Asserting no-problemness in Spanish | CU Experts

Abstract; While much is known about noun phrases from morphosyntactic and typological perspectives, the study of nominal elements in interaction is just beginning. We contribute to this new area by exploring the interactional functions of the Spanish indefinite determiner ningún (‘any’, ‘no’) in the formula No hay (ningún) problema (‘there isn’t (any) problem’). We find that action and sequential environment are crucial in distinguishing between speakers’ uses of the noun phrases problema and ningún problema, with the determiner deployed to upgrade the assertion of no-problemness compared to the version without the determiner. We use our analysis of these particular formulae to offer a theoretical and methodological contribution to the study of noun phrases in interaction, focusing on the generalizability of findings.

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