Português e línguas indígenas brasileiras em contacto: o testemunho de bluteau

Portuguese and Brazilian indigenous languages in contact: Bluteau’s testimony: From the 15th century onwards, the Portuguese language became a colonial instrument. In non-European territories, the Portuguese imposed themselves on different cultures, but they also welcomed new words, alongside the discovery of hitherto unknown realities. Bluteau’s Vocabulario offers a large amount of information about Portuguese contact with indigenous languages, as in the case of Brazil. The expression “Brazilian word” is used by Bluteau in entries that refer to Brazilian pecificities, generally autochthonous plants and animals, as well as some artefacts. Bluteau’s lexicographical writing reflects both the vision of the world of his time and the lexicographer’s personal point of view, illustrated by information that is sometimes well-founded and sometimes quite fanciful.