A multifuncionalidade e trajetória de por exemplo

Abstract

Studies around "for example", initially, showed that this object characterized by the function of appositive connector, linking base unit and appositive unit. This function awakened our interest to the research and led us to investigate, synchronically, the possible functions and behaviors of "for example". Thus, during the investigations of our data, find occurrences of such appositive and such non-appositive, both presenting an extremely peculiar characteristic: mobility. So when appositive, "for example" occurs in a) starting position, introducing appositive unit b) in the medial position, after words (nominal, propositioned or adverbial) introducer of affixing, and c) the border of constituents (subject - verb, verb-completion and final frontier), which, in addition to perform the focus function, has the characteristics of affixing symbolic, as the relationship-specific and general semantics partial correfereciality. In instances non-appositives, "for example" is found in borders of constituents ("...- subject", subject-verb, verb-complement, supplement, complement, and in the final frontier), playing only :focus function, ie emphasizing anaphorically or cataphorically (depending's position propositioned words) a new information. Driven by the multifunctionality of this phenomenon, we sought also examine, in part diachronic, its origins and trajectory, in order to legitimize such functional diversity synchronous presented in this work. To reach the objective of this research, base ourselves, mainly on the principles of stratification, divergence, expertise, persistence and decategorizacao, postulates by Hopper (1991), on the assumption unidirecionalidade of Heine (1991), in which the basic lexical items if gramaticalizarem become abstract. And yet, in the grammaticalization as metaphoric process guided by stages, suggested by Heine (1993). And, it was based on these assumptions, which sought present aspects of the change of this phenomenon and indicate the hierarchy of its uses. For the achievement of such research, used up corpora synchronous related to the language of the projects: "Speech Mining", "Corpus of Conception of Ibitipoca" and data of the "Project PROCON." Also selected as samples of written language, the sections of the Magazine interview Claudia, the yellow pages of Revista Veja / Roberto Pompeu and of the journal Veredas. For diachronic corporate, count on the Corpus Diacronico do Portugues, however, have access to only the centuries XIII, XIV, XV, XVII and XX. Looked, too, the Corpus Informatizado do Portugues Medieval, centuries XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII and XX; and elected a brief avulses texts to the centuries XVI, XVII and XIX. These data were submitted to the statistical programme GOLDVARB (2001), whose results were very significant to demonstrate the various tasks assigned to eg.