Había una vez una construcción presentativa. Interpretaciones discursivas de las oraciones con haber impersonal

Abstract

Based on natural data analyzed within its context of use, in this article we challenge the global ascription of Spanish impersonal 'haber' construction to the class of existentials, as well as the centrality that is assigned to its supposed presentational function. We propose instead a preliminary distinction between existential, locative, possessive, attributive and eventive predications, and discursive functions additional to the presentational one; namely, characterizing, encapsulating, exemplifying, reformulating, salient coda, and topic-closing.