Valores de la forma cantara en el siglo XV: el caso de Juan de Mena

Abstract

AS is weIE known thc use of the -ra verbal form in Spanish evolves from the primitivo plupcrfcct indicativo to the modern imperfcct subjunctive during the Middle Ages. Iri this paper. my purpose is to study the use of cantara in literary Spanish in the 13 ' cenUiry, an cspecially ¡nteresting period; with this aim ¡n mind I approach parts t)f the poctic tvork by Juan de Mena. The results of the analysis show a changing situation in the valúes of this verbal form ¡n the 15,h ccntury, with both thc oid and the modern usage, This usage is not at random; in fact. there scems to be a certain relation betwecn thc valué of cantara and thc syntactic structure where the verbal form occurs. This conclusión nllows us to understand, ¡n a more precise way, the evolutíon of cantara.