As The historical grammar by Berta Almeida

Abstract

Berta Valente de Almeida (1886-1982) was a woman ahead of her time, who marked her time by her pioneering spirit as both a philologist and a teaching professional. At a time when women had a subordinate role, this author managed to assert herself in a traditionally male field, having published several works, especially in the context of grammatical studies. In this paper, it is our intention to remember some of the most important moments of this singular woman’s life and to analyse the Primeiras noções de Gramática Historica da Língua Portuguesa, a publication destined for secondary schools, which was based on the official programme and approved by the Portuguese government to use in schools. In a context in which several historical grammars were published, Berta Valente de Almeida wrote this work with the objective of simplifying the complexity associated with the studies of the historical grammar of the Portuguese language. To carry out this investigation archivist, bibliographic and hemerographic sources have been consulted, in order to understand the context, the grammar and the author who deserves to be remembered.