O uso do diminutivo no contexto da abordagem construcional da mudança

Abstract

This work aims to analyze the micro-constructional patterns represented by {[XN/ADJ/ADV]-inho/a}, in which X can be replaced by a noun, an adjective, or an adverb, such as “pretinho”, “bonitinho”, “conjuntinho” etc.. The research is aligned with the Usage-Based Functional Linguistics approach (Furtado da Cunha et al., 2013; Traugott; Trousdale, 2013; Rosário; Oliveira, 2016; Bispo; Silva, 2016) and constructionist approach of language change (Traugott; Trousdale, 2013), since it recognizes that constructions are the basic unities of language and assumes the relevance of describing bidirectionally, from use, the form-function pairings (Goldberg, 2016) that characterize the analyzed object. The Traditional Grammar treatment of diminutive suffixes is not sufficient to understand the complexity of the diminutive degree. Therefore, unlike normative grammars, the initial hypothesis is that constructions with the diminutive, represented by the suffix –inho/a, fulfill different communicative purposes in the language, not only being used with a dimensive function, but also as a linguistic resource to modalize and evaluate the propositional content. Therefore, the more specific objectives are: (i) identify the constructional patterns in the analyzed corpus; (ii) describe the formal and functional characteristics of the microconstructional patterns with the diminutive, represented by the suffix –inho/a, in various contexts; and (iii) propose a constructional network for the diminutive, characterizing the different schematic levels regarding the formfunction pairing. In order to fulfill the proposed objectives, our methodology is based on the mixed method research, in terms of Cunha Lacerda (2016), which is based on the survey of the frequency of use and the description of the occurrences of the constructional patterns analyzed. Furthermore, for the qualitative analysis of the data regarding the degree of expressiveness used by the speaker, we relied on the Praat software resource with regard to prosody. We understand that the pitch contour, the intonational curve of speech, contributes to the identification and categorization of microconstructional patterns. The data were extracted from an oral corpus constituted by videos posted on the YouTube platform, referent to vlog and podcast genders, totalizing 524 occurrences. This corpus is composed of 6 hours and 29 minutes, from videos dated between 2020 and 2023. With the progress of the research, the analyzed data indicate that, in fact, it is possible to empirically attest 6 micro-constructional patterns that suggest their clustered into 2 subschemas: one with a dimensional character and one with an indicative character of the speaker's positioning. Furthermore, the data indicate that constructions with a dimensive function would be related to less intersubjective contexts, presenting a low extent of pitch contour variation, while constructions with a modalizing or evaluative positioning function would occur in more intersubjective contexts, being produced with a high extent of the pitch contour variation.Given this, it becomes possible to establish a constructional network that would be represented by the more general scheme {[XN/ADJ/ADV]-inho/a}, which would be highly productive in the language and would sanction, over time, in a directional manner, different constructions at the microconstructional level.