Variação fonológica da LIBRAS: um estudo sociolinguístico de comunidades surdas da Paraíba

Abstract

Sign language (SL) is a language of visual-gestural modality system independent of oral languages. By its character of natural language, like oral languages, is influenced by external factors and undergoes changes in its various linguistic levels (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics). This work focuses on the variation (based on Labov s assumptions) at the phonological level of LIBRAS, considering its parameters of handshape, location, movement and orientation of the hand. The aim of this thesis is to describe the phonological variation of LIBRAS in deaf communities in the state of Paraíba. The observational, descriptive and transversal study was conducted in two deaf education institutions, with the participation of 16 deaf people from the cities of João Pessoa and Campina Grande/PB, socially stratified according to age, sex and geographic region. The subjects were asked to do the sign of 60 words written in Portuguese individually in a notebook. Phonological parameters of LIBRAS were analyzed quantitatively in relation to the variables complexity of the sign, quantity of hands and location and, in a qualitative way, it was described the variation in the signs used in the research. Among the main results, it was found that the older deaf tend to use more one-handed signs compared to younger people and deaf people of João Pessoa tend to perform more upper signs, while that from Campina Grande tend to perform more lower signs. We conclude that variation exists in phonological parameters of handshape, movement, location and orientation of the hand of LIBRAS held in the state of Paraíba, related to age and region where the deaf lies. No change was found in relation to sex. It promotes further evidence that linguistic variation is characteristic of all natural languages, regardless of the modality in which it is expressed. Moreover, just as in spoken languages, the change of LIBRAS is shown non-random but conditioned by social factors.