Frames e construções em contraste: uma análise comparativa português - inglês no tangente à implementação de constructicons

Abstract

This dissertation is part of the Frames and Constructions in Contrast project (SALOMÃO, SAMPAIO & TORRENT, 2013), which is developed at FrameNet Brasil and aims to add multilinguality features to the Brazilian Portuguese Constructicon. In this work, we build on two constructional approaches – Cognitive Construction Grammar (GOLDBERG, 1995; 2006; 2013) and Berkeley Construction Grammar (FILLMORE, 2012; 2013) – so as to analyze to what extent Boas' (2010) proposition of contrastive constructional analysis can be applied to multilingual constructicography. In the study, the analyses were based on the English patterns described in Berkeley Construction, seeking equivalence in Brazilian Portuguese. Comparative findings led to the classification of the 69 valid constructions of the Berkeley Constructicon in three groups: (A) equivalent patterns, when both the form and the meaning are possible in BP; (B) partially equivalent, when constructions, despite being semantically possible in the two languages, bear some difference in the structure and (C) non-equivalent, when no link can be found between English and BP constructions. Subsequently, the comparison was made between the Dative with infinitive construction in BP – which has already been largely studied by FrameNet Brasil (TORRENT, 2009; LAGE, 2013) and its equivalent in English – the Infinitival Relative Modal construction (FILLMORE, 2008). In this analysis, the application of a semantic similarity test to native speakers of BP showed some peculiarities in the Dative with Infinitive construction not attested for the English construction. Finally, this dissertation argues in favor of performing contrastive analyses that go beyond mere superficial comparison between the form and the meaning of different languages constructions, when implementing Multilingual Constructicons.