Processos de formação de sinais: um estudo sobre derivação e incorporação nominal na Língua Brasileira de Sinais

Abstract

Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) linguistic studies started from Ferreira-Brito research in 1995. Although there are a social development and a popularization of Libras, in the sense of being more known now a days, this language is not very well described yet. This dissertation intends to describe morphological aspects on the sign formation considering derivational and nominal incorporation (NI) processes. Derivation has been studied by different researchers in different sign languages. The root sign is changed by the addition of at least one parameter to the original sign (QUADROS e KARNOPP, 2004; JOHNSTON, 2006; FELIPE, 2006; XAVIER e NEVES, 2016; PFAU, 2016). That parameter can be understood as a grammatical morpheme (bound or free) which is added simultaneously or sequentially to the root. The NI is seen as the association of the verb and its argument inside the syntactic structure (MITHUN, 1984; ROSEN, 1989; MEIR, 1999; FERREIRA, 2013). Both processes create a new sign. The collected data are form the ENEM 2017 video test in Libras (45 videos). Those signs were described and distributed in descriptive table referring each kind of derivation. To study the nominal incorporation, the data came from Libras dictionary (CAPOVILLA ET AL., 2017) and from videos made according to a field research conducted by the author of this dissertation. All signs were analyzed qualitatively. Results demonstrate two kinds of derivation in Libras: (i) infixal derivation marked by the movement parameter (MOV) (directional derivation of MOV, dynamic derivation of the MOV and reduplication of MOV) and by the productivity of the base morpheme TEXT and (ii) sufixal derivation, made by negative markers -PRONATION OF FOREARM, plus two affixe markers possibly under grammaticalization, -ZERO marker and agentive marker. In NI two groups of verbs were described. Both undergo argument incorporation: manual and simple verbs. Those verbs present compound NI and classifier NI. Manual verbs tend to show cases of double incorporation – object and adjunct can be enrolled by the verb. In conclusion it is possible to say: (i) derivation and NI are productive in Libras; (ii) infixes are more recurrent to form new lexical items in Libras; (iii) Libras verbs tend to incorporate arguments which function as an adjunct in the sentence as instruments.