Causativity in Libras: An Introduction

Abstract

In the causative construction, a cause predicate is associated with an effect predicate. Therefore, there is a causer and a causee. Some linguistic strategies have already been identified to introduce this causer into the discursive scene: lexical, morphological and/or syntactic (periphrastic) strategies. Such constructions, considered as a natural linguistic phenomenon, have already been observed and documented in several researches on oral languages. As far as we know, this subject is still very little explored in the literature of sign languages ​​and we did not find research on causative constructions in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) prior to Andrade (2015). This text aims to present the main results of a research whose purpose was to document, describe and analyze how causative utterances are constructed in Libras. The data recorded in the research analyze the language from its use by deaf people who have Libras as their mother language. This study follows the theoretical principles of the functional-typological literature. Especially, we follow those present in Comrie (1981, 1985, 1989), Givón (2001), Gomes (2006), Haiman (1983), Neves (1997), Payne (1997), Shibatani (1976, 2000), Shibatani & Pardeshi , (2002), among others.