Um códice em língua geral: edição, estudo paleográfico e sóciohistória da Amazônia (1750-1758) - volumes I e II

Abstract

The research, which is part of a network integrated by the projects Corpus Eletrônico de Documentos Históricos do Sertão (CE-DOHS), Modus Scribendis, 25-ALFAL, Pombal Global, and Guarda-Chuva CE-DOHS, analyzed Codex 69, entitled Grammatica da lingua geral do Brazil, com hum diccionario dos vocábulos mais uzuaes para a intelligencia da dita língua (Grammar of the General Language of Brazil, with a dictionary of the most commonly used words for understanding the said language), an 18th-century document housed at the University of Coimbra. The study situates the codex within the context of linguistic and educational policies in colonial Amazonia, an interest that also stemmed from previous research conducted within the scope of undergraduate and master's studies, both integrated into the Núcleo de Estudos em Língua Portuguesa (NELP) at the Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (State University of Feira de Santana). Through an interdisciplinary approach combining Historical Linguistics, Philology, Paleography, and Social History, this work sought to understand how the grammaticalization of the Língua Geral Amazônica (LGA) influenced the implementation of the Portuguese language in 18th-century Brazil. The study had three main objectives: i) to produce a semidiplomatic edition of the codex, preserving its material and textual characteristics; ii) to investigate the role of the LGA in the colonial project, considering its standardization and use in education and catechization; and iii) to analyze how missionary and Pombaline policies shaped multilingualism at the time. The research employed paleographic analyses to explore the material aspects of the codex, such as paper, ink, watermarks, and binding, as well as to study its historical trajectory and production context. The semidiplomatic edition aims to democratize access to the document and integrate it into the study of Brazilian linguistic and cultural history. This work contributes to the history of linguistic policies in colonial Brazil by highlighting the tensions between missionary and Pombaline projects, understanding the role of the LGA in the formation of Brazilian Portuguese and education in the northern region, and expanding academic access to historical documents through an unprecedented semidiplomatic edition. This investigation reinforces the importance of integrating interdisciplinary methods in the study of historical documents, emphasizing the LGA as a central element in shaping Brazil’s 18th-century linguistic landscape, the originality of a semidiplomatic edition, and its contributions to a detailed history of schooling in Brazil.