See also: Portuguese language

Portuguese is the first language in Angola, Brazil, Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe, and the most widely used language in Mozambique.

Portuguese is also one of the official languages of East Timor (with Tetum) and Macau (with Chinese). It is widely spoken, but not official, in Andorra, Luxembourg and Namibia. Portuguese Creoles are the mother tongue of Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau's population.

The majority of Portuguese speakers live on four continents: Africa, South America, Asia and Europe. However, still almost two million speakers are found in North America (most in the United States, Canada, Bermuda and Antigua and Barbuda). Fewer than 50 thousand speakers live in Oceania.

The table "Portuguese language countries and territories" includes countries where the Portuguese language is official and while not official, where it is spoken by more than 1% of the population. The data are based on projections made by local governments, public institutes, associations and language official census (Angola — 1983; Mozambique — 1997).

South America

The language of Camões is growing in importance in South America. Because of Brazil, it is being taught (and is popular, especially in Argentina) in the rest of the South American countries that constitute Mercosul. There are 182.1 million people in Brazil who use Portuguese as their main language, but there are also first-language speakers in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay, where a hybrid dialect, known as "portuñol" or "portunhol" (from português and español or espanhol) has emerged. It is also spoken in Venezuela.

Europe

In Europe, Portuguese is spoken as a first language in Portugal by 10.3 million people. The language is also spoken throughout Europe by Portuguese influence, by more than 10% of the population of Luxembourg and Andorra. There are also strong Portuguese speaking communities in Belgium, France, Germany, Jersey and Switzerland, but Portuguese emigration has declined, which could lead to a decrease of speakers in some European countries. An exception is Luxembourg, where the language has gained strong roots, and most Luxembourgeois of Portuguese descent can speak Portuguese perfectly, there are Portuguese radio and TV stations, and the language is taught in some schools. In January 2003, 14,23% of the Luxembourgeois population was Portuguese. It is also spoken in Spain in Olivença and in Vale do Xalima (known as A fala).² Portuguese is an optional learning language in eleven European countries (nine of them in the European Union).

Africa

In sub-Saharan Africa, Portuguese is a growing language and is projected by UNESCO to be one of the most spoken languages within 50 years. As the populations of Angola and Mozambique continue to grow, their influence on Portuguese will becoming increasingly important. Angola and Mozambique, along with São Tomé and Príncipe, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau are known as the Países Africanos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa (Official Portuguese Language African Countries) or PALOP , forming a community of some 16 million speakers (9 million use it as first or only language, the rest are bilinguals, using the language daily). The Portuguese language especially grew in use after the independence of Portugal's former colonies. Independence movements from Guinea-Bissau to Mozambique saw it as an instrument to achieve their countries development and national unity. Portuguese is also spoken in Malawi, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. In Namibia it is spoken by 20% of the population and by more than one million people in South Africa.

A representation of the placement of a standard of Portugal after its discovery of the Congo river in the 15th century. In the 21st century, Africa is home to the fastest growing Portuguese speaking countries, making Africa a major player in the future development of Portuguese.

In the south of Senegal, known as Casamance, there is an active Portuguese creole community linked culturally and linguistically to Guinea-Bissau. Learning the history and language of Portugal is popular, and people feel they are learning part of their own background, since they are desdendants of both Portuguese and Africans. A Portuguese creole linked to São Tomé and Principe is the language of the island of Annobón, Equatorial Guinea.

In Angola, Portuguese is quickly becoming a national language rather than only an official language or a cohesion vehicle. By the census of 1983, in the capital, Luanda, Portuguese was the first language of 75% of a population of 2.5 million. In the entire country 60% of the 12.5 million inhabitants spoke Portuguese as their main spoken language. Most younger Angolans can only speak Portuguese. Angola receives several Portuguese and Brazilian television stations. Since there are also many other native languages in Angola, some words from those languages have been borrowed by Portuguese when the retornados returned to Portugal after Angola's independence. Words like iá (yes), bué (many) or bazar (going away), common in the young and urban Portuguese population have their origin in Angolan languages, used in Angolan Portuguese.

