Constantes e variáveis

apontamentos sobre a construção de palavras em diferentes variedades do português

Abstract

This article is structured around two concepts, constant and variable, which, being part of the specific lexicon of derivational morphology (Booij 2016; Jackendoff & Audring 2016), are operative in the analysis of variation that is attested in the domain of word construction in different varieties of Portuguese. In fact, as it has already been highlighted by several researchers (Mendes et al. 2016; Rio-Torto 2015; Soares da Silva 2010, 2018, 2022), the idiomatic space that we designate as “Portuguese” is covered by a set of continuities and discontinuities, which sometimes bring these varieties closer together and sometimes move them apart. If there is continuity in the word construction schemes that are used, the same does not happen when we compare the concrete instances of these schemes, due to the option for alternating constructional schemes or the use of specific lexical bases of a given variety, but not others. This situation can be observed, for example, in the construction of new words in the Mozambican variety of Portuguese.