Adolfo Coelho: tensions between language and its use

Abstract

Right from the start, Adolfo Coelho’s work grabbed the attention of Brazilians interested in issues about the Portuguese language. The anthropological and political dimensions, however, were of less interest at that time in Portugal and Brazil. The two countries developed divergent views of the concept of povo – one of Coelho’s themes. In both places and views, positivism prevailed – but in Brazil it was a powerful instrument in countering the efficacy of popular culture, as no author comparable to Adolfo Coelho had arisen who would argue that the povo were a subject of conscience and an object of understanding.