Subject inversion in Brazilian Portuguese: a cognitive linguistics approach

Abstract

This paper develops a cognitive linguistics approach to non-canonical VS order in spoken Brazilian Portuguese (BP). Based on recent developments of Mental Spaces Theory (Sanders, Sanders and Sweetser 2009, 2012; Ferrari and Sweetser 2012), and drawing on attested linguistic data from oral interviews and spontaneous conversation, the research provides evidence that BP subject inversion is a viewpoint shift phenomenon. It is argued that SV and VS structures evoke different mental space networks: the former instructs the hearer to set Viewpoint in the Deictic Centre of Communication, whereas the latter signals Viewpoint shift to the Content Domain.