Wilmar R . D'Angelis

Problems identified in the study and analysis of the phonology of Brazilian Indian languages belonging to the Macro-Jê branch such as Kaingang, Maxakali, and Mebengokre led the author to confirm the accuracy of some intuitions on the part of Piggott (1992) and Rice (1993) on dealing with relations between nasality and sonorancy (D'Angelis 1998). The applicability of the approach to the distinct processes of nasality and nasalization in Portuguese was verified with surprising results that recover some intuitions of Trubetzkoy (1939) and contribute to reconfirm the Mattoso Câmara's (1953; 1970) considerations, but at the same time go beyond them. This article presents the result of this investigation and its conclusions that suggest the validity and the necessity of reexamining even the phonemic inventory of the Portuguese language, an issue not at all questioned in the teaching of phonology, to take into account the linguistic changes in the phonological system of that langua...

Partindo da noção de "frentes de expansão", a primeira parte o artigo identifica as principais formas que tais frentes tomaram ao longo da história do Brasil Meridional (do século XVI ao XX), e comenta os impactos de cada uma (ou, eventualmente, das diferentes "ondas" de cada uma) sobre as populações indígenas da região. Na segunda parte o artigo detalha as frentes de expansão especificamente no território catarinense, e igualmente seu contato e impacto nas populações indígenas. Por fim, traça um panorama das reações indígenas às frentes de expansão, em diferentes períodos históricos, entre o século XVIII e XXI.

Problems identified in the study and analysis of the phonology of Brazilian Indian languages belonging to the Macro-Je branch such as Kaingang, Maxakali, and Mebengokre led the author to confirm the accuracy of some intuitions on the part of Piggott (1992) and Rice (1993) on dealing with relations between nasality and sonorancy (D'Angelis 1998). The applicability of the approach to the distinct processes of nasality and nasalization in Portuguese was verified with surprising results that recover some intuitions of Trubetzkoy (1939) and contribute to reconfirm the Mattoso Câmara's (1953; 1970) considerations, but at the same time go beyond them. This article presents the result of this investigation and its conclusions that suggest the validity and the necessity of reexamining even the "phonemic inventory" of the Portuguese language, an issue not at all questioned in the teaching of phonology, to take into account the linguistic changes in the phonological system of...

Em junho de 1971, uma equipe liderada por um padre jesuíta estabelecia o primeiro encontro com os My)ky, uma sociedade indígena vivendo no Noroeste do Estado do Mato Grosso, bastante próximo à Rondônia. Os My )ky são linguística e culturalmente aparentados com os Irantxe, um povo indígena em contato com a sociedade brasileira desde a década de 1940. De fato, My)ky e Irantxe falam uma mesma língua, classificada por Aryon Rodrigues como isolada (Rodrigues 1986:95), sendo que os grupos se separaram no início do século XX. Ainda segundo Rodrigues, até a década de 80 só havia “estudos elementares” dessa língua (duas pequenas publicações).

Este pequeno texto não é mais que um arremedo de balanço da reflexão sobre educação escolar indígena, não tanto com relação ao que foi feito nesse caminho, mas uma provocação sobre o que, me parece, falta ainda fazer ou é a tarefa a fazer no momento.

Este texto, escrito em 1995, busca colocar em questão certas compreensões quase ingênuas do que seja fazer (ou tornar) uma escola indígena. Por isso é ainda atual, quando a discussão dos currículos das escolas está em pauta. O texto aponta o desafio de se conquistar uma "escola indígena" e sugere que a educação escolar indígena faria muito (e melhor) se fosse capaz de apenas duas coisas: um bom ensino de matemática e a formação efetiva de leitores.

O trabalho apresenta um panorama da situação de risco das línguas indígenas no Brasil, traça uma tipologia dessas situações segundo o risco maior ou menor de desaparecimento, ao lado de um levantamento dos tipos de respostas que comunidades indígenas no Brasil têm implementado para fazer frente àquelas distintas situações. // This paper presents an overview of the risk situation of indigenous languages in Brazil, traces a typology of these situations according to the greater or lesser risk of disappearance, along with a survey of the types of responses that indigenous communities in Brazil have implemented to deal with those different situations.

MANNERS OF FEATURING MANNER WITHIN FEATURE GEOMETRY: MACRO-JE LANGUAGES & PHONOLOGICAL THEORY
The present thesis deals with the possibilities and limits of some of the most widespread current phonological models (i.e. non-linear phonologies based on autosegmentalization and hierarchically related features) and explores the frontiers of
phonological theory, reflecting on its destiny and investigating new approaches such as the use of gesture dynamics for the theoretical modelling of the phonetic-phonological component(s) of languages. To this end, the limits of the autosegmental representations and those of the feature
geometries are explored on the treating of facts from Kaingang, an indigenous language of the Je family; similar processes have also been reported to some extent in other Brazilian languages of the Macro-Je stock. The first  (phonological) process to be considered involves a series of nasal sonorants / m , n , ø , N / which superficially become either pre- or postnasalized ( [ mb, bm, nd , dn, øï , ïø , Ng , gN ] ) when compose the syllabic onset or coda whith an oral vowel in the syllabic nucleus. In Kaingang, circum-oralized consonants (such as [bmb], which arise in non-nasal intervocalic position) are also found. The second process investigated involves the de-nasalization and de-voicing of nasal sonorants in a syllabic coda when followed by an onset voicelles stop. The treatment and description of these phenomena by other researchers are discussed, ranging from the structuralist model of tagmemics (Wiesemann, 1972) to standard generative phonology (e.g., Cavalcante, 1987) to the autosegmental model (e.g. Wetzels, 1995). Moreover, the treatment of manner features provided by the proponents of Feature Geometries is discussed, and the difficulties of using this approach for the representation of
relations evidenced in the Macro-Je languages between the features [nasal], [voice] and [sonorant] are explored. Finally, to stretch autosegmental treatment to its limits within the outlines of Feature Geometry, the innovative suggestions of Piggott (1992) and Rice (1993) for the redefinition and allocation of the nasal feature, as well as a proposal by Steriade (1993) about the representation of and justification to complex segments are explored. The final chapter is dedicated to a brief discussion of the criticisms of the arbitrary and abstract nature of phonological models and the alternative of dynamic-articulatory models based on the notion of gesture, and an attempt is made to apply one of these new models to Kaingang. Using the unsolved problems of the models analyzed as a starting point, this thesis then presents an evaluation of the new paths opening up for further research in phonological theory.

"This paper discusses the consequences of teaching practices of Phonetics and Phonology in training courses for indigenous teachers. It is argued that the result of training in Phonetics, in a class of indigenous teachers in training, is usually different from the result obtained in a group of native speakers of Portuguese, graduating in Letters. This assessment does not  relate to academic achievement, but to representations or beliefs that are established (or reinforced) in indigenous teachers. We point out as the cause of the difference of these results, the history and situation of writing and spellings of languages indigenous
minority, compared with the official language. We discuss also deficiencies in the training of researchers in Phonology by Brazilian universities, resulting in limitations of consultancies in the courses in which this matter is "passed on" to the natives. Finally, we suggest lines for work the Phonetics and Phonology in the training of indigenous teachers. "