The antepostion of definite article to anthroponyms in the history of Chilean Spanish

Abstract

The article addresses the anteposition of the definite article to anthroponyms in Chilean Spanish, from a historical perspective. Therefore, it analyzes the earliest Chilean records of this construction and formulates interpretations regarding its development over time, with a special focus on the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Specifically, it examines, on the one hand, the expansion in the combination of the article with different types of proper names and according to grammatical gender, and on the other hand, the evolution of the pragmatic and social values associated with the construction. Additionally, it reflects on how the Chilean philological tradition, from Andrés Bello onwards, influences the linguistic attitudes of the construction. In conclusion, the research delves into the contrast with data from Peninsular Spanish, the loss of the anaphoric value, and the development of pragmatic and social values. Additionally, it is argued that there is no sexist bias in the construction, and its predominance with feminine names is attributed to historical normative traditions.