Mapping constructional patterns with the verb virar in portuguese

Abstract

The aim of this article was to analyze the uses of the verb virar in order to map the cluster of representations associated with it in Portuguese. With this proposal, the study joined the Usage-based Models and more specifically the Usage-based Constructionist Approach (GOLDBERG, 2019), adopting the construction – a paring of form and meaning – as basic unit of analysis. For the development of the research, the Incorporated Mixed Method was adopted in which different mechanisms were used for qualitative and quantitative data analysis. The Corpus do Português was the database used and 922 occurrences from the 19th and 20th centuries were collected. The hypothesis was that Argument Structure Constructions interfered with the cluster of representations associated with the verb in the same way that verbs interfere with the representation of Argument Structure Constructions. The analysis confirmed the hypothesis by verifying uses of the verb virar with Caused-motion Construction, Intransitive Motion Construction, Intransitive Resultative Construction, [Pronome Oblíquo + virar] Construction and [virar e mexer + clause] Construction. In this way, the clustering of representations attributed to the verb also refers to its different contexts of use that assume different clause patterns and, then, more specific uses emerge from them. Thus, the article contributes with discussions on the nature of verbal meaning in Construction Grammar.