Abipon And Mbaya (Guaycuruan Family) Phytonymy and Zoonymy in the Records of Jesuits Brigniel, Dobrizhoffer and Sánchez Labrador (18th Century)

Abstract

In this article we analyze phytonyms and zoonyms documented in Abipon and Mbaya (Guaycuruan) by the Jesuits Brigniel, Dobrizhoffer and Sánchez Labrador in the mid-18th century. Such records give an account of botanical and zoological knowledge belonging to these hunter-gatherer peoples of the Gran Chaco. From a missionary linguistics historiography perspective, we describe and compare this jesuit documentary work. We also evidence morphological processes of naming native species —which express information about their physical characteristics, behaviors, or their community uses— and we identify neologisms to designate introduced species.