The Toponymy of Curuçá as a reflection of interethnic contacts in Eastern Amazon

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48075/odal.v6i1.33926

Keywords:

toponymy, Curuçá, interethnic contacts, eastern Amazon, Tupi

Abstract

This article discusses the contacts between peoples in the historical and linguistic constitution of Curuçá and how these events had a significant impact on the toponymy of Curuçá. We discuss the intrinsic relationship between language and people and how the dialogue between history, society and culture is established in a given space. The main objective is to analyze the influence of interethnic and linguistic contacts on the constitution of the toponymy of Curuçá, in order to understand how historical and social processes shaped the toponymic scenario, focusing on the presence of hybrid and compound terms. The theoretical framework used mainly uses the assumptions of toponymy from Dick (1990); the discussions on linguistic contacts from Lucchesi (2009) and Raso, Mello and Altenhofen (2011). The basis for the historiography of Curuçá and the process of formation of the territory comes from Canindé (2015). Regarding linguistic contact and interethnic relations, we used Cardoso de Oliveira (1962). The methodology used consists of bibliographical research, considering the historiography of Curuça, principles of toponymy and linguistic contact, as well as field research to obtain data on the toponymy of Curuça collected through interviews and oral narratives of the residents of Curuçá. This article is an excerpt from a master's dissertation research on the toponymy of Curuça and the historical implications of linguistic contacts. The results point to a dynamic in which interethnic contacts in eastern Amazonia have repercussions on local toponymy expressed in the presence of compound and hybrid terms, involving Portuguese and indigenous elements of Tupi origin. This study contributes significantly to the understanding of the toponymy of Curuça and how it constitutes additional evidence of the interethnic contacts established in the region. Furthermore, the research reaches broader reflections on the identity, cultural heritage and sociolinguistic dynamics of Eastern Amazonia

Author Biographies

Tabita Fernandes da Silva, Universidade Federal do Pará, Brazil

Graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Languages from the Federal University of Pará (1992), a Master's in Languages (Linguistics) from the Federal University of Pará (2001), and a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Brasília (2010). Currently, a public servant at the Federal University of Pará. Served as coordinator of the Graduate Program in Languages and Knowledge in the Amazon from 2015 to 2017, based at the Bragança campus of the Federal University of Pará. Has experience in the field of Linguistics, with an emphasis on Historical Linguistics and Language Contact, mainly focusing on the following topics: variation, linguistic change, and language contact. Conducts research in indigenous communities, specifically languages of the Tupi-Guarani family.

Jair Francisco Cecim da Silva, Universidade Federal do Pará, Brazil

Graduated in Languages and Arts from the Federal University of Pará - UFPA (1996), Master's in Languages/Linguistics from UFPA (2003), and PhD in Philology and Portuguese Language from the University of São Paulo (USP) (2014), under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Márcia S. D. de Oliveira. He is an Associate Professor at UFPA - Bragança Campus. He was part of the team for the Pilot Project of INDL/IPHAN/USP "Ethonolinguistic Survey in Quilombola Communities: Minas Gerais and Pará", in the Quilombola community of Jurussaca/Tracuateua (Pará), coordinated by Professors Dr. Márcia Oliveira (USP) and Margarida Petter (USP). He coordinates the research project: Afro-Indigenous Portuguese in Eastern Amazon. He is also a faculty member in the graduate program Languages and Knowledge in the Amazon.

References

Canindé, F. (2015). História do Município de Curuçá no Estado do Pará. Tomo I. Período Pré-Colonial (1612/15-1653). Curuçá-Pa

Calvet, L. J. (2002). Sociolinguística: uma introdução crítica; tradução Marcos Marcionilo. Parábola Editorial.

Cardoso de Oliveira, R. (1962). Estudo de Áreas de Fricção Interétnica no Brasil, in América Latina. Ano V, n° 3. Rio de Janeiro.

Dick, M. V. P. A. (1992). Toponímia e antroponímia no Brasil: coletânea de estudos. São Paulo: FFLCH, USP.

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Viveiros de Castro, E. (2002). Inconstância da alma selvagem. Cosac Naify.

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Published

14-04-2025

How to Cite

FERREIRA, R.; FERNANDES DA SILVA, T.; FRANCISCO CECIM DA SILVA, J. The Toponymy of Curuçá as a reflection of interethnic contacts in Eastern Amazon. Onomastics from Latin America, [S. l.], v. 6, n. 1, p. 1–31, 2025. DOI: 10.48075/odal.v6i1.33926. Disponível em: https://e-revista.unioeste.br/index.php/onomastica/article/view/33926. Acesso em: 2 may. 2025.

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2025): Onomástica desde América Latina

Section

Works

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Copyright (c) 2025 Rízia Ferreira, Tabita Fernandes da Silva, Jair Francisco Cecim da Silva

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