A posição dos adjetivos no interior do sintagma nominal : perspectivas sincronica e diacronica

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

1991

RESUMO

This thesis investigates the position of adjectives inside noun phrases in Portugues. Its aim ís to determine the restrictions responsible for the contrast between (1) and (2) below: (1) a. um livro interessante (lit.: a book interesting) b. um interessante livro (lit.: an interesting book) (2) a. um livro vermelho (lit.: a book red) b. " um vermelho livro (lit.: a red book) Assuming the framework of the Government and Binding Theory (cf. Chomsky, 1981), I propasa that the "noun phrase" is formed by a Determinar head (cf. Abney, 1987), which selects another functional category, AGR/NP. DET can be classified as DET(+) or DET(-), depending on the systematic morphophonological realizatíon of its number agreeme.nt features. AGR/NP contain.s the features [± e] and [± kJ: the former are responsible. for the assignment of number agreement to the Noun subcategorized by AGR/NP and, indirectlyt to the other elements adjoíned to it (adjetives and possessive pronouns); the latter are responsible for Case assignment within the "noun phrase". I suggest that in Portuguese AGR/NP be considered AGR/NP(+) with respect to the features [c] and [k], for the agreement features percolate from the Noun to the elements adjoined to it and Case assignment Qccurs either under spec-head agreement ar under government. English, on the other hand, can be considered to have a AGR/NP(-), cnce ít does not trigger agreement percolation and Case assignment occurs only under spec-head agreement. In order to account for the contrast seen in (1)-(2 I suggest that : adjectives can be distinguished in terms of the feature evaluative/non- evalua tive. An evaluative adjective is the one which can be subcategorized by judgement verbs like julgar ( to judge ), considerar ( to consider ), etc. Assuming that there is a parametric distinction with respect to adjunction, which is specified as being to the right in Portuguese and to the left in English, I claim that only evaluative adjectives can optionally move to the prenominal position, as shown in (1)b. Extending this analysis to English, I propose that its evaluctive adjectives obligatorily move to the most external position under the level of projection they are generated. Finally, in an analysis of diachronic data, we observe that since the 18th century, the frequency of- prenominal adjectives in Brazilian Portugues l has been decreasing. I hypothasize that this change corresponds to a progressive loss of the optional movement of the evaluative adjectives.

ASSUNTO(S)

lingua inglesa - adjetivos lingua portuguesa - adjetivos

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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