Constructional variation and/or competition for use

Abstract

This text aims to discuss the place of variation in Cognitive-Functional Linguistics’ studies, a functionalist research model that combines the North American Functionalism and Cognitive Linguistics, more specifically, the Construction Grammar approach. Since these two perspectives have relatively different points of view – and also their own terminology – for the treatment of variation, in this text, I compare the phenomena of constructional variation (a cognitive perspective) and the competition for use (a functionalist perspective). I claim that the adoption of constructional variation in LFCU studies is more appropriate, since this phenomenon takes on a broader dimension than competition for use: while the latter prioritizes the internal aspects (structural and cognitive ones), the former enables the treatment of both internal (structural and cognitive) factors and external (social) ones.