Abstract
In this paper, we discuss semantic characteristics and pragmatic aspects of the lexical item ‘já’; thus, our goal is to understand its meaning(s). We aim to explore some linguistic aspects of ‘já’, as this item is rarely discussed in traditional grammar. The theoretical bases used are Gritti (2013), Lopes (2003), and Morais (2004), who address semantic aspects of the item, and some descriptive grammar (Perini, 2008; Neves, 2011). From the literature review, we verified that the item could have temporal (locating events on the timeline), aspectual (modifying the aspect of events), and conjunctive (linking sentences) values, and we concluded that ‘já’ has some relevant pragmatic aspects that characterize it, such as readings of counter-expectation and promise. These readings and the nature of the inferences were investigated here in sentences in the indicative (present, past, and future) and imperative mood, being absent from the latter. After implication, presupposition, and implicature cancellation tests, the counter-expectation and promise readings were revealed to be conversational implicatures, thus being pragmatic.
Keywords:
semantics; pragmatics; já; counter-expectation; promise; implicatures