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As línguas ameríndias e a Arte de Gramática – gramaticografia de Anchieta e Carochi até a Gramática Mexicana de Wilhelm von Humboldt
Authors: Werner Thielemann
Number of views: 232
The description of Amerindian languages is closely linked to theevangelization and catechesis of indigenous American peoples byreligious orders (Franciscans, Jesuits and others). Grammaticographyof native languages, since the discovery of America and for a longtime, was being influenced by the translation practice of catecheticalLatin texts and, in this way, from Ars grammaticae principles andterminology of Latin.Though being aware of the particularities of indigenouslanguages, missionaries do not trangress the degree of descriptive hybridity, evidenced by the Brasilian Grammar of Anchieta and alot of Mexican nahuatl grammars (Olmos, Carochi), discussed inthe article.Paradigmatic change arises with Historical ComparativeGrammar in Europe. The description of American languages changestotally, when, whit his knowledge of Basque, Whilhelm vonHumboldt recognizes the propositional value of the nahuatl verband identifies incorporation as the organizing principle. He initiallygives an adequate description and metalinguistic teminology forthe particularities of Amerindian languages. Throughout his life,he is tried to determine the structures of American languages, butthe very results of his endeavour were not published until after hisdeath (1835).