Transparency and opacity in the choice of relativization strategies in Portuguese

Abstract

This paper aims at examining the hypothesis that the choice among the different strategies of relativization available in the Portuguese grammar is motivated by a lesser or greater degree of transparency between form and meaning, which implies, correlatively, lesser or greater degree of ease in cognitive processing. In addition, the lesser or greater degree of transparency allows to postulate a hierarchical ordering for the strategies in correspondence to a greater or a lesser degree of ease in cognitive processing.