Relativas livres e interrogativas encaixadas no português brasileiro

Abstract

This work is dedicated to the study of Brazilian Portuguese (PB) embedded sentences: free relatives and indirect questions, through the scope of generative studies, like Ross (1967), Chomsky (1977), Bresnan and Grimshaw (1978) among others. The motivation for this research is, beside personal interest, the finding that these sentences may have the same linearity, as in João comeu [RL o que Maria cozinhou] e João perguntou [IE o que Maria cozinhou]. In addition, as highlighted in Caponigro (2003), Móia (1992) and Prestes (2012), there is no consensus on the status of embedded sentences introduced by verbs: ver (to see), ignorer (to ignore), esquecer-se (to forget), lembrar-se (to remind), saber (to know), reveler (to reveal), descobrir (to discover), perceber (to seem), notar (to note) and ouvir (to hear). According to these authors, these verbs are ambiguous because both select free relative and indirect interrogative, as in the embedded sentence: João sabe/viu/revelou [RL/IE o que Maria cozinhou, which constitutes a problem for generative theory. In this way, through this study we aim to: a) establish the proprieties of free relatives and indirect questions; b) compare syntactically and semantically the two types of embedded sentences, besides to apply available tests in literature to identify free relatives and/or indirect questions; c) observe the behavior of embedded sentences selected by verbs considered ambiguous (cited above) and apply them in the same tests which identify the type of embedded; d) identify a possible solution to the problem in the differentiation of free relatives and indirect questions. With this study, we encounter, among other aspects that the verbs which are considered ambiguous pass in the biggest part of the tests (which identify free relatives and indirect questions). So, like a temporary solution, not free of problems, we will follow the studies of Suñer (1991 and 1993), Matos and Brito (2013) and Nye (2013) and we affirm that the embedded sentences are, in fact, resolutive sentences, in the term of NYE, 2013) or improper indirect question sentences (in terms of MATOS;BRITO, 2013). These sentences do not present feature [+interrogative] (like a real interrogative); have declarative nature and are selected by ambiguous verbs here analyzed.