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Abstract

Previous research has noted the prevalence of the definite article (DA) preceding personal names (PN) in certain Spanish-speaking communities, particularly in Chilean Spanish, often with derogatory connotations towards women. This study uses a variationist analysis of spontaneous conversation from Mapuche speakers in two regions ( = 509). Results show a preference for DA+PN in the Metropolitan Region in comparison to the Araucanía Region. Different from previous studies, results suggest that names associated with feminine referents tend to favor DA+PN only in the Araucanía Region. Additionally, DA+PN choice in this region is sensitive to community membership. Contrary to derogatory implications, DA+PN usage appears to express discourse topicality, with syntactic subjects showing a greater propensity for DA presence, especially when the referent is subsequently mentioned in subject role. These results suggest that the Mapuche cultural view on names, which emphasizes establishing shared common ground, may influence how DA+PN is recontextualized in Chilean Spanish.

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2026-04-24
2026-05-11

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/content/journals/10.1075/sic.25001.and
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Cultural contact and linguistic change
John Benjamins ; https://doi.org/10.1075/sic.25001.and
/content/journals/10.1075/sic.25001.and
/content/journals/10.1075/sic.25001.and
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: variationist sociolinguistics ; proper name ; definite article ; topicality

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