Two leísmo patterns in Azogues, Ecuador: an analysis of data collected from facebook messenger

This study analyzes both leísmo and leísmo de cortesía in the Facebook Messenger messages of Ecuadorian speakers from Azogues, Ecuador. It examines the effect of linguistic and extralinguistic factors with regard to the use of leísmo by monolingual Spanish speakers from this region. Both leísmo and leísmo de cortesía occur more frequently than their standard equivalents, even more so for leísmo de cortesía. Informants prefer to use leísmo with both animate referents and non-animate referents. Leísmo de cortesía is used more frequently with feminine, singular referents. Both types of leísmo behave equally with regard to their preference in preverbal positions in sentences. Informants with secondary education avoid leísmo but show no avoidance of leísmo de cortesía.