A função motiva a gramática: evidências de construções (de estrutura argumental) em português

Abstract

We all know that linguistic constructions have limited productivity, allowing for new uses while simultaneously restricting their possibilities. Many approaches attempt to explain this fact. Some try to normalize these unusual uses, seeking generalizing rules or principles. Other approaches propose semantic-lexical conditions, searching for properties of words that might be at play. But the truth is that both present problems and fail to explain this paradox. Thus, the question that remains is: why do we use linguistic constructions the way we do? In this article, we argue that a usage-based constructionist approach is necessary to explain these facts, since only it recognizes meaning and communicative function as central aspects of grammar. We use several examples throughout the article to illustrate the explanatory power of a usage-based constructionist approach compared to formalist and lexicalist approaches, and to show how function motivates syntax and semantics both in the case of more general patterns, such as ergative and passive argument structure constructions, and in the case of more special sentence patterns, such as extensions of the transitive construction "I cut my hair" and "marrying my friend". Finally, we also open an agenda for future studies with examples in Portuguese of an innovative construction, recently described in English by Goldberg and Shirtz (2025): the "phrase as lemma" construction.