Abstract
In this paper I explore the reflection of the religious context in the concept of universal grammar as it is presented in four missionary grammars written by Jesuit priests in Brazil: Anchieta (1595), Figueira (1621?), Dias (1697) e Mamiani (1699). In the last few decades linguists have seen the return of the expression universal grammar to the literature, as a consequence of the influence of Noam Chomsky’s work. The hypothesis of a common core for all languages has its roots in a tradition which goes back to the Middle Ages. In the Christian West it was thought that the endowment given by God to Adam was uncovered by the confusion of tongues, as a punishment for the Tower of Babel. Therefore the concept of universality in those grammars has its grounds in a very different framework from the chomskyan UG. Abstract In this paper I explore the reflection of the religious context in the concept of universal grammar as it is presented in four missionary grammars written by Jesuit priests in Brazil: Anchieta (1595), Figueira (1621?), Dias (1697) e Mamiani (1699). In the last few decades linguists have seen the return of the expression universal grammar to the literature, as a consequence of the influence of Noam Chomsky’s work. The hypothesis of a common core for all languages has its roots in a tradition which goes back to the Middle Ages. In the Christian West it was thought that the endowment given by God to Adam was uncovered by the confusion of tongues, as a punishment for the Tower of Babel. Therefore the concept of universality in those grammars has its grounds in a very different framework from the chomskyan UG.
Highlights
In this paper I explore the reflection of the religious context in the concept of universal grammar as it is presented in four missionary grammars written by Jesuit priests in Brazil: Anchieta (1595), Figueira (1621?), Dias (1697) e Mamiani (1699)
A gramática universal, tal como é compreendida pelos estudos gerativos no presente, seria, nos termos de Bloomfield, um estudo especulativo: sustenta-se no problema lógico representado pelo conhecimento lingüístico alcançado por um falante adulto a partir de dados assistemáticos e consiste num programa de pesquisa que propõe a existência de uma base genética nos seres humanos, constituída por princípios obrigatórios para todas as línguas mais um conjunto de princípios abertos
Os estudos sobre a linguagem na Antigüidade Clássica não se desenvolveram num contexto que propiciasse o surgimento de uma hipótese acerca da existência de um núcleo de propriedades que fosse comum para todas as línguas
Summary
A theory of the language faculty is sometimes called universal grammar, adapting a traditional term to a research program somewhat differently conceived.[2]. A gramática universal (ou GU), tal como é compreendida pelos estudos gerativos no presente, seria, nos termos de Bloomfield, um estudo especulativo: sustenta-se no problema lógico representado pelo conhecimento lingüístico alcançado por um falante adulto a partir de dados assistemáticos e consiste num programa de pesquisa que propõe a existência de uma base genética nos seres humanos, constituída por princípios obrigatórios para todas as línguas mais um conjunto de princípios abertos (ou parâmetros). De toda e qualquer língua seria possível extraírem-se as regras de uma gramática universal, que não era grego ou latim (Eco 1993:44), mas a matriz que Deus entregara como um dom a Adão. Nas secções que imediatamente se seguem focalizamos o contexto que produz algumas das gramáticas escritas por missionários no Brasil, não sobre o português, então aqui ainda língua minoritária. A partir de então, as novas aldeias jesuíticas iriam estabelecer-se longe da costa, às margens dos rios Xingu, Tocantins, Tapajós, Madeira e Javari (Leite 1965a:73)
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