Graphophonetic characteristics of french vowels in the grammar o Mestre francez ou novo methodo para aprender a lingua franceza por meio da portugueza by Francisco Clamopin Durand

Abstract

Coelho et al. (2018) underlined the importance of the grammar O mestre francez ou novo methodo para aprender a lingua franceza por meio da portugueza, by Francisco Clamopin Durand, in the context of 18th century French-Portuguese grammar. This work stands out mainly due to its didactic character, as it was intended for all Portuguese people who wanted to study the French language correctly. In preparing his work, the author claimed to have based his linguistic theories on the most prestigious French authors of the time, referencing Pierre de La Touche, François Séraphin Régnier Desmarais, and Pierre Restaut. For this reason, in this paper we intend to present the graphophonetic proposals of the author of the grammar under analysis concerning the pronunciation of vowels, trying to demonstrate the possible influence of the aforementioned French authors. The methodology used will consist in a contrastive analysis of the information present in Durand’s grammar with the different treatises mentioned by the author, highlighting the contribution of his main sources (Auroux, 2006).