"Autismo" e "autista": um estudo léxico-semântico

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or autism, as it is known, is considered one of the most studied and debated neurodevelopmental disorders today. Having causes that are still unknown, it has led researchers from the most diverse areas of knowledge to an incessant search for information. Studies on ASD in fields of knowledge such as medicine, psychology, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and education, for example, are beginning to emerge as promising and fruitful. However, it was observed that, in the area of linguistics, there are still few - and somewhat recent - scholars dedicated to research on the subject. Given this reality, one may emphasize the importance of researching autism. In this context, the main objective of this master’s research was to investigate the terms autismo (‘autism’) and autista (‘autistic person’), carrying out a lexical-semantic study, contemplating the specific objectives of: 1. situating, diachronically, the emergence of these terms in the Portuguese language; 2. historicize their lexicographic records; 3. identify, onomasiologically, other denominations for the concepts of ‘autism’ and ‘autistic person’; and 4. describe the pejorative meanings atributed to these terms, discussing their inappropriate use. Along the way, we based our considerations on the theoretical framework of Lexicology and Lexicography, with regard to the lexicon and lexicographic work; on Terminology concepts, to clarify the term and the vulgarization of terms; we also use studies on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), for an approach to its etiology, characteristics, diagnosis, estimation, among others. We seek to answer the following questions: i) Since when has autismo/autista been registered? ii) What is the origin of the terms? iii) Have the dictionaries published or re-edited subsequent to the occurrence of legal facts directly related to autism been changed regarding the definition of these terms? iv) What words are commonly used to refer to autism and the autistic person? Methodologically, we adopted procedures of data collection and analysis found in diachronic corpus, dictionaries from previous years, and current online and printed dictionaries, with a view to observing changes in meaning over time and identifying how these works define it. Through clippings of research contexts, news and journal articles that circulated freely on the internet, we were able to identify other denominations for the concepts of ‘autism’ and ‘autistic person’, observing which other conceptions support them, describing the pejorative meanings attributed to these terms, as well as their inappropriate use. The results of the analysis of data obtained from lexicographical works showed that the registration of the entries autismo and autista require attention regarding the reformulation/updating of their definitions. The inadequacies we point out are directly related to outdated conceptions, which highlighted the difficulty that family members and people with ASD (as well as consultants in general) often face in finding reliable sources of information regarding the concepts of ‘autism’ and ‘autistic person’. We also note the importance of adapting the definitions of these entries in order to avoid stereotypes and stigmatization, knowing that the terms autismo and autista were, and still are, used in an excessive manner, reflecting discriminatory acts towards autistic people. In this way, we hope that our findings and reflections contribute significantly to future studies related to ASD in the light of Linguistics and Lexicon Sciences, giving rise to fruitful research on autism.

Keywords: Lexicology. Lexicography. Terminology. Autism Spectrum Disorder.