Direct quotation in Spanish: Description of sociolinguistic and dialectal patterns

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe and explain how direct quotation functions in spoken Spanish. To this end, oral samples collected in eleven Spanish cities are used as part of the Project for the Sociolinguistic Study of Spanish in Spain and America (PRESEEA, Moreno Fernández 2021). In particular, this article contrasts the results obtained from the analysis of sociolinguistic and geolectal variation in the use of direct quotation in interaction. For this purpose, the relationship between the use of direct quotation, the types of introductory frames, and the social variables of gender, age, and level of education are considered, as well as the variation and distribution of this quotation mechanism in the different cities from Spain analyzed. The comparison of the use of direct quotation in the samples used allows us to observe similarities and divergences between the cities, as well as possible ongoing changes.