Juan Antonio Frago Gracia

El español de América en la Independencia: Adiciones gramaticales I

It seems to be scientifically relevant to know, in its diatopic and sociolinguistic aspects and with the utmost empirical veracity, the Spanish used in an America that was politically detaching from the metropolis. Not only to verify what was the authentic linguistic reality in the emancipated continental territories, but also to tackle properly three important issues concerning the general history of American Spanish. In the first place, the way in which this language evolved in America as a whole during the administration of the Viceroyalty, until Independence was obtained. In the second place, to establish on solid grounds the study of the normative trends pervading cultivated American circles, difficult assemblage between due academicism and the simple defence of the speech of the elite, not forgetting the idiomatical practice of the people, that was nothing else than another aspect of the norm. Finally, to asses what, since then, has really meant innovation, or conservation, in the Spanish of Americans up to now. Starting from my research already published on this matter, new documentary contributions appear, so that the historical perspective becomes deeper and more transparent. It is with this purpose in mind that I provide the first additions, related to two important grammatical phenomena in the configuration of American Spanish.