Atribuas

Atribuas is a theoretical concept used in cognitive linguistics and semantics to describe the process by which a speaker attributes properties, predicates, or roles to a referent within a discourse or formal representation. The term derives from the Portuguese verb atribuir, meaning to attribute, and is used primarily in scholarly discussions on predication and the assignment of attributes across languages.

Definition and scope: Atribuas refers to the act of linking properties to entities in semantic representations, including adjectives, participles, and predicate configurations. It emphasizes the dynamic nature of how speakers assign or project characteristics onto subjects, depending on context, perspective, and discourse aims. In some formulations, atribuas covers both speaker-intended properties and attributes inferred by listeners.

Usage: In theoretical analyses, researchers may describe how atribuas operates in utterances, focusing on attribution scope—such as attributing properties to entities in discourse (for example, describing a character as brave or loyal) or in cross-linguistic comparisons of how languages encode attributive predicates. The concept is used to explore issues of subjectivity, stance-taking, and the boundary between inherent properties and those ascribed by discourse.

History and reception: Atribuas emerged in later 20th-century discussions of predication and semantic role assignment. It remains a niche term, primarily found in Portuguese-language literature and select cross-linguistic works. It is not widely adopted as a standard analytical framework and is often defined on a study-by-study basis.

See also: attribution, predication, semantic roles, discourse representation, referential theory.