The Portuguese Pretérito Perfeito Composto in diachrony – a perfect evolution?

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Published: 22-06-2016

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Martin Becker
Universidade de Colônia, Alemanha
Germany
Biography
Vol 8 (2016), Pescuda, pages 25-43
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15304/elg.8.3057
Submitted: 13-01-2016 Accepted: 05-06-2016 Published: 22-06-2016
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Abstract

This articles deals with the semantic evolution of the Portuguese Pretérito Perfeito Composto (PPC), which represents a remarkable case of linguistic change given the fact that it is completely out of line with the ordinary process of grammaticalisation reconstructed for the perfect in other Romance languages. The present study identifies various stages of this pathway as well as underlying semantic principles. We are especially interested in the analysis and interpretation of these developments in terms of Geeraert's insights on change and reconstruction of categories expounded in his seminal monograph on "Diachronic Prototype Semantics." In the light of his theory of prototypes, the dynamic evolution of the PPC can be understood as a shift of the prototypical meaning, or "reading," away from an initial centre with its network of more or less central or peripheral readings towards a different target centre of category organisation. This study of the stages and principles of the linguistic evolution of the Portuguese PPC, covering the period between the 15th and 20th centuries, is based on Mark Davies’ and Michael Ferreira’s Corpus do Português.

Keywords:

diachronic evolution of the Portuguese Pretérito Perfeito Composto (PPC), semantics of the Pretérito Perfeito Composto (PPC), theory of linguistic change, diachronic prototype theory
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