A constructional study of the intensifying construction “[[x] pra caramba]” in Brazilian portuguese

Abstract

This paper seeks to analyze, based on the theoretical assumptions of the Constructional approach (Traugott; Trousdale, 2013; Bybee, 2010, and others), the microconstruction [[X] pra caramba], instantiated by the constructional subschema [[X] Prep + N], in Brazilian Portuguese, taking into account the properties of schematicity, compositionality and productivity. The function of this type of construction is to express an idea of ​​enhancement about something, someone or event. Thus, considering as corpus of investigation the Corpus do Português (Davis; Ferreira, 2006), our intention is to present a brief description and analysis of the construction [[X] pra caramba] with regard to its importance, its applicability and its productivity in the Portuguese, as a way of differentiating it from other intensifying constructions, of the type “very”, “quite” and “too much”, defined as prototypical. In sum, we have seen that this microconstruction emerges in the language in the twentieth century, becoming quite productive, and therefore more schematic, to the point of attracting other less prototypical intensifying microconstructions.