Variation and semantic evolution in the lexical field of compassionate and assistential behavior in a Brazilian medium of Catholic communication and evangelization (1901-2021)

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the variation and semantic evolution of the lexical field of compassionate and assistance-oriented behavior in a Brazilian Catholic periodical between 1901 and 2021. The method consisted of the linguistic analysis of a 2.2-million-token corpus from the magazine Ave Maria, quantitatively and qualitatively mapping the frequency and use of items such as “caridade” (charity), “solidariedade” (solidarity), and “fraternidade” (fraternity). The results reveal a transition from the dominance of “caridade” to a reorganized lexical network from 1982 onward, with the rise of the other terms in the same field. In this regard, a functional specialization was observed: “caridade” (concrete action), “solidariedade” (abstract principle), and “fraternidade” (abstract principle, more institutionalized). The study concludes that the lexicon, as argued by Matoré (1953) and Cambraia (2013), is influenced by the socio-historical context and that religious discourse favors the reaccommodation of lexical uses rather than their replacement, acting as a stabilizing force.