Metaphorical motivation in grammaticalization Of evidential marker in accordance with

Abstract

This article aims to explain how the metaphorical motivation influenced the grammaticalization of the phrase "in accordance with" as an evidential item. Methodologically, among other authors, the theoretical grammaticalization process framework for the analysis is based on Hopper and Traugott (2003), Heine et al (1991) and Sweetser (1991) while Lakoff and Johnson (1980) establish the basis for Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The work uses instances of a corpus built for the thesis research entitled "The Manifestation of evidentiality in degree academic papers in Contemporary Brazilian Portuguese" (CARIOCA, 2011), establishing a systematic correlation between the source domain related to the lexical term "agreement" with the evidentiality category (target domain) of the prepositional term "in accordance with". Generally, this evidential marker is used in academic language to explain a sense effect which indicates low commitment to what is being said / written, since evidentiality is a linguistic category which allows the strategic manipulation of information as to the source of knowledge . "In accordance with" then expresses an asserted claim not from the author’s text but that of someone skilled in the subject that is being addressed. It follows then, that the academic convention also contributed to the metaphorical motivation of the evidential marker "in accordance with".