Tendência tipológicas de harmonia nasais e palatização em línguas indígenas brasileiras

Abstract

This is a study of the phonological assimilation of nasal harmony and palatalization in indigenous languages. According to Odden (2005), assimilation is the most common phonological process to occur in indigenous languages. Among these assimilatory processes, the nasal harmony and the palatalization are the most attested elements in languages worldwide (Kramer and Urek, 2016). Therefore, this research presents some tendencies identified in indigenous languages in what refers to the two aforementioned processes. This thesis aims to define the patterns and singularities in the processes of nasal and palatal assimilation in thirty one indigenous languages from Brazil. These languages belong to different linguistic groups emerging from two stocks (Tupi and Macro-Je), three major families (Aruak, Pano, and Karib); three medium families (Nadahup, Yanomami, and Nambikwara); and two minor families (Katukina and Chiquitano). This diversification allowed for the delimitation of linguistic patterns and singularities identified in each of the processes. Furthermore, it was possible to verify how similarities and differences are manifested in these languages in what regards the main parameters defining phonological processes: triggers, targets, directionality, and nature (phonetical, phonological and morphophonological). These processes are analysed from a linguistic typological perspective, having as analytical parameters the triggering segments, targets, results of the process, and directionality. The material considered for analysis is composed of PhD and MPhil thesis, and scientific papers published in the academic field. The data related with the languages were compiled and organised in a spreadsheet in order to log information such as: family, area in which the language is spoken, trigger info, targets, resulting segments and processes direction. Moreover, what is conducted is a phonetic and phonological exemplification of some words belonging to the analysed languages as a matter of confirming the assimilation parameters. The theoretical discussion about the process of nasal harmony is based on the work of Walker (1998). In regard to palatalization, this study is based on the literature of McCarthy and Smith (2003), and Bateman (2007). Throughout the thesis, it is initially discussed the linguistic typology, consequently leading to a more specific exploration of phonological linguistic discussions. Following, the families and stocks of the analysed languages are presented. Lastly, it is conducted an explanation of the assimilatory processes, description, and analysis of the languages. Although the explored parameters appear in accordance to the types and tendencies previously identified in the literature about these processes, the results of this thesis point out that other parameters diverge or are linked to one another (types of triggers x target groups; nature x directionality). In relation to nasal harmony, the nasal consonants tend to be the triggers of the process, whilst the vowels tend to be the targets. Referring to the palatalization, the trigger tends to be the high front vowel and the targets tend to be coronal consonants. In these processes, the nature and direction are related to one another. For this situation, if the nature is phonological, the spreading tends to be regressive; while if the nature is morphophonological or phonetical, the spreading tends to be progressive.