The purpose of this thesis is to discover whether the dichotomy of Ser/Estar in Spanish, in contrast with the verb To Be in English, represents not only a different view of the world of their speakers, but also a difficulty in the translation of said verbs. In order to find an answer, this work was divided in different sections for a more comprehensive analysis of all its variables.
First of all, a section regarding the history of the copulas and the languages in question was provided, in order to identify their origins, development throughout time, among other factors. The aim of this analysis was to discover why both languages differed in their copulas, given that it would seem English speakers never found themselves in the need to make a distinction so obvious in Spanish. The following step was an overview of the philosophical value of ser, as explained by many well-known thinkers of all periods. The purpose of the overview was to further comprehend a very important difference between ser and estar, as well as to compare them with their English equivalent. Another subject studied in this section was the importance of language in the construction of reality. This was also important due to the fact that, throughout history, the views regarding the world, the society and people themselves have changed progressively; and said evolution, in turn, affected and was affected by the language.
After setting forth these baselines, texts from different periods, both in English and Spanish were analyzed. This served to examine the evolution of the uses and spelling of the three verbs during the different times in history, and corroborate and expand the results found in the first stage of this work. Within this section there was also an analysis of difficult cases regarding the translation of these verbs, taking different popular examples, among which was the famous soliloquy To be or not to be. The results obtained provided a framework to find methods to facilitate the translation of ser, estar and to be, both from Spanish into English –which was particularly problematic- and vice versa.
It was concluded that even if there were not two separate words in English to represent both Spanish copulas, the language had evolved to provide different resources to make the differences clearer; resources which could be of much use in the translation of problematic cases.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
1.A Ser/estar Dichotomy
1.B The Effect of Language on the Life of Men
1.C The Philosophic Value of the Being
1.D The Translation of the Verbs in Question
1.E Hypothesis and Objectives
SER, ESTAR AND TO BE IN CONTEXT
2.A Initial considerations
2.B Etymologies
2.C Brief Overview of the Beginning and Development of the Spanish Language
2.D Brief Overview of the Beginning and Development of the English Language
2.E The Being as a Philosophical Concept
2.F The Role of Language in the Construction of Reality
THE LITERARY IMPRINTS OF THE COPULATIVE VERBS
3.A Evolution of the Verbs Ser, Estar and To Be
3.A.a To Be
3.A.b Ser and Estar
3.B The translation of the verbs ser, estar and to be
Objectives and Research Themes
This thesis examines the linguistic and philosophical dichotomy between the Spanish copulative verbs "ser" and "estar" in contrast to the single English verb "to be," investigating how these structural differences influence the worldview of speakers and pose unique challenges in translation, particularly in literary contexts.
- Historical evolution of the copulative systems in Spanish and English.
- Philosophical implications of "the being" across different linguistic frameworks.
- Analysis of translatability and the preservation of semantic nuances in literary texts.
- Development of translation strategies for complex, context-dependent copulative usage.
Excerpts from the Book
3.A Evolution of the Verbs Ser, Estar and To Be
As it was stated in the Introduction, in this section different examples of each time, both in English and Spanish, shall be analyzed; in order to determine not only how the spelling of the verbs ser and estar evolved from Vulgar Latin (and that of to be from its roots in PIE), but also how their use and meaning have changed since then.
3.A.a To Be
• Beowulf
The example of Old English chosen on this occasion is Beowulf19. This poem about the homonymous hero shall offer the baseline to determine the use of this verb in the first approach to what would become the English known today.
To begin with, it is worth mentioning that the variety in its conjugation was much broader than the one today; the following examples will reflect it clearly.
Furthermore, by what can be gathered from this text, convention was not too well established, reason why there are different forms for the same verb, person, mode and tense; such is the case of were. Conjugated with they both times, it is found not only as wæs, but also as waéron in the following verses:
“(...) Þær wæs madma fela” (“(...) there were many riches”)
“(...) hwæt þa men wæron.” (“(...) what these men were”)
Summary of Chapters
INTRODUCTION: Outlines the dichotomy between "ser" and "estar," the philosophical value of the being, and establishes the hypothesis regarding the difficulties in translation and worldview impact.
SER, ESTAR AND TO BE IN CONTEXT: Provides a historical and etymological background on the development of the Spanish and English languages and explores the philosophical concept of being.
THE LITERARY IMPRINTS OF THE COPULATIVE VERBS: Analyzes the historical evolution of these verbs through literary texts such as Beowulf, Cantar del Mio Cid, and Hamlet, focusing on specific translation challenges.
Key Words
Ser, Estar, To Be, Linguistics, Translation, Philosophy, Etymology, Copula, Being, Dasein, Semantics, Historical Linguistics, Spanish, English.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research?
The research focuses on the linguistic and philosophical differences between the Spanish copulative verbs "ser" and "estar" and the English equivalent "to be."
What are the primary fields of study involved?
The study integrates historical linguistics, philosophy, and translation theory.
What is the main objective or research question?
The primary objective is to determine how the lack of a distinction in English equivalent to the Spanish "ser/estar" dichotomy affects both the worldview of its speakers and the difficulty of translation.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses historical analysis, etymological study, and a comparative literary analysis of texts from different time periods to track linguistic changes.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body examines the evolution of these verbs from Latin and PIE roots through to Early Modern English and Spanish, analyzing specific literary examples and proposed translation strategies.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as copula, semantic dichotomy, historical linguistics, dasein, and literary translation.
How is the concept of "the being" specifically addressed?
The concept is addressed philosophically by examining interpretations from thinkers like Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, and Heidegger, particularly concerning the translation of terms like "dasein."
How does the author approach the translation of famous phrases?
The author analyzes existing translations of iconic lines, such as Hamlet's "To be or not to be," to demonstrate the limitations of direct translation and to propose nuanced, context-aware alternatives.
- Quote paper
- Rocío Gómez (Author), 2014, Ser or not estar: That Is the Question for Spanish Speakers, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/288775
