Estudo comparativo da fonologia das línguas Yaathe, Dzubukuá e Kipeá

Abstract

In this work, we compared the phonological system of three indigenous languages, namely Yaathe, Dzubukuá and Kipeá. The main objective is to verify similarities and differences between the phonological inventories of the three languages in order to raise hypotheses about genetic kinship and structural types. The theoretical assumptions would be those of historical linguistics, through the comparative method, which proved impracticable. Given the impossibility of applying the comparative historical method, we compared the inventories in more general terms to detect genetic kinship, and a comparison of typological basis to identify the structural properties of languages. The main authors consulted, from a theoretical point of view, were Martins (2007), Odden (2005), Gussenhoven and Jacobs (1998), Song (2014). The data used for the analysis were found in Queiroz (2013), Nantes (1699), Dias (2017). The results point to the genetic relationship between Duzbukwá and Kipeá, as well as the sharing of structural properties between these two languages, with the Yaathe language separating them in both respects. It confirms the hypothesis of belonging of the first two to the Kariri family and of isolation of the language Yaathe in terms linguistic family.