Abstract:
The lexicon is a level of analysis relevant to understanding the operation of a linguistic
system, either in synchrony or diachrony. The lexicon has an important role, since the changes
in social and cultural relations, through the ages, reflected in their training. In this context,
leaving for the study of the Portuguese language, it is clear that, like the story of the
Portuguese lexicon reflects the history of the Portuguese language, also, from studies of the
anthroponymic lexicon, it is possible to study the formation socio-historical of the Portuguese
since the anthroponymic system offers clues that allow reflection on the individual and
society of his time. Indeed, the anhtroponymic lexicon as part of these mindsets can bring
some revelations, given that the act of naming has the primary function of identifying a
person in different groups in which it is inserted. It is the archaic period that appear to
anthroponymics designations consisting of two elements, this is, the presence of a name
followed by an addition we now call, in Brazil, last name. This was intended to distinguish
between individuals, since the name day period was characterized by a relatively strong
presence of homonymous. The study presented here examines Portuguese surnames in the
medieval period, with a focus on the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, a total of 123 notarial
texts edited by Maia (1986), which were collected in 1487 surnames and in the thirteenth
century were analyzed 61 documents which were raised a total of 804 anthroponyms and
fourteenth-century texts were scanned 62 of which were collected 683 surnames. It was
attempted to do a study on the socio-historical about lexicon, more specifically, the
Portuguese surnames in the Archaic period, checking their productivity, distribution,
categories and possible social and cultural implications contained in this society. And so,
provide a contribution to the study of linguistic and socio-cultural character.
