Languages

Research

22 pages, 1055 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fostes tu?: Analogical Change in European Portuguese and the Case of the Second Person Singular in the Simple Past (Indicative)

by Ana Guilherme

Languages 2024, 9(5), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9050176 - 11 May 2024

Viewed by 246

Abstract

This paper sets out to study the second person–number marking in the (indicative) simple past in the history of European Portuguese, with a particular focus on morphological innovations such as fostes tu, which are considered deviant. These innovations, according to some brief [...] Read more.

This paper sets out to study the second person–number marking in the (indicative) simple past in the history of European Portuguese, with a particular focus on morphological innovations such as fostes tu, which are considered deviant. These innovations, according to some brief descriptions in the literature (cf. Piel 1989; Williams 1994), are considered a case of morphological change by analogy; however, it remains to be determined whether it is a case of analogical extension or, possibly, leveling that would have resulted in syncretism. Based on data retrieved from private letters from the 16th to the 20th century by almost illiterate authors, we will argue that this innovation results from an analogical extension, motivated by morphological and pragmatic factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 1897 KiB

Open AccessArticle

When a New Pronoun Crosses the Border: The Spread of A Gente on the Brazilian-Uruguayan Frontier

by Cíntia Pacheco, Ana Carvalho and Marta Pereira Scherre

Languages 2024, 9(3), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9030098 - 13 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1192

Abstract

This study shows that the incorporation of the first-person plural pronoun a gente has not only reached the southernmost tip of the Brazilian territory, but has crossed the border and entered Uruguayan Portuguese, or varieties of Portuguese spoken in northern Uruguay by Portuguese–Spanish [...] Read more.

This study shows that the incorporation of the first-person plural pronoun a gente has not only reached the southernmost tip of the Brazilian territory, but has crossed the border and entered Uruguayan Portuguese, or varieties of Portuguese spoken in northern Uruguay by Portuguese–Spanish bilinguals. This finding is based on the quantification of the a gente/nós variable in sociolinguistic interviews carried out in two border communities: Aceguá, Brazil, and Aceguá, Uruguay. The analysis of interviews recorded on each side of the border yielded a total of 1000 tokens that were submitted to a multivariate analysis. Following the premises of comparative sociolinguistics, we compared the distribution of the variable on both sides of the border and found that although Uruguayans used a gente less often than Brazilians, this innovation, preferred by young speakers, is incorporated in both dialects, following similar linguistic paths. These results show that Uruguayan Portuguese has incorporated the pronominal a gente in its grammar in a clear sign of convergence towards Brazilian Portuguese and divergence from Spanish, despite the coexistence with Spanish that categorically uses nosotros as the first-person plural pronoun and reserves the cognate la gente for its purely lexical meaning ‘the people’. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 643 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On the Variability of Portuguese Duration Adverbials with Por and Durante

by Diana Santos

Languages 2024, 9(3), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9030094 - 12 Mar 2024

Viewed by 795

Abstract

The fact that there are (at least) two different translations of the English preposition for used to describe duration in Portuguese, namely durante and por, shows that duration is an interesting area in the tense and aspect panorama of this language, which [...] Read more.

The fact that there are (at least) two different translations of the English preposition for used to describe duration in Portuguese, namely durante and por, shows that duration is an interesting area in the tense and aspect panorama of this language, which deserves close study. In this paper, I present an empirical study based on four different corpora to investigate the matter, looking at the Portuguese varieties from Brazil and Portugal and different text genres (general and specialised newspapers, oral interviews, and fiction). The material spans circa two centuries. This paper identifies some specific uses and preferences of the two adverbials and confirms and challenges other claims in the linguistic literature. It shows that narrative fiction is definitely different from newspaper text due to its need to describe short duration and that planned duration can be expressed using both kinds of adverbials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 2090 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Locative Relativization in Three African Varieties of Portuguese: Unity in Diversity and Diversity in Unity

by Tjerk Hagemeijer, Rita Gonçalves and Nélia Alexandre

Languages 2024, 9(3), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9030083 - 29 Feb 2024

Viewed by 949

Abstract

This paper investigates the formation of spatial locative relativization in three African varieties of Portuguese. While research on relative constructions in Portuguese has deserved considerable attention in the literature, it tends to focus on the European and Brazilian varieties, with locative relativization being [...] Read more.

This paper investigates the formation of spatial locative relativization in three African varieties of Portuguese. While research on relative constructions in Portuguese has deserved considerable attention in the literature, it tends to focus on the European and Brazilian varieties, with locative relativization being only marginally addressed. Using data extracted from spoken corpora of contemporary, urban varieties of Angolan, Mozambican, and Santomean Portuguese, we aim to discuss whether there is a correlation between syntactic and semantic variables and the selection of the two main locative relative morphemes, onde ‘where’ and que ‘that’. Overall, the three varieties at stake behave similarly with respect to the analyzed syntactic variables and follow the tendency found in Portuguese varieties toward the use of pied-piping and P-chopping as the dominant relativization mechanisms, independent of the syntactic relation between the antecedent and the relative clause. Semantically, we identified some fine-grained differences between the three varieties, with Santomean Portuguese generally being the outlier or one of the outliers. Crucially, definiteness of the head noun stands out as the one variable that plays a major role in the selection of the relative morpheme: [−definite] head nouns show a proportionally higher preference for que in both AP and STP, which is particularly visible with bare nouns in the latter. This motivates the hypothesis that less specified head nouns show a preference for the un(der)specified relative morpheme que. We further show that the role of language contact is at best very limited. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 1204 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Text Mining Approaches to Language Use in Social Media: The Case of Portuguese Bué

by Camila Lívio and Chad Howe

Languages 2024, 9(3), 82; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9030082 - 29 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1175

Abstract

This study describes processes of language change in Angolan Portuguese focusing on the use of intensifiers. Previous studies have shown that intensifiers are a relevant category for the study of language change due to their rapid change and variable meaning. It has been [...] Read more.

