O paradigma e a vivência: a busca da identidade

Abstract

By outlying grammar along the classical lines transmitted by the medieval Latin tradition, Portuguese grammarians, as well as Castillian, French and Italian peers, are simultaneously building a new paradigm: the Romance consciousness. This consciousness, which is the same time a factor for the formation of an identity, owes much contribution of the deeply creative dialectics between a reverential attitude towards Latin on the one hand, and, on the other, a challenging attitude towards an 'auctoritas', which is, then, subjected to critical analysis and, even, to the dynamics of competition. Thus, the well-known assumption of the conformity of Portuguese with Latin, argument by excellence for the apology of the Portuguese language, coexistis with another, apparently irreconcilable, but equally apologetic argument, namely: the 'disconformity' in relation to Latin. It is the last argument which finally leads to the claim of identity, individuality and autonomy of the Portuguese language. Being a manifesto of the Romance conciousness, or 'Romanity', grammatical codification, that is, the construction of a normative, analogical and systematic framework is supported by an ideal of normalization, which founds and legitimates linguistic norm.