THE BRAZILIAN PREPOSITIONAL ADVERB EM FACE DE: CORRELATION BETWEEN DISCURSIVE PATTERN AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MEANING

Abstract

The objective of this research is to analyze the contexts of uses of the prepositional
adverbial construction from the analysis of the form em face de, which, according to Costa (2018),
presents a hybrid nature in view of its adverbial and prepositional properties. When analyzing data
extracted from the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro (Alerj), notably in Decree-Laws, it is
possible to affirm that the contexts guiding the discourse update the constructional meaning. In this
way, we identified the use of em face de in its referential meaning [+ prepositional] in view of its
insertion in an injunctive discursive pattern whereas em face de, inserted in an argumentative
discursive pattern, it has a causal meaning [+ adverbial]. Thus, we can affirm that the variation by
discursive paradigm results in variation by polysemy of em face de. We can also see that the different
uses of em face de are the result of a multifactorial process, in which contextual, lexical and
grammatical factors interact and trigger the different meanings of the Brazilian prepositional adverb
em face de.