish fiction prose.

Keywords

• change of state
• cognitive semantics
• perspective
• pseudo-copula
• subjectivization