As construções modalizadoras epistêmico-asseverativas com <i>real</i> e <i>real oficial</i> sob uma perspectiva construcional

This study aims to examine the microconstructional patterns formed by real and real oficial in the context of epistemic-asseverative modalization, seeking to determine the extent to which the identified constructions are hierarchically organized within a constructional network. To achieve this objective, we draw on the core principles of Usage-Based Functional Linguistics (Bybee, 2010; Martelotta, 2011; Furtado da Cunha et al., 2013; Traugott; Trousdale, 2013; Rosário; Oliveira, 2016; Bispo; Silva, 2016), a theoretical approach that views language as an inventory of constructions organized in networks. Within this framework, we conduct a synchronic analysis of data collected from a corpus composed of YouTube videos, combining qualitative analysis with frequency data (Cunha Lacerda, 2016). Additionally, for the qualitative analysis, we employ the software Praat, as we assume that the prosodic feature of break contributes to identifying the scope of modalization present in the constructions under analysis. The results indicate that real and real oficial serve new communicative purposes that differ from the traditional adjectival use of real, forming new form-function pairings organized within the language’s constructional network. Furthermore, we found that constructions with real oficial exhibit greater intersubjectivity compared to those with real, reflecting a heightened concern with the interlocutor in the interactional process.