Cabras, cabocos, acaboclados, bárbaros e bravios ou afinal como foram chamados os indígenas na história do Brasil

Abstract

The present article brings a brief “lexical history” to the term “caboclo” and other categories used to name the indigenous people along the Brazilian history, particularly in state of Pernambuco. This research is mainly supported by studies of lexical history such as those by Paiva (2015) and Almeida, Amorim and Paula (2017), as well as in studies about the indigenous theme and the changes that have taken place between these groups, including their nominations throughout history, In this regard, we can cite the works of Porto Alegre (1993) and Oliveira (1997; 1998) and even studies in the field of discourse analysis such as Orlandi (1990). In general, it was aimed to understand the path of the using of the term “Caboclo”, how its meaning was being modified over time and the consequences of these transformations. In specific, it is intended to (1) map the changes in the social use of the term “Caboclo” in the diachronic perspective; (2) analyze the meanings attributed to the term “Caboclo” and similar in different contextual and “textual” contexts; (3) understand the consequences of the use of the term “Caboclo” and its impacts in the society in a synchronic perspective. Therefore, a wide range of oral and written sources was consulted, as well as specialized bibliography in the proposed thematic. The methodology used in this study used procedures and techniques from the Sciences of Language as well as from History and Anthropology. It was found that the confused, but spontaneous history behind the nominations given to the indigenous people through texts and discussions, written and oral, remains in its meaning to confuse the understanding about the indigenous identity, specifically when considering the use of the term “caboclo”, which was the central category of this study