Análise sociolinguística da realização do ditongo nasal tônico <ão> em São Bento de Urânia, Alfredo Chaves/ES : o papel da variável sexo/gênero

Abstract

The State of Espírito Santo, Brazil received, in the last 25 years of the XIX century, 35.033 immigrants originated from the Northern territory of Italy (APEES, 2017). They came to settle down and occupy the mountain areas of the State. Due to the hard work and the hardship to commute, the immigrants had been relatively isolated for decades, which helped to preserve their ancestral languages. Nonetheless, the growing cont h P ugu s v u y d h g s’ s v language. Thus, this research aims at describing and analyzing the consequences of the contact which occurred between Veneto and Portuguese, specifically the tonic nasal diphthong <ão>, depicts the linguistic and extra linguistic aspects that rule this variation. In order to achieve these objectives, eight interviews presenting the tonic nasal diphthong from Italian descendants and also immigrants of São Bento de Urânia, Alfredo Chaves/ES were analyzed, from both sex/gender, being four children/adolescents and four adults at the age of 55 or above, having at least eight years of formal schooling. Besides the interviews, answers from the informants to the Subjective Reaction Test presented in six audio tracks from speakers of different g g h g s g g h k g h U s’ gs s h y of speaking. The data analysis was developed based on Variationist Sociolinguistics and Language Contact. The Goldvarb X software (SANKOFF, TAGLIAMONTE e SMITH, 2005) selected linguistic variables word class and the context following to target, and the extra linguistic variables age and sex/gender as more likely subject to the diphthong occurrence without the influence of Veneto. The results show us that the tonic nasal diphthong with a non marked pronunciation of Portuguese is facilitated by: a) functional words; b) nasal consonants and pause as following phonologic context; c) children/adolescents; and d) informants of female sex/gender. As for the Subjective Reaction Test, the results show us that: e) girls and women from São Bento de Urânia are more sensitive to the linguistic marks presented by the audio track speakers; f) informants have positive feelings among themselves, as for their culture and ascendency. These results highlight that is important indeed to clarify to locals, especially the teachers and educators, the reason of the Veneto marks presented in the city language as an ultimate objective to cherish it and set the Uranians free of the linguistic prejudice which they are still victims.