A constructional approach to Spanish consecutive discourse markers

Experimental and corpus evidence

Cuello Ramón, Carlos

This book explores the synchronic and diachronic relations between a group of Spanish consecutive markers (por tanto, por eso, por ello and por esto) and models their similarities and differences by relying on experimental and observational evidence. A usage-based construction grammar approach allows us to map the results of both methods in a constructional network with multiple horizontal and vertical links intended to conceptualize the traditional notion of paradigm in a more dynamic way. Going beyond the grammaticalization framework, procedural meaning, schematicity, compositionality, entrenchment and other constructional relevant parameters of these discourse markers are assessed on the basis of an eye-tracker and a corpus study. The book endorses the benefits of combining empirical methods and usage-based models for the synchronic and diachronic description of discourse markers and their neighboring categories.