University of São Paulo: Accents as Evidence of Social and Regional Dynamics

“Uai”, “bah”, “égua”, “oxe”, all these regional expressions are part of the Brazilian linguistic diversity. With five regions and more than 210 million inhabitants, Brazil is one of the most diverse countries in the world. With a vast territory, the language may be the same, but each one has its own particularities. Portuguese is part of the family of languages ​​that originated from Latin (which we call the Latin or Romance family). Coming from Portugal in the 16th century, the Portuguese language underwent changes when it arrived in Brazil. Manoel Mourivaldo Santiago Almeida, a professor at the School of Philosophy, Letters and Human Sciences (FFLCH), talks a little about the process of formation of different accents.

“This dialect has been in formation, variation and change since its first contacts occurred in the extensive region of the then Piratininga plateau between speakers of Portuguese and various indigenous languages. From the 17th and 18th centuries, this variety expanded to the interior of both São Paulo and Brazil, mainly to the Central-West of Brazil, using the waters of the Tietê, through the action of the bandeirantes and boseiros, those who use river routes, and also to the South of Brazil via the tropeiros route. It is necessary to add to this context the contact between African languages, from the time of slavery and also later with European languages, such as Italian, among others and from other continents”, he states.

The creation of different accents has a historical connection: for example, the arrival of the Portuguese court in Rio de Janeiro. “For example, it is common to say that the hissed C or S at the end of a syllable in the Carioca speaker, as in casca, and which is also present in most coastal accents from the South to the North of Brazil, is due to the greater presence of European Portuguese, which also has a hissed C or S in the same context at the end of a syllable, and is prestigious. It is a socio-historical and cultural ingredient that activates the formation and constant variation in change of different accents, dialects or linguistic varieties in each and every language, at any and every time, in each and every place”, adds the FFLCH professor.

Morphology and the study of the Portuguese language

In some cases, morphological variations, such as the use of certain verbal or pronominal forms, may be associated with differences in accent. Morphology generally deals with the study of the structure and formation of words. Professor Santiago Almeida gives examples of different semantic ways of studying linguistic variety. “There are differences of various natures. Lexical semantic, which deals with the difference in meaning of a word from region to region, such as, for example, mandioca, aipim, macaxeira, garota, moça. Morphosyntactic, which deals with the difference in the construction of a sentence structure or the use of terms or agreement: tu vais, ele vai etc. Phonetic-phonological, which is generally the most discussed and which deals with the realization of phonemes or sounds of a language. For example, the different ways of pronouncing a Re or an R, such as a retroflex, porta, an aspirated or a vibrant. And, as already mentioned, these differences are reflections of the social and cultural history and linguistic contacts of each region or place where such variations are perceived”, he comments.

Linguistic prejudice

Despite being an extremely diverse country, linguistic prejudice is still a factor in Brazil. Linguistic prejudice is the discrimination or negative judgment that occurs based on the way a person speaks, writes or uses language. It manifests itself when one way of speaking or writing (usually the variant considered “standard” or “cultured”) is valued to the detriment of other linguistic varieties, such as regional dialects, accents or forms of language of specific social groups. Linguistic prejudice reflects social and cultural inequalities, associating certain ways of speaking with stereotypes of inferiority, lack of education or even incapacity.

“I would say that it is not just in Brazil; linguistic prejudices exist all over the world. Linguistic prejudice occurs, obviously, from the perception that each person naturally has of varieties or dialects and accents that are distinct from their own accent, their variety. Linguistic prejudice or stigma has to do with the identification of the speaker of a certain region or social group that, for some reason, is also stigmatized by the prejudiced person,” says the professor.

This type of prejudice ignores the fact that languages ​​are alive and change according to social and regional contexts, and that linguistic variation is a natural and legitimate characteristic of any language. Language is an essential part of the cultural identity of each individual and social group, and discriminating against someone based on their way of speaking perpetuates historical and social inequalities. Addressing this prejudice means ensuring that linguistic diversity is recognized as a cultural asset, in addition to ensuring that everyone has equal opportunities, regardless of their way of communicating. Valuing linguistic variants contributes to the construction of a more democratic education and social coexistence free from discrimination.

Santiago concludes by emphasizing the importance of diversity. “It is important to recognize that when discussing the variety of a given language, at the risk of giving it a single label or characterizing it by just one of its many faces, what can be highlighted within the whirlwind of infinite variation of any and all languages ​​are tendencies to a greater or lesser degree of inclination towards one or another of its many faces. In this case, since language is the product of the historical, sociocultural action of its speakers, we can take different paths, no matter how distinct this historical, social and cultural action may be. Ultimately, it is enough to address the issue, free from any inclination that deliberately leads it to the stigma of that which, by nature, is diverse,” he concludes.