The SNLoc attributive lexical construction in use in Contemporary Portuguese

Abstract

Based on Usage-Based Functional Linguistics, the present research seek to investigate the SNLoc attributive construction in Contemporary Portuguese. Using the Corpus of Portuguese to analyze past synchronies and the Corpus Discurso & Grammar for the uses of the twentieth century, we carried out a panchronic research in a primarily qualitative study, in order to prove the hypothesis that SNLoc attributive is the result of lexical constructionalization. The linguistic change begins in untypical contexts, in physical and cataphoric deictic uses; and, through anaphoric and virtual deictic uses, which configure critical contexts, the attributive SNLoc construction is reached, in a isolating context. In this construction, it is possible to notice the cliticization of the locative, which entrenches itself in the SN, forming a new constructional scheme, at the lexicon level. Thus, the locative united to the SN assumes a semantics of vagueness, distinct from the original, and together they constitute the hybrid SNLoc attributive construction, a new pairing of form and meaning, an endocentric, complex, productive and partially compositional type scheme. The SNLoc attributive macroconstruction of common use in contemporary Portuguese, through micro constructions motivated by specific semantic-pragmatic contexts, has greater productivity in the spoken modality and in narrative background sequences.