Resumen

SHARING SPACE - CONTINUING DISCOURSE: FORMS, FUNCTIONS AND USES OF THE PARTICLE AÍ IN BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE. Lingüística [online]. 2013, vol.29, n.1, pp.143-163. ISSN 2079-312X.

So far, the Brazilian particle aí has usually been considered a local adverb - a deictic element historically related to the Spanish adverb ahí. The aim of this paper is to provide a description of its different usages in contemporary Brazilian Portuguese, which will be deduced from spoken language data. In particular, I shall defend the use of this deictic form as a discourse particle. Finally, I shall compare all different uses of aí. The reader will recognize in this comparison that the uniform written form of aí disguises the different phonetic-prosodic forms of aí when it is used as a spatial deictic or as a discourse particle. Taking these differences into account, it should come as no surprise that listeners in fact have no difficulty understanding the multifaceted uses of ai when engaged in conversation

Palabras clave : Pragmatics; Grammar; Linguistic Description; Deixis; Brazilian Portuguese.

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