¡Lo que yo de cura! The «Antiprototype» in Intensifying Comparative Constructions from a Constructionist Point of View

Abstract

This paper analyzes the intesifying comparative construction [SN VTENER de ADJ lo (mismo) que X (de Y)]: ‘not being ADJ at all’, which allows for the creation of structures such as «Pues te digo: esos jóvenes tienen de solidario lo que yo de cura». In such a construction, intensification is achieved by means of a semantic and pragmatic incongruence between the slots X and Y (as in the example: yo vs. cura), whereby the standard of comparison Y (cura) becomes an «antiprototype», as opposed to what occurs in most stereotyped comparisons (e. g. dormir como un liron). Within the framework of Construction Grammar, the main goal is to demonstrate, through corpus analysis (esTenTen18 corpus), that the antiprototype is not fixed at the lexical level, but through a cognitive core. A qualitative study of the slot Y of the standard of comparison is carried out in order to find out which cognitive clusters promote pragmatic incongruence, as well as to explore how the maximum level of extravagance is reached..