Direct, Indirect and Inferred Causation: Finite and Infinitive Complements of <i>Deixar</i> and <i>Fazer</i>

Abstract

The present article examines the variation between finite and infinitive complements of the two Portuguese causation verbs deixar and fazer from a cognitive perspective. It is argued that the difference between these complements is mainly semantic and that it can be explained by the notion of linguistic iconicity, i.e. the semantic differences can be seen in the formal differences. Accordingly, a minor formal distance between the main verb and the complement verb in the infinitive complements signals a prototypically direct causation. On the other hand, a greater distance in the finite complements implies an indirect causation. Further, it is claimed that the indirect causation is often of an inferential and more complex character, thus giving rise to a higher degree of subjectification in the finite complements than in the infinitive complements.