Aspectos morfossintáticos, semânticos e estilísticos dos prefixos negativos na formação de palavras em português

Abstract

Abstract: This work aims at showing one of the word-formation processes in Portuguese, the negative prefixes a-, des-, in- and não- in a synchronic perspective. It shows the structure of these prefixes, here conceived as a product, of the derivational process, their operation, their productivity and usage. A list of contextualized unities is presented with priority of the non-registered ones in the Novo Dicionário Aurelio da Lingua Portuguesa, 2.ed., demonstrating that the lexicon of the language is in a constant process of renovation. The work is meant to be a contribution to the study of the word-formation processes appropriately treated in traditional grammar and in didactic: books, as they present lists of vernacular, Greek and Latin prefixes. The study reveals that word-formation processes represent sets of production which have their origin in the availability of the system as well as in the speaker, who, through previous linguistic knowledge, or through intuition, builds up new linguistic units which eventually may become part of the language, enriching it.