As construções superlativas causais nominais do português – uma abordagem construcionista

Abstract

The present work has as its objective the study of the Causal Nominal Superlative Construction (CNSC) such as “O inverno aqui é sofrível, mas bonito de chorar.” and in order to develop it, we based ourselves on the study of theoretical constructs of Cognitive Linguistics (LAKOFF, 1987, 1993; JOHNSON, 1987, LAKOFF; JOHNSON, 1980[2002], 1999; FAUCONNIER; TURNER, 2002; SALOMÃO, 1999, 2008a; MIRANDA, 1999, 2000, 2002; CROFT; CRUSE, 2004, BARCELONA, 2003; SILVA, 1997, 2003) and on the usage-based models of the Construction Grammar (LAKOFF, 1987; GOLDBERG, 1995; SALOMÃO, 2002, 2005, 2008b; MIRANDA, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008a, 2008b; CROFT, 2007; CROFT; CRUSE, 2004; BYBEE, 2003; TRAUGOTT, 1995, 2009). Having the Corpus Linguistics as methodology (SARDINHA, 2004), a specific corpus has been built containing 1.390 examples and 37 types of CNSC. The analysis of the data which aims to show the multidimensional richness of this construction, led us, firstly, to three formal patterns: (1) [XN (W)ADJ de YV] (... Seu pai piorou as coisas ao lhe arrumar uma mulher (N) feia (ADJ) de doer (V).); (2) [XSN cópula (W)ADJ de YV] (Esse senador (SN) é (copula) chato (ADJ) de doer (V), mas é oportunista, sonso...) and (3) crystallized constructions, such as de fechar o comércio, de estourar a boca do balão, de abalar as estruturas. On the semantic aspect of the CNSC, it has been evidenced its symbolic value in order to highlight the superlative degree of an Attribute through physical, organic or emotional impacts, which reveal the negative form about the Affected and are metaphorically expressed by verbs that group in frames of Cause (Causing a Physical Impact, Causing an Organic Impact and Causing an Emotional Impact). The most abstract frame of Transitive Action described by FrameNet seemed to be the trigger of the scene of the CNSC and the process of semantic change focused on the construction which is metaphorically promoted, evokes a reanalysis of the scene inside the Position in a Scale frame. The CNSC still evokes a semantic frame of Evaluation. Beyond these findings, it has been promoted a description of the conceptual dimension of the CNSC, revealing the image schemas (Scale, Force), primary metaphors (CAUSES ARE PHYSICAL FORCES and INTENSITY IS SCALE) and the complex metaphor (“Life is War”) which motivate the process of meaning of the studied construction. The CNSCs configure strategies of modalization and pragmatic evaluation of the semantic scale of impact. Its discursive distribution (industry of entertainment and more informal contexts of communication), semantic specificity demarcate superlativization and the proven productivity and degree of conventionalization certify the pragmatic and semantic non-synonymy of the construction. Our analyses consolidate, therefore, the initial hypothesis that the CNSCs constitute a specific construction standard inside the Superlative Constructions in the Portuguese language. They certify, in a reiterated way, the relevance of the usage-based models as an analytical way and the role of the figurative projections in the constitution and expansion of the constructions in a language.