Toponímia e identidade: estudo dos topônimos das Aldeias Mebêngôkre (Kayapó) no município de São Félix do Xingu/PA

Abstract

This research aims to carry out a study of the toponyms of the Mebêngôkre (Kayapó) villages present in the municipality of São Félix do Xingu, in Pará. More specifically, the study seeks to: a) classify toponyms according to the taxonomic model proposed by Dick (1990); b) analyze the semantic motivation of the studied toponyms and; c) describe its morphological structure. To fulfill the presented objectives, the bibliographic research was used as methodological procedures for the elaboration of the theoretical reference; and, regarding the field research, a questionnaire was used as an instrument for collecting data, with questions about the profile of the interviewee, as well as about the object of study of the work, that is, the name of the villages, their meaning, and the motivation of the place designation. From the data analysis, it was found that the toponym designating name of a village assumes the function of a lexical unit that socializes what is more particular in space and, therefore, maintains a strict relationship with its referent. It was also observed that the toponyms are linked to the concept of identity on two occasions. Initially, for emerging from the cosmovision of the naming group, and with that carrying elements of the subject's identity, since the language is a reflection of the culture and identity of its speakers; in a second scenario, as well as individuals, places have their identity, which is constituted in an objective dimension, which is the geographic space, and a subjective value, its name itself, the toponym, which is the representation of that space in society. Thus, it was sought to contribute to the recording of this information so that this data is not lost, in addition to disseminating this information so that it can be sources in research by the academic community and by those interested in the Mebêngôkre culture.