Reflections on the criterion of (in)dependence within clause integration

Abstract

This article, based on theoretical and bibliographic assumptions, aims to discuss the concept of syntactic and semantic (in)dependence  with respect to the canonical processes of subordination and coordination. It is commonly stated that the coordinate clauses are independent and the subordinate ones are dependent. This correlation, however, has received criticism over time, especially in modern works. After all, it is not always clear whether the (in)dependence is of semantic or syntactic basis. In addition, there are borderline cases in which it is not possible to clearly define if a structure has all the features of a subordinate or coordinate construction. The proposal developed by Usage-Based Functional Linguistics resizes the criterion of (in)dependence, comparing it with the embedding in a scalar and gradient proposal. Based on the theory of prototypes, the Usage-Based Functional Linguistics presents a descriptive alternative to the question of (in)dependence, more faithful to the effective use of language, as it becomes evident in the researches carried out by Brazilian and foreign authors.