THE CONJUNCTIVE FUNCTION OF THE PREPOSITION 'SEM': SPECIALIZATION OF USE IN REDUCTED INFINITIVE ADVERBIAL SENTENCES

Abstract

In this paper we focus on the use of linguistic items sem and sem que, aiming to show the change process of preposition 'sem', assuming connective function in reducted infinitive adverbial sentences, although the grammatical tradition only admits that 'sem' is a conjuncional item when, next to 'que', integrates a conjunctive phrase. From the analysis of a small sample of argumentative texts - opinion articles and interviews - we present clues to evidence the syntactic-semantic change of this item. For this study, read critically the viewpoint that feeds the grammatical tradition and, under the basic functionalist thinking, we seek to explain structural and cognitive motivations that force the change experienced by these linguistic items.

Keywords

• preposição, conjunção, função juntiva, gramaticalização