"Pão" e "trigo" na formação de nomes compostos de padarias: um estudo onionímico na paisagem linguística de Belo Horizonte

Abstract

Based on the theoretical and methodological assumptions of previous research in commercial name studies (Neves, 1971, 1973; Guérios, 1973; Prado, 2014; Souza, 2019; Sjöblom, 2014, 2016; Ainiala, Saarelma & Sjöblom, 2016), this research, developed as a case study (Gerring, 2017), aims to analyze the expressiveness of commercial names of bakeries located in Belo Horizonte (MG), with the purpose of broadening the scope of onomastic studies on the proper names of commercial establishments, a subject still scarcely explored in the specialized literature. The choice of the bakery sector is justified both by its strong presence and tradition within the national industry (Sebrae, 2017) and by the historical and symbolic relevance of bread, considered a staple food across different civilizations. This research is grounded in the premise that commercial proper names (or onionyms) are part of outdoor advertising (Arens, Schaefer & Weigold, 2013; Farinha, 2019; Trein, 2021), understood as a constitutive element of the urban linguistic landscape of a given territory (Landry & Bourhis, 1997; Puzey, 2016; Shohamy, 2016), and that, although they do not present a defining sense or lexical meaning, such names convey presupposed meanings of a predominantly connotative nature (Van Langendonck, 2007; Van Langendonck & Van de Velde, 2016; Nyström, 2016) — an aspect that contributes to the analysis of their expressiveness and semantic motivation. From the collection and transcription of onionyms found in bakery logotypes within the municipality, identified through Google Street View and data from the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service, an analytical sample was defined, comprising 281 compound commercial names distributed among 179 lemmas formed with the bases “pão” (bread) and “trigo” (wheat). The selection was based on the predominance of these structures in the corpus compiled for the study. The data reveal the predominance of binary structures based on the element “pão” most of which are formed by juxtaposition (93% of lemmas), reflecting compositional patterns typical of contemporary Portuguese, such as combinations with prepositional phrases (Pão de Mel), adjectives (Pão Delícia), and other nouns (Globopão). Although less frequent (3% of lemmas), lexical blending stands out for producing more expressive names associated with toponyms (Europão, Itaipão, Pão Gelupe, Pãoquetá, Ping Pão, Tupão). The limited use of stylized spellings, as well as of foreign and Greco-Latin elements, suggests a conservative trend associated with the traditional profile of the sector and its focus on local customers (Propan, 2016; Sebrae, 2017). The analysis of motivation reveals marketing strategies widely used in commerce to attract consumers, such as sensory appeals to flavor, freshness, softness, and color (Pão Delícia, Pão Quente, Pão Fofo, Pão Dourado), and an emphasis on qualities valued by buyers, such as superiority, excellence, and sophistication (Trigo Bom, Pão Mais, Pão Plus, Super Pão, Excelência do Trigo); authenticity and tradition (Trigo Fino, Trigo Mineiro); variety, abundance, sharing, and unity (Mega Pão, Multipão, Safra do Trigo, Pão da Família, Pão para Todos); and speed and efficiency (Pão Expresso), among other notions. This thesis aims to contribute to the advancement of research on commercial naming within the scope of Brazilian onomastics.