Metalinguistic discourse and dialect performance

Abstract

Abstract This investigation examines how dialect identity and linguistic ideologies are negotiated and performed through dar +gerund, a northern Andean Spanish construction used to express an attenuated request or favor. Specifically, positive, neutral, and negative sentiments expressed through metalinguistic commentary are analyzed from a corpus of 450 tweets collected on Twitter between 2008- May 2019. This analysis shows how a higher degree of emotional intensity in negative sentiments signals linguistic and cultural discrimination towards this Kichwa-contact induced construction. On the other end, positive sentiments celebrate and defend this feature as an intrinsic part of the Andean Ecuadorian dialect and identity. This negotiation of the linguistic and cultural significance of dar +gerund serves to destabilize dominant negative perceptions and renegotiate the meaning of this NAS feature.