Resumo

SILVA, Maurício. Brazilian languages: Linguistic power and identity in Brazil on 16th Century (A study of Historical Social of Language). Tóp. Sem [online]. 2017, n.38, pp.77-98. ISSN 2594-0619.

In this article, the identity and power related to the languages of Brazil colony is examined employing the methods of the Social History of Language. It analyzes texts (reports, letters, stories etc.) produced during the sixteenth century, specifically related to the context of the newly discovered Brazil. It starts from the linguistic injunctions to understand the historical facts related to the institution of the Portuguese language in the Brazilian territory, also using the discursive analysis, with the purpose of emphasizing the fact that the language must be taken as a significant system in its relation with history.

Palavras-chave : Brazil colony; sixteenth century; Social History of Language.