Paper short abstract:

The Portuguese language in its Brazilian variant received contributions from African linguistic groups. We intend to demonstrate that in the gastronomy of Ceara there are expressions (here culturemas) originating in Africa that contribute to the dialectal development in the State.

Paper long abstract:

The Portuguese language in its Brazilian variant received numerous contributions from African ethnic-linguistic groups. In this work, we intend to demonstrate that in the gastronomy of Ceara there are expressions (here called culturemas) originating in Africa, culturally charged and located in local discourses, which contribute to the dialectal development and diversity in the State. Among the most significant structures are, for example, angu, potato, pirão, etc. In order to base the study theoretically, Luque Nadal (2009) is especially used when affirming that the culturemas originate in the symbols that the speakers of a language know through the learning of their own culture. Here, gastronomy is inserted within the framework of the social and immaterial culture for representing / demonstrating the historical and cultural tradition of a people, since, rather than the expression of the individual palate, it reflects the cultural characteristics that guide the choices of individuals. Methodologically, it operates with the organization of an inventory of culturemas of African origin that currently characterize the gastronomy of Ceara and the contributions of these to the Portuguese language, in the form of idiomatic expressions and phraseological units. As a result, the intense relationship between language and culture is demonstrated for the formation of the linguistic and cultural identity of the people of Ceara.