Construção binominal de quantificação indefinida do português – uma abordagem construcionista

Abstract

The presente work has as its objective to describe and to analyse the Binominal Constructicon of Indefinite Quantification (BCIQ), instantiated by expressions such as: (i) enxurrada de críticas; (ii) oceano de assalariados; (iii) poço de angústia; (iv) ponta de ironia. It also has as an objective to propose the BCIQ annotation according to the Brazilian Constructicon parameters, which seek to constitute a repertoire of Portuguese constructions. The research is based on the theoretical assumptions of Cognitive Linguistics (LAKOFF & JOHNSON, 1980; LAKOFF, 1987; JOHNSON, 1987); Construction Grammar (GOLDBERG, 1995, 2006); and Frame Semantics (FILLMORE, 1982; 2008; PETRUCK, 1996). The methodological choice concerns the Corpus Linguistics (SARDINHA, 2004), following the engagement of Cognitive Linguistics to empiricism. In this approach an specific database has been built, based on real data of linguistic use, in which 36 types and 756 tokens of the BCIQ were identified. The construction is understood as a form-meaning paring which results from the association between the N1 of N2 structure and the Indefinite Quantity frame. At this scheme N1 represents the construction quantifier while N2 represents the quantified entity. This construction is cognitively motivated by elementary experience domains, such as image schemas, which involve the indefinite quantity conceptualization. It is also possible to perceive that these image schemas, as well as other N1 properties which comes from its basic frame, are preserved in the construction, so that it imposes some kind of conceptualization on N2. Therefore, we have a very expressive construction of indefinite quantification on BP.