Comparative analysis of ideophones in four languages of the Tupi stock

• Grant number: 20/06696-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2020
• End date: September 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Linguistics
• Principal Investigator: Luciana Raccanello Storto
• Grantee: Helena Garcia Ferreira da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The project aims to study the linguistic phenomenon of ideophones, stemming from the concept first developed by Luciana Storto (2012), which takes in consideration the Karitiana language; The concept developed by Gabas Jr. and Auwera (2004), which analyzes ideophones in the Karo language, will be utilized as well. Based on the analysis and tests on ideophones found by Storto in Karitiana, a comparative analysis will be established between the following languages: Karitiana, Karo and Suruí. According to Rodrigues's proposition (2007), these languages belong to the western branch of the Tupi stock, and are all spoken in Rondônia, Brazil. These three languages were selected from within the western branch because they have been described as comprehending an ideophone class. The analysis will be focused on observing the existence and occurrence of ideophones in the other four western languages, in contrast with Karitiana. Furthermore, the five western languages will be compared with Munduruku, which belongs to the eastern branch of the same linguistic stock. This will be the last stage of the comparative analysis, which will enable an extension of the descriptive studies of ideophones. In order to verify the ramification hypothesis formulated by Rodrigues (2007), it is necessary to ascertain the existence of ideophones in an Eastern language as well. This analysis will allow either the confirmation or the refutation of the Tupian languages proximity hypothesis composed by Rodrigues (2007).