The General Language as a Constructed Identity

The notion of a general language (Portuguese lingua geral) in the American colonies of Spain & Portugal refers to the most widely spoken indigenous language of a given region (Tupi in Brazil) when enforced through the Catholic missions as the only language native peoples were allowed to speak. The function of Tupi as the general language in the Amazon region is examined in three situations. (1) In the colonial period, it was imposed on non-Tupi societies by drills & corporal punishment as the "language of the whites" & a key element of colonization. (2) In the 19th century, the general language was adopted by Brazilian intellectuals as a basic ideological resource to establish Brazilian national identity in opposition to Europe; it was known as a "Brazilian language" during the Cabanagem conflict. (3) At present, the Bare peoples of the multilingual Rio Negro region maintain lingua geral as a means of preserving their cultural identity & a political instrument of ethnic affirmation. 50 References. Adapted from the source document.