Spanish-Quechua language contact: The clitic pronoun system in Andean Spanish

Abstract

The influence of Quechua on regional Spanish norms in Peru is discussed with reference to the Spanish clitic pronoun system, which contrasts with the Quechua system, which does not represent object pronouns in surface structure & does not code nouns, pronouns, or adjectives for number or gender. The use of clitic pronouns by adult Quechua/Spanish bilinguals was examined on the basis of data collected from four groups of speakers in the city of Calca. Speakers (N = 18) were classified into three groups: lower urban class, middle class, & professionals with college degrees. Informants were interviewed in Spanish. Virtually no difference in the use of object pronouns was found between professional & middle-class informants. Their pronoun usage corresponds closely to Standard Peruvian Spanish as represented by the dialect of Lima. However, norms for use of the pronouns lo, los, la, & las differed significantly from those found in monolingual Spanish-speaking regions of Peru. It is shown that the complex system of third-person clitics in Spanish has been simplified. The existence of Andean Spanish as a distinct contact dialect is confirmed by these findings. 5 Tables, 17 References. B. Annesser Murray