PATTERNS OF USE OF THE QUALIFYING CONSTRUCTION [V UMA DE X]: A CASE OF CONSTRUCTIONAL VARIATION

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the usage patterns of the qualifying construction [V uma de
X] in Brazilian Portuguese to verify the alternation/variation that occurs in that type of construction.
Examples are: “tirar uma de”, “dar uma de”, “pagar uma de”, “fazer uma de” and “passar uma de”. For
this, we took into consideration the assumptions of Construction Grammar (GOLDBERG, 1995, 2006;
CROFT, 2001; TRAUGOTT; TROSDALE, 2013; among others) and the Socioconstructionist
approach MACHADO-VIEIRA, 2016; WIEDEMER; MACHADO-VIEIRA 2018a; 2018b; 2019).
Through a qualitative and quantitative methodology, we analyzed a sample constituted from the digital
platform Google News (GN). As results, we found: (i) the qualifying constructions are activated, in
use, as similar structures and (ii) there are varied possibilities for co-opting the V-slot and the X-slot,
thus evidencing variation by configurational similarity, by allostruction and metaconstruction
(LEINO; ÖSTMAN, 2005; CAPPELLE, 2006).