Discourse markers in Spanish

The chapter offers a systematic overview of the four most relevant approaches in the synchronic research on discourse marking in Spanish along with their respective theoretical frameworks. The instructional model developed by Portolés (Autonoma Uni- versity of Madrid) focuses on the nature of procedural meaning to explain the lack of synonymy between closely related markers. The Val.Es.Co model developed by Briz and the Val.Es.Co group (University of Valencia) focuses on the discourse marker position in colloquial conversation and proposes a specific system of units based on pragmatic criteria to account for the paradigmatic and syntagmatic polyfunctionality of the parti- cles. The macro syntactic model developed by Fuentes (University of Seville) focuses on the multidimensional dynamic nature of discourse to account for the different types of procedural construction and the high language productivity in creating subjective and intersubjective operators. The experimental analysis carried out by the group directed by Loureda Lamas (Heidelberg University) focuses on the human cognitive processing of procedural particles to test the validity of theoretical hypotheses. The four models coexist, interact, and illuminate each other for an integrated view of discourse and marking. Finally, the sixth and last section aims to contribute with a new case study to the research on discourse markers and dialectal variation by focusing on the functional expansion experienced by the reformulator mejor dicho in the Colombian variety of Spanish. The marker has developed conclusive, formulative, and modal values that dis- tance it from the strictly corrective value and European use. The modal values support the hypothesis of a process of change by subjectivization and, specifically, by intensi- fication arising in the conversational interaction as a result of the usual combination of the marker with the intensifying resources of colloquial Spanish such as hyperbolic metaphor, enumeration series and consecutive constructions.