| French, Middle (ca.1400-1600);: Le langaige du Bresil | |
| Width: | 180px |
| Date: | 1540s |
| Compiled By: | Jehan Lamy |
| Size: | 53r–54r |
| Contents: | 88 entries |
| Accession: | Ms. Fr. 24269 |
French, Middle (ca.1400-1600);: Le langaige du Bresil is a vocabulary produced in the 1540s, considered the oldest substantial record of a Brazilian language, specifically of Old Tupi. It is contained in a manuscript located in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, cataloged as "Ms. Fr. 24269", from folio 53r to 54r, and presents 88 entries. Little is known about its compiler, a sea captain or voyage organizer, probably from Bordeaux or Rouen, named Jehan Lamy.
French, Middle (ca.1400-1600);: Le langaige du Bresil is also important as it demonstrates social relations between the French and Brazilian indigenous people were not merely limited to commercial interactions, but, on the contrary, both peoples maintained intimate social contacts with each other.
The tribes that spoke Old Tupi were first mentioned during the discovery of Brazil in 1500, on the occasion of the voyage of Pedro Álvares Cabral, but such accounts did not include records of this language. Toponyms, anthroponyms, as well as Tupi terms, can be found in early Portuguese shipping documents, such as those from the voyage of the ship "Bretoa" in 1511, which mention several Portuguese: çagoys or Portuguese: çagoyns (Callitrichidae).
However, the first attempt to prepare a list of Tupi terms occurred during the circumnavigation voyage of Ferdinand Magellan in 1519. Collected in Guanabara Bay by Italian chronicler Antonio Pigafetta, the five or six recorded words refer to the names given by the Tupinambás to the trade items brought by the Europeans, as well as the name of the food these travelers obtained through barter, that is, cassava flour.
The manuscript is located in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, cataloged as "Ms. Fr. 24269". Very little is known about its author, except he was a sea captain or voyage organizer, probably from Bordeaux or Rouen, named Jehan Lamy. The document, originating from the 1540s, contains a nautical compendium, a vocabulary of an African language spoken on the Pepper Coast (Liberia) identified as the "Kra language" (from folio 51r to 52r), and a vocabulary of Old Tupi (from folio 53r to 54r). There are no differences between medial "u" and "n" in it.
French, Middle (ca.1400-1600);: Le langaige du Bresil was probably collected in Guanabara Bay, similar to the few words recorded by Antonio Pigafetta. It presents 88 entries, although some words are repeated. The absence of distinctions between medial "u" and "n" in the manuscript makes it difficult to precisely understand what is written, at least in the entries in Old Tupi. There is also the possibility of errors in reading sequences involving the letters "i", "u" (or "n"), and "m". Among the words recorded by Pigafetta, the vocabulary of Jehan Lamy includes "knife" (original spelling taxe) and "scissors" (original spelling pyrain). French, Middle (ca.1400-1600);: Le langaige du Bresil is roughly contemporaneous with the earliest Spanish records of Quechua, thus being one of the oldest documentary sources of any South American language.
The Old Tupi vocabulary compiled by Jehan Lamy holds historical importance in illustrating the social relations between French sailors and Brazilian indigenous people. When compared with the other vocabulary in the same manuscript, that is, the Kra one, some relevant differences can be noted.
Firstly, the Tupi vocabulary, with 88 items, is more extensive than the Kra vocabulary, which has 64 entries. French, Middle (ca.1400-1600);: Le langaige du Bresil also appears to have been based mainly on non-commercial conversations. For example, there are no references to brazilwood, which was the main product exported from the Brazilian coast at the time. However, there are terms related to body parts and relationships, indicating a certain degree of intimate social contact (not necessarily always friendly). Some entries refer to the society and culture of the Tupis, as well as others dedicated to the fauna and flora of Brazil. On the other hand, the vocabulary of the Kra language primarily focuses on commercial interactions, with no words related to African culture, society, or slaves and their trade.
The greater extent of the Tupi vocabulary can be attributed to better linguistic and climatic conditions in the region where it was collected compared to the Guinea region. Indeed, it was easier for Europeans to settle on the Brazilian coast and stay there for a longer time, and the existence of a main language spoken throughout the area made it worthwhile to master it. Variations in the spelling of Old Tupi found in documents from French travelers of the 16th century, such as André Thevet and Jean de Léry, seem to indicate these materials did not come from a common source but, on the contrary, from a historical context of social interactions with the indigenous people of Brazil.