Variação lexical e fonológica na Libras: Sinais utilizados por surdos idosos e surdos jovens em Recife-PE

Abstract

This research is a survey of variant forms in Libras, based on signs used by elderly and young deaf people in the city of Recife, state of Pernambuco. The general objective of the work is to identify variations in signs related to numerals, kinship, colors, and food. The specific objectives are to identify variant forms at the phonetic-phonological and lexical levels in numerals, kinship, colors, and food, and to propose criteria for distinguishing between phonological and lexical variation. We assume that language is a heterogeneous and dynamic system, in which phenomena of variation and change are inherent to it (Bagno, 2022; Pretti, 1974), and from studies on variation in Libras (Quadros et al, 2023; Xavier; Barbosa, 2017). We do not yet have a proposal on the distinction between phonetic-phonological and lexical variation in Libras. For data collection and analysis, data were collected by eliciting signs from 8 deaf informants, stratified according to the following factors: sex and age: 4 elderly and young deaf individuals and 4 deaf individuals, 2 men and 2 women in each group. The data were recorded on video and analyzed using Elan software. The research identified variant forms in signs for numbers, kinship, colors and food. Based on the results, we suggest that lexical variation occurs when at least two primary parameters are different. Phonetic-phonological variation occurs when only one primary parameter is different, or only one primary and one secondary parameter are different, or only one secondary parameter is different, or two secondary parameters are different.