Pragmatic functions of mira, oye and escucha: appellative characteristics and lexical meanings

Abstract

This article discusses the differences between mira, oye, and escucha as markers used to capture the listener's attention. According to Cuenca and Marín (2000), these terms are interchangeable; however, three surveys were conducted among Spanish speakers aiming to elucidate the distinct contexts in which they are used. The results revealed that the speaker uses mira and escucha when he/she wants the listener to understand the statement, though with a nuanced difference between the terms. When using mira, the speaker presents his/her opinion emphatically, while with escucha, the speaker specifically explains the judgment process. The function of oye is limited to catching the listener’s attention. Afterward, the article compares the degree of desemanticization (loss of meaning) of these three forms, as Nomura (2022) indicates that this difference in degree is related to their functions. Additionally, this article argues that despite the desemanticization of mira, oye, and escucha as discourse markers, the difference in the pragmatic function of each stems from their nature —that is, they do not completely lose their lexical meaning: active visual perception (mira), active auditory perception (escucha), and passive auditory perception (oye).