As construções imperativas de 2ª pessoa do singular no português brasileiro escrito dos séculos xix e xx: rastros históricos do imperativo abrasileirado

Abstract

The imperative of 2nd person singular is manifested in Brazilian Portuguese by the verbal forms in the indicative (deixa) and in the subjunctive (deixe). In this study, in light of the principles of historical sociolinguistics (ROMAINE, 1982 [2010]; HERNÁNDEZ-CAMPOY; CONDE SILVESTRE, 2012), the variable expression of the imperative of 2nd person singular is analyzed in autograph personal letters, produced by Brazilians (specifically writers from the state of Minas Gerais), between the 19th and 20th centuries. Conducted by the GoldVarbX Program (SANKOFF, TAGLIAMONTE & SMITH, 2005) in order to generate percentage and probabilistic indices, we have identified not only the prevalence of the imperative with subjunctive forms (paradigm of você), but we have also raised evidences of the brazilian imperative (PAREDES SILVA et alii, 2000; SCHERRE, 2007).