Unexpected grammaticalizations: The reanalysis of the Spanish verb ir 'to go' as a past marker

Abstract

From a typological perspective, the evolution of a verb meaning ‘to go’ as a future tense marker is a common grammaticalization chain. The evolution of an allative verb as a past tense is much less expected, though documented. In modern Spanish, for instance, it exists a past marker formed by a coordinating structure: ir ‘to go’ + y ‘and’ + finite verbal group.The aim of this paper is to explore the motivations behind the grammaticalization process experienced by the Spanish structure ir ‘to go’ + y ‘and’ + finite verbal group as a past marker and as a quotative marker. We follow a usage-based approach to language change, combined with Grammaticalization and Diachronic Construction Grammar.