M. Eugenia L. Duarte / Christina Gomes / Conceição Paiva

CODIFICATION AND STANDARTISATION IN BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE

A set of criteria of status and maintenance, as well as a typology, have been proposed as characteristic of both non-dominant and dominant varieties of pluricentric languages (Muhr, 2012; 2013). Among these criteria, standardisation stands out: non-dominant varieties show a lower degree of standardisation as well as exonormative rules based on the mother tongue. We maintain that any discussion involving standardisation must take into account differences between the spoken and written forms of language. Arguments to support this position are offered by contemporary Brazilian Portuguese (BP), which exhibits remarkable differences when compared to European Portuguese (EP), with both conservative and innovative features, and does not precisely fit the model of Muhr (2013). Based on spoken and written data from both EP and BP, we show that a contemporary approach entails acceptance of the fact that each variety followed its own natural diachronic path. Since the transplantation of the Portuguese language to the South American continent both varieties have undergone significant changes in phonology and syntax, especially in the period at around the turn of the 19^th century. It was then that an extraordinary exonormative movement occurred towards modern European norms under the leadership of a “dominant” upper class in Rio de Janeiro, the former capital of the Portuguese Empire. This attitude created a huge gap between speech and writing in Brazil, where the standard model adopted at the time was transmitted by schools well into the 20^th century. Only after the development of (socio)linguistic research did it become possible to appreciate the extent to which we are dealing with different grammars. Since the prescribed norm contradicted the naturally acquired grammar of Brazilian speakers, it should come as no surprise that the Brazilian written variety exhibits a mixture of natural and imposed features (Duarte, Gomes and Paiva, 2013; Mendes at al. to appear). While it certainly is true that spoken and written EP and BP have changed and exhibit variation, it is undeniable that the gap between the two modalities is deeper in BP, in spite of recent incorporations of speech features by writing.

Key Words: pluricentric languages; standardization/codification; DVs/NDVs; European/Brazilian Portuguese

References

Duarte, M. Eugenia L. / Gomes Christina / Paiva Conceição (2013): Patterns of variation in non-dominant varieties of Brazilian Portuguese. In: Muhr et al. (eds.) Exploring linguistic standards in non-dominant varieties of pluricentric languages. Frankfurt am Main. Peter Lang, 331-342.

Mendes et al. (to appear): Pronominal constructions and subject indetermination in varieties of Portuguese. In: R. Muhr; D. Marley; A. Bissoonauth and H. L. Kretzenbacher (eds.) Pluricentric Languages worldwide and pluricentric Theory. Wien et. al., Peter Lang Verlag.

Muhr, Rudolf (2012): Linguistic dominance and non-dominance in pluricentric languages: A typology. In: Muhr, Rudolf (ed.) Non-dominant Varieties of pluricentric Languages. Getting the Picture. In memory of Michael Clyne. Frankfurt am Main. Peter Lang, 23-48.

Muhr, Rudolf (2013): Codifying Linguistic standards in non-dominant varieties of pluricentric languages – adopting dominant or native norms? In: Muhr et al. (eds.) Exploring linguistic standards in non-dominant varieties of pluricentric languages. Frankfurt am Main. Peter Lang, 11-44.