Portuguese EN 9th grade: Meaning of Words

Palavras Monossémicas e Polissémicas

Words can have one or several meanings.

Palavras monossémicas – have only one meaning.

They are common in scientific or technical language.

Ex.: oxigénio, triângulo, cálcio, estrofe

Palavras polissémicas – have several meanings depending on the context in which they appear.

Ex.: cabeça can mean: a part of the body, the leader of a group, or the beginning of something.

The context of the sentence is essential to understand the intended meaning.

Denotação is the literal, proper and real meaning of a word, the one that normally appears in the dictionary.

It is the meaning used directly, without figurative intention.

Ex.: Coração – an organ that moves blood or another vital fluid in the body of certain animals.

Conotação is the figurative or metaphorical meaning of a word, different from its literal meaning. It appears when the word is used to convey emotions, ideas or images depending on the context.

Unlike denotação (literal meaning), conotação involves interpretation and symbolic value.

Example:

“Ele é um leão em campo.”

In this case, leão does not mean the animal, but someone brave, strong or courageous.

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Explore more about Word that replaces or accompanies a noun, avoiding repetition and indicating person, possession, quantity, or relation.
Ex.: ele, aquele, meu, ninguém.
Subclasses de pronomes
Pronome pessoal
Refers to the persons in speech: 1ª, 2ª ou 3ª pessoa.
- Formas tónicas: used alone or for emphasis (mim, ti, ele, nós).
- Formas átonas: used attached to the verb (me, te, se, o, a, nos, vos).
Pronome pessoal em adjacência verbal
- Ênclise: after the verb (amar-me-ás).
- Próclise: before the verb (me amarás).
- Mesóclise: in the middle of the verb, used with future tense (amar-me-ás).
Contração de pronomes pessoais
Personal pronouns (pronomes pessoais) can combine with direct (direto) and indirect (indireto) objects into a single form.
me + o = mo / nos + o = no=lo / vos + o = vo-lo
te + o = to / lhe + o = lho / lhes + o = lho
Ex.: Dei um telemóvel à minha irmã.
complemento direto + complemento indireto
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Dei-lho
Pronome pessoal “se”
It can perform different syntactic functions or refer to certain phrasal structures.
- se reflexo: complemento direto (Ela penteia-se)
- se recíproco: complemento indireto (Eles abraçam-se)
- se impessoal: sujeito indeterminado (Diz-se que está a ficar cego)
- se passivo: partícula apassivante (Vendem-se maçãs.)
Pronome demonstrativo
Indicates position or reference: este, essa, aquele, isto, isso, aquilo.
Pronome possessivo
Indicates possession: meu, teu, seu, nossa, vossos.
Pronome indefinido
Indicates vague quantity or identity: alguém, ninguém, tudo, algum, certo.
Pronome relativo
Links clauses and refers back to a previous term: que, quem, cujo, onde...

Word that replaces or accompanies a noun, avoiding repetition and indicating person, possession, quantity, or relation.
Ex.: ele, aquele, meu, ninguém.
Subclasses de pronomes
Pronome pessoal
Refers to the persons in speech: 1ª, 2ª ou 3ª pessoa.
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