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Abstract

Abstract

The present study raises certain issues regarding the philological literature’s evaluation of the generic noun ‘Christian’ in Old Spanish as an indefinite ‘anyone’ under the scope of negation, which has been primarily based on the . Following the diachronic evolution of generic nouns to indefinite pronouns proposed in the linguistic literature, this study argues that the generic noun , placed under the scope of negation, first evoked non-Christian religionist alternatives. Later, following the end of the and the expulsion and forced conversion of Jews and Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula, the generic noun would adopt new logically entailed person-based alternatives that allowed it an indefinite ‘anyone’ reading under the scope of negation. In short, this study demonstrates how sociocultural factors in the real world have a modulating effect on diachronic semantic change, with a focus on religion and the Spanish language.

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2026-02-23
2026-03-06

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/content/journals/10.1075/rro.25016.yam
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Indefinite readings of generic noun cristiano in Spanish diachrony
John Benjamins ; https://doi.org/10.1075/rro.25016.yam
/content/journals/10.1075/rro.25016.yam
/content/journals/10.1075/rro.25016.yam
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: generic nouns ; negation ; diachronic semantic change ; religion ; Old Spanish

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