Mozambique is among the countries where Portuguese has the status of official language, being spoken essentially as a second language. However, it is the main language in the cities. According to the Census of 1997, Portuguese speakers account for more than 40% of the population, this number rising to more than 72% in the urban areas. But only 9% consider Portuguese as their main language (26% in the cities). All the Mozambican writers write in Portuguese and it has become attached to the colour and texture of Mozambican culture.

In Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau, the most widely spoken languages are Portuguese creoles known as Crioulos, and the informal use of the Portuguese language seems to be decreasing. Most Cape Verdians can also speak Standard Portuguese which is used formally. There is some decreoulization due to education and the popularity of Portugal's national TV channels. The case is a bit different in Guinea-Bissau where Portuguese and its Creole are spoken by more than 60% of the inhabitants, of which Portuguese itself is only spoken by 14%.

In São Tomé and Príncipe, the Portuguese used by the population is an archaic Portuguese, known as São Tomean Portuguese, presenting many similarities with Brazilian Portuguese. Politicians and the upper classes use the modern European Portuguese variety, much like the other PALOP countries. Three different Portuguese creoles are also spoken in São Tomé and Príncipe. Usually, children can only speak Portuguese because of their parents preference, and not because of school. By the time they are adults they usually have learned a Portuguese Creole known as Forro, but more than 50% of the population keeps using Portuguese informally and its use is on the increase. Almost all the population can speak Portuguese.

Asia

In Asia, Portuguese is spoken in East Timor, Goa, Daman and Diu in India, and Macau in China. In Goa, where it is spoken by an increasingly small minority, it is seen as the 'language of grandparents', because it is no longer taught in schools, nor is it an official language. In Macau, Portuguese remains an official language with equal status to Chinese, although almost only the small Macanese or Eurasian population uses it and there is only one Portuguese-medium school. After the return of the territory to China, Portuguese language and heritage has not failed, but revived, due to the Chinese authorities incentivation and protection. Portuguese is also learned in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

In Malacca in Malaysia, there is a Portuguese creole known as Cristão or Papiá Kristang still spoken by some of the Eurasian population. There are also active Portuguese creoles, especially in India and Sri Lanka. In Japan, Portuguese is spoken by Brazilians of Japanese descent, known as dekasegui, who number approximately 250,000 people.

In East Timor, the most spoken language is Tetum, an Austronesian language that is heavily influenced by Portuguese. The reintroduction of Portuguese as an official language has caused suspicion and resentment among some younger East Timorese who have been educated under the Indonesian system, and do not speak it. Portuguese in East Timor is spoken by less than 20% of its population, mostly the elder generation, though this percentage is increasing as Portuguese is being taught to the younger generation and to interested adults. East Timor asked the other CPLP nations to help it to reintroduce Portuguese as an official language. East Timor uses Portuguese to link itself to a larger international community and to differentiate itself from Indonesia. Xanana Gusmão, president of East Timor, believes that Portuguese will be widely spoken again within 10 years.

Official status

The CPLP or Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries is an international organization consisting of the eight independent countries which have Portuguese as an official language. Portuguese is also an official language of the European Union, Mercosul and the African Union (one of the working languages) and one of the official languages of other organizations. Except for the Asian territories (East Timor and Macau), Portuguese is the sole official language in each country.

Dialects

Portuguese language speakers do not understand their dialects as "dialects", but as "accents" (Port. sotaques) or even pronunciation (Port. pronúncia), even if in different countries, but especially within the same. This comes about because the term "dialect" has been used to classify a language without prestige.

Standard European Portuguese has changed more than the other varieties. Still, all aspects and sounds of all Portuguese (nation) dialects can be found in some Brazilian (nation) dialect. African Portuguese, especially São Tomean Portuguese , has many similarities with Brazilian Portuguese; also Southern Portugal dialects present many similarities, especially the "excessive" use of the gerund. In Europe, Alto-Minhoto and Transmontano have similarities with Galician.

Even with independence of the former African colonies, the standard Portuguese of Portugal is still the preferred standard for the African Portuguese countries. Thus, Portuguese has only two learning accent standards, the European and the Brazilian. Note that in Portuguese there are four preferred accents: Coimbra's, Lisbon's, Rio de Janeiro's and São Paulo's, and these four influence most other dialects; the first two for Portugal and Africa and the remaining two for Brazil.

Major Portuguese dialects:

Brazil

1. Caipira — Countryside of São Paulo - some people might find the term offensive
2. Cearense — Ceará
3. Baiano — Region of Bahia
4. Fluminense (listen) — States of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo (the city of Rio de Janeiro has a particular way of speaking)
5. Gaúcho — Rio Grande do Sul
6. Mineiro — Minas Gerais
7. Nordestino (listen) — northeastern states of Brazil (the interior area and Recife have particular ways of speaking)
8. Nortista — Amazon Basin states
9. Paulistano — city of São Paulo
10. Sertão — States of Goiás and Mato Grosso
11. Sulista — south of Brazil

Portugal

1. Açoriano (listen) — Azores
2. Alentejano (listen) — Alentejo
3. Algarvio (listen) — Algarve (there is a particular small dialect in the western area)
4. Alto-Minhoto (listen) — North of Braga (interior)
5. Baixo-Beirão; Alto-Alentejano (listen) — Central Portugal (interior)
6. Beirão (listen) — central Portugal
7. Estremenho (listen) — Regions of Coimbra and Lisbon (can be subdivided in Lisbon Portuguese and Coimbra Portuguese)
8. Madeirense (listen) — Madeira
9. Nortenho (listen) — Regions of Braga and Porto
10. Transmontano (listen) Trás-os-Montes

Angola

1. Benguelense — Benguela province
2. Luandense (listen) — Luanda province
3. Sulista — South of Angola

Other areas

• Caboverdiano (listen) — Cape Verde
• Guineense (listen) — Guinea-Bissau
• Macaense (listen) — Macau, China
• Moçambicano (listen) — Mozambique
• Santomense (listen) — São Tomé and Principe
• Timorense (listen) — East Timor

Examples of words that are different in Portuguese dialects from three different continents Angola (Africa), Portugal (Europe) and Brazil (South America).

Go away

• Angola: bazar, ir embora
• Brazil: ir embora, (or "vazar" as a slang);
• Portugal: ir embora, (or bazar among teenagers);

Bus

• Angola: machimbombo
• Brazil: ônibus
• Portugal: autocarro

slum quarter

• Angola: muceque
• Brazil: favela
• Portugal: bairro de lata

Derived languages

Portugal in the period of discoveries and colonization created a linguistic contact with native languages and people of the discovered lands and thus pidgins were formed. Until the 18th century, these Portuguese pidgins were used as Lingua Franca in Asia and Africa. Later, the Portuguese pidgins were expanded grammatically and lexically, as it became a native language. These creoles are spoken, mostly, by inter-racial communities (Portuguese people with natives).

Cape Verde:

• Crioulo Barlavento (Criol)
• Crioulo Sotavento (Kriolu)

Equatorial Guinea:

• Falar de Ano Bom

Guinea-Bissau and Senegal:

• Crioulo da Guiné (Kriol)

India:

• Creole of Diu
• Creole of Vaipim
• Kristi
• Língua da Casa

Macau, China:

• Macaista

Malaysia, Singapore:

• Papiá Kristang

Netherlands Antilles and Aruba:

• Papiamento

São Tomé and Principe:

• Angolar
• Forro
• Lunguyê

Sri Lanka:

• Burgher

Suriname:

• Saramacano

Some hybrid dialects came to exist after an interaction with Spanish:

• A Fala — Spain
• Barranquenho — Portugal
• Portuñol — Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina