Impersonal expressions in Texas Spanish

Abstract Impersonal expressions in Spanish are expressed in various forms, including use of impersonal se or with the indefinite uno and a third-person verb conjugation. Other forms of expression are becoming more frequent in both monolingual and bilingual contexts ( Hurtado 2015 ; Guirado 2011 ; Morales 1995 ). The current study analyzes the forms of impersonal expression in three generations of eighteen total Spanish speakers in Texas. The pragmatic functions of first-person plural and second-person singular forms are analyzed based on their use for generalization, focalized generalization, speaker concealment, or inclusive defocalization ( Pulido Astorga and Rivadeneira Valenzuela 2017 ). Results demonstrate the wide usage of various reference impersonals, signaling deictic extension ( Fernández 2008 ). Furthermore, complementary distribution of forms across discursive function was identified, demonstrating the need for a comprehensive consideration at the discourse-pragmatic level for all reference impersonal forms. This study represents an initial step in the pragmatic consideration of impersonal expressions in US Spanish.