Formas simples e perifrásticas de pretérito mais-que-perfeito do indicativo e de pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo em variação

Abstract

Through an analysis of 837 data from 1887 to 2012, extracted from Institute of Ceará historical journals, we showed how the simple pluperfect past tense form has been losing space to the imperfect of the subjunctive, in the codification of the subjunctive function, specializing itself in quite restrict contexts, especially those in which there are verbs of state, dicendi or modal, as well as the absence of a connector. Moreover, its main occurrence niche is the synchrony between 1887 and 1899. In global analysis, data are distributed as follows: 39 simple pluperfect past tense data, 609 subjunctive past imperfect data, 85 compound pluperfect past in the subjunctive mode, 11 verbal periphrasis of the simple pluperfect past tense in the indicative mode and 93 verbal periphrasis of the subjunctive imperfect past. In theoretical terms, we alluded to two of the principles of change proposed by Weinreich, Labov and Herzog (1968): transition and restrictions. We showed the transition scenario when we considered tendencies in the use of each of the forms under analysis per synchrony: 1887-1899; 1944-1956 and 2000-2012, as well as the usage restrictions, when mapping occurrence contexts per verbal type, use of connector, polarity, clause types, textual genre, and synchrony. The research is an undertaking that allows more knowledge of Portuguese grammar and of the history of the language, by showing how certain changes have been consolidated, which factors have contributed, and which are the contexts of resistance.