This study describes processes of language change in Angolan Portuguese focusing on the use of intensifiers. Previous studies have shown that intensifiers are a relevant category for the study of language change due to their rapid change and variable meaning. It has been noted that intensifiers are particularly prone to renewal, suggesting speakers’ desire to innovate. Informed by a Digital Humanities approach, we collect and analyze data from Twitter (now X), focusing on the multi-functional intensifier bué, ‘very’, in Angolan Portuguese (AP). In this paper, we (1) provide an overview of the word’s distribution in AP, (2) consider the processes of change involved in bué’s variation, and (3) discuss the role of linguistic borrowing in language change and grammaticalization, shedding light on some of the cultural aspects that play a role in this word’s development, such as the influence of the media and the contact situation between Angolan and European Portuguese. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 2239 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Regularization and Innovation: A Usage-Based Approach to Past Participle Variation in Brazilian Portuguese

by Kendra V. Dickinson

Languages 2024, 9(2), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9020052 - 30 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1096

Abstract

This project explores the synchronic variation of participle forms in Brazilian Portuguese (BP). Despite general systematicity, the language maintains many historically irregular participles, which often compete with regularized variants. The language has also developed innovative participles, which tend to exist in variation with [...] Read more.

This project explores the synchronic variation of participle forms in Brazilian Portuguese (BP). Despite general systematicity, the language maintains many historically irregular participles, which often compete with regularized variants. The language has also developed innovative participles, which tend to exist in variation with regular forms. Adopting a usage-based framework, the study examines how analogical processes affect persistent irregular participles and short-form forms in BP, emphasizing the role of grammatical context and frequency. Data are drawn from the Portuguese Web 2011 corpus, including 12 verbs with long-form Latinate irregulars (n = 4800) and 8 verbs with short-form forms (n = 3200). The results show that long-form Latinate irregulars are more common as adjectives and with the verb estar, while regularized forms are prevalent with ser and in perfect constructions. Conversely, short-form participles occur least frequently in perfect constructions, showing a tendency towards the maintenance of regularity in this context. Additionally, verbs that occur more often in perfect constructions are most resistant to innovation. These findings indicate that perfect constructions play a dual role in promoting and preserving regularity in BP and shed light on how grammar–internal relationships and contexts of occurrence play a role in language variation and change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 422 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Marching towards Contrast: The Case of ao passo que in Portuguese

by Manuel Delicado Cantero and Patrícia Amaral

Languages 2024, 9(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9010006 - 20 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1506

Abstract

This paper explores the diachrony of the Portuguese contrastive connective ao passo que (‘whereas’). First, we describe its syntactic and semantic properties in present-day European Portuguese. With this contemporary analysis in mind, we explore the semantic and syntactic changes from the PP ao [...] Read more.

This paper explores the diachrony of the Portuguese contrastive connective ao passo que (‘whereas’). First, we describe its syntactic and semantic properties in present-day European Portuguese. With this contemporary analysis in mind, we explore the semantic and syntactic changes from the PP ao passo que (lit. ‘at the step/pace that’) into first a temporal connective of simultaneity (‘at the same time as’) and, ultimately, a contrastive expression. The evolution of expressions with temporal meanings into contrastive ones has been documented in many languages. In our paper, we show that another related meaning, that of the gradual development of events that are temporally simultaneous, may also evolve into a contrastive meaning. We also examine the role of the syntax and semantics of the noun passo in this process. Furthermore, we discuss the internal analyzability of the connective and provide evidence for the retention of some internal syntax, which has implications for current theories on the nature of complex categories. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese)

29 pages, 1363 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On the Emergence of Portuguese FCI qualquer: A Diachronic Perspective

by Clara Pinto

Languages 2023, 8(4), 290; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8040290 - 18 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1182

Abstract

Romance free choice items (FCIs) are frequently pointed out as resulting from the grammaticalization of the relative determiner qual ‘which’ and an element derived from a volition verb, such as querer ‘want’. Contrary to other Romance FCIs, Portuguese qualquer ‘any’ remains understudied, therefore [...] Read more.

Romance free choice items (FCIs) are frequently pointed out as resulting from the grammaticalization of the relative determiner qual ‘which’ and an element derived from a volition verb, such as querer ‘want’. Contrary to other Romance FCIs, Portuguese qualquer ‘any’ remains understudied, therefore motivating the current research. In this article, I investigate the syntax and semantics of qualquer, from a diachronic perspective, based on examples extracted from 13th and 14th century texts. Analysis of contexts of occurrence of qualquer showed that, in Old Portuguese, the elements qual and quer could combine in different configurations, corresponding to different structures. On the one hand, the relative determiner qual could combine with a form of the volition verb in ever free relative clauses. On the other hand, qual and quer were also combined in appositive relative clauses, which seem to be at the core of postnominal qualquer. However, similar to what is argued for Old Spanish, qualquer was also a quantifier-like element, occurring in prenominal position and giving rise to universal interpretations. The different origins of prenominal and postnominal qualquer may help explain the different readings in contemporary data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (8 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI