This study undertakes a lexicultural analysis of the term “retornado” as it appears in three contemporary Portuguese postcolonial novels: Caderno de Memórias Coloniais by Isabela Figueiredo, Os Pretos de Pousaflores by Aida Gomes, and O Retorno by Dulce Maria Cardoso. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from lexiculture, critical discourse analysis, and postcolonial studies, the research explores how the term “retornado” functions not only as a legal and historical label but also as a culturally saturated signifier embedded with ideological, emotional, and symbolic weight. Through close textual analysis, the study reveals how the term encodes narratives of displacement, exclusion, and identity loss, while also reflecting broader societal efforts to manage Portugal’s post-imperial transition. The findings underscore the role of language in shaping social realities and highlight the value of lexicultural approaches in examining the intersections of language, memory, and power in postcolonial contexts.
- Open Access
- Article
Naming the Return: A Lexicultural Analysis of the Term “Retornado” in Portuguese Postcolonial Literature
- Romeu Foz
Author Information
Received: 03 Jun 2025 | Revised: 22 Jul 2025 | Accepted: 28 Aug 2025 | Published: 25 Mar 2026
Abstract
Keywords
lexiculture | “retornado” | Portuguese postcolonial literature | language and ideology | Portuguese decolonization
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