Toponymy and Ethnic Identity: A Historical-Linguistic Analysis of the 'Chanã' Denomination in Southern Brazil

The present study proposes a historical-linguistic and ethnotoponymic analysis of the name "Chanã", attributed to a locality in southern Brazil, whose origin has traditionally been associated, in the context of oral tradition, with the name of a supposed cacique. In contrast to this interpretation, the article investigates the hypothesis that the toponym derives, in reality, from the ethnonym Chaná, a designation of an indigenous people belonging to the Charrua cultural and linguistic complex, historically distributed throughout the regions of the current Argentine, Uruguayan and southern Brazilian territory.The research is based on an interdisciplinary approach that articulates toponymy, ethnolinguistics, and indigenous history, based on the analysis of documentary sources, ethnographic records, and linguistic evidence, including recent studies of revitalization of the Chaná language from the records of the last known speaker. From this methodological triangulation, this study aims to understand the processes of phonetic adaptation, reinterpretation and symbolic permanence that may have contributed to the consolidation of the form "Chanã" in the local context.The results point to the plausibility of the hypothesis that the toponym in question constitutes a vestige of the historical presence of the Chaná ethnic group in the region, and may even represent one of the last territorial indications of their permanence. In this sense, the study contributes to the critical review of consolidated narratives, highlighting the role of historical linguistics and toponymy in the recovery of indigenous memories rendered invisible throughout the colonization process.