Punctuation Marks in Speech: Constructionalizations

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss some relatively stable expressions in spoken Portuguese that contain punctuation marks. As punctuation marks are graphic (visual) signs typical of writing, we analyze the functions that punctuation marks play both in writing and in speech. As a theoretical framework, we base our analyses mainly on Nunberg (1990), Dahlet (1995, 1998, 2002, 2006b, 2006a) and Bredel (2020) who offer mutually compatible systematization of punctuation marks, and Traugott and Trousdale (2021) in order to understand the constructionalization process that involves these signs in speech. Since our object of analysis are typographical signs and not words, we found no parallel examples of constructionalizations in the literature. We noticed that only seven (of the eleven) punctuation marks generally considered in Brazilian Portuguese gain expression in orality and that these punctuation marks are distributed in different gradients of lexicalization: the ending signs (period, question mark, exclamation and ellipsis) receive referential value in orality, while comma, quotes and parentheses remain with metalinguistic value – and the double signs can be gestured.