Productivity in phraseological constructions from Construction Grammar. The “[de + N]INTENSIF” pattern as a flexible and productive construction in Spanish


Abstract


This study focuses on Spanish phraseological constructions of the type “[de + N]INTENSIF”, which combine structural stability with flexibility of modification, from the perspective of Construction Grammar (CG). Unlike traditional approaches that view them as fixed units, CG understands them as cognitive constructions that allow variability depending on the context, highlighting the inherent flexibility of language. Through a qualitative analysis based on linguistic corpora (CORPES XXI; esTenTen23), the study investigates the variability of these constructions in discourse, emphasizing how CG provides an appropriate framework to understand their flexibility and creativity in use, and demonstrating how speakers manipulate and accommodate these expressions within a shared structural schema. This work contributes to the understanding of linguistic constructions as dynamic and generative processes that adapt to discourse contexts.

Keywords: Construction Grammar; intensifying phraseological constructions; fixation and productivity; colloquial Spanish; linguistic corpora.

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