Tupinizando (; ) is a Brazilian social media page dedicated to the promotion of the Old Tupi language, as well as related subjects. Created by student Mateus Oliveira, it had over 209,000 followers on Instagram being also available on YouTube and TikTok.
Tupinizando was created by the thenâ philosophy student Mateus Oliveira, born in Atibaia and living in Nazaré Paulista, São Paulo, and of a family originating from the northeast of Brazil with Indigenous ancestry. According to Oliveira, the decision to start studying Old TupiâÂÂa now dead languageâÂÂoccurred in 2020 still as a hobby, with no intention of sharing it, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when he was completing high school. The student considered studying languages such as Mandarin or Italian, but chose one of the more than two hundred native languages of Brazil as a way to affirm his ancestry, also stating it was a "duty" to learn at least one Indigenous language. The page was created on Instagram to share Oliveira's discoveries during the study of the language; he states that, since he began his studies, he has found out "Brazilians speak Tupi all day without knowing it".
Oliveira notes materials for studying Old Tupi are difficult to access, although this has been facilitated through the Internet, highlighting the work of the Brazilian philologist Eduardo de Almeida Navarro, author of the book '.
Through Tupinizando, Mateus Oliveira explores the Tupi language from both linguistic and historical perspectives. In short video format, he provides information and curiosities about Old Tupi and its influence on PortugueseâÂÂsuch as the origins of wordsâÂÂas well as grammar lessonsâÂÂsuch as verb conjugation or the use of adjectives. The page was created on Instagram, being also available on YouTube and TikTok. Tupinizando had over 209,000 followers on Instagram, and its most viewed video had been watched by over 250,000 peopleâÂÂin it, Oliveira informed the meanings of the names of five Brazilian states originating from Old Tupi.
Oliveira's page is associated with the democratization of historical knowledge, bringing to light facts often absent from traditional curricula on Indigenous peoples and expanding their marginalized narratives. Tupinizando also contributes to a greater online presence of Old Tupi, providing support materials for students and Indigenous people who wish to learn the language in the context of its revitalization. Indeed, Oliveira reflects he is able "to amplify the voices of people who are, at this moment, working on revitalizing the language".