O uso metafórico do léxico da morte: uma abordagem sociocognitiva

Abstract

This study assumes the theoretical constructs of Cognitive Linguistics (LAKOFF, 1987; FAUCONNIER, TURNER, 2002; SILVA, 1997; SALOMÃO, 1999; MIRANDA, 2000) and focuses on the metaphorical use of the lexicon of MORTE/DEATH in Brazilian Portuguese. The work has as central theoretical scope the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (LAKOFF; JOHNSON, 2002; LAKOFF, 1993) and Construction Grammar (LAKOFF, 1987; GOLDEBERG, 1995; SALOMÃO, unknown). It also considers the discussion concerning the Interaction between Metaphor and Metonymy as defined by Antonio Barcelona (2003) and the work of Zoltán Kövecses (2002) on the Scope of Metaphor. Our analysis of the corpus, comprising material gathered through research on the Internet (Editora Abril s website ), was based on its confrontation with the frame of Morte (Death) as described in the FrameNet Project of the University of California at Berkeley based on which emerged the criterion for division into two groups: (1) Protagonist Being and (2) Protagonist Entity . In the Protagonist Being group more than 90% of the occurrences involve what we call Nominal Superlative Constructions (Ela morria de medo que a achassem ridícula [she was deadly afraid of being thought of as weird.]) and Verbal Superlative Constructions (Morri de rir com O Auto da Compadecida.[I laughed myself to death when I saw O Auto da Compadecida ]). According to our analytical hypothesis, such constructions are part of a semantic domain that expresses INTENSITY at the highest end of the scale. The Protagonist Entity group recognizes three possible meanings of the word DEATH ( DEATH as ceasing to exist , DEATH as stopping to function , DEATH as becoming outdated ), from which three new frames are instantiated. As a conclusion, we put together a Construction Network , radially organized in terms of inheritance (GOLDEBERG, 1995 apud SALOMÃO, unknown), starting with the basic frame and having as central Construction the Ergative Construction (as in João morreu. [João died]). Still evoking the basic frame, we have as instantiation of this Central Construction a Causal Ergative Construction (João morreu de cancer. [João died of cancer]). Such constructions then, by metaphorical links, lead to the Ergative Construction of Personification (o amor morreu. [the love is dead]; o carro morreu [the engine died]; o álbum de fotografias morreu [the photo album is dead.] and the Nominal and Verbal Superlative Constructions (to die of fear; to laugh to death, respectively).