Efeito funcional no uso variável de preposição

Résumé

This article focuses on the functional role of variation in the studyof the variable use of the preposition that introduces the dativecomplement of ditransitive verbs in Brazilian Portuguese. We showthat the occurrence of the three detected variants – <a>, <para>,<0> – exhibit functional conditioning among mechanical effects.The process is constrained by the iconicity of the preposition,according to Haiman’s iconic motivation.