Predictive conditionals as warnings in Isleño Spanish

Fluent speakers of the Isleño dialect of Spanish use predictive conditionals to indicate the future consequences of current actions concerning the fragile wetlands of southeastern Louisiana. The present tense is used almost exclusively, even in hypothetical cases, to indicate the speakers’ belief in the likelihood of the unfortunate consequences coming true. The conditionals are structured as general warnings in order to conform to the politeness rules of the community, in which solidarity is foremost and blame must not be assigned to the addressees.

► Isleño Spanish speakers employ predictive conditionals in friendly conversational gatherings to give the audience the benefit of their experience, age and wisdom about the Louisiana wetlands.
► Predictive conditionals using the present indicative verbal paradigm indicate immediacy, urgency and certainty of the warning.
► Predictive conditionals using the subjunctive verbal paradigm are less frequent and indicate general, hypothetical or distant situations.
► Predictive conditionals do not assign blame to the addressees, as dictated by the politeness conventions of the Isleño community.