Angolan Portuguese
Encyclopedia
Angolan Portuguese is a variety
of Portuguese
used mostly in Angola
where it is an official language. It is generally used in Angola by 80% of all residents, of which 60% of the inhabitants of Luanda
, with around 7.5 million first-language speakers.
and speak Portuguese. These conditions made a rush between Africans to speak proper Portuguese, thus a local variant did not arise, and a competition between the rival tribes had arisen to provide their children with the best education along with speaking the best Portuguese, which is still common today. The local languages came to be viewed as inferior by both colonizers and locals. In the late 20th century, Portuguese became an instrument for independence, as it was perfectly spoken by the African native and political elite, becoming a symbol of national identity unifying the various rival tribes for the same goal—independence. Portuguese is still seen as something that unifies Angola. The government relies on it because it is a widely spoken, unifying element, as well as being a widely spoken international language.
and these similar features have historical reasons. The contemporary Standard European Portuguese
is the preferred pronunciation, as such it has become a transitional dialect somewhat midway between the European and Brazilian varieties. In its phonology, Angolan Portuguese is not significantly influenced by the local languages. The standard phonology in Angola is the European standard, like in Portugal and the rest of Africa. But there are some phonological features similar to Brazilian dialect, such as that is pronounced as a nasal palatal approximant
[~j] which nasalizes the vowel that precedes it and dropping of word-final /r/ ([ɾ] and [ʁ]), especially for people who speak Portuguese as their second language. It is also commonly seen as the African accent of Portuguese, and when dubbing an African character in cartoons and TV and film productions, Portuguese usually mimic an Angolan accent.
influences. This lexicon
is not used in documents or business, for example, as it is mostly seen as slang
, but there are exceptions. Most of this lexicon is mostly used by younger Angolans and Portuguese, similarly to younger African-Americans in the US.
Younger Luandese, who speak primarily Portuguese, have even a wider lexicon of slang. It does not correspond to a dialect, but a sociolect. Because of immigration and because of the slang's novelty, the younger generations in Portugal often adopt its use. Angolans in Lisbon
also have a tendency to create new words for use socially and as group expressions, and often even newcomers from Angola cannot understand them. The newcomers are known as exportados ("exported ones").
The following list has Luandese followed by Standard Portuguese:
Examples of words borrowed from Kimbundu
, for instance, into Angolan Portuguese include:
; and several others. Also included are words not native to other regions, such as kizomba
, kilapanda, kilapanga, ngoma, and kuduro
. But regardless of the loanwords from Bantu languages
in the lexicon, it must not be considered a Portuguese Creole
because grammar and lexicon are truly Portuguese-base.
In Brazilian Portuguese, there are a large number of words, whose origin lie in Angolan languages. Various aspects of Brazilian culture Samba
, Candomblé
and Capoeira
all bear linguistic traces of this contact.
In Portugal, Angolan Portuguese has had a large influence on the vernacular of the younger population, contributing significant amounts of lexicon. Examples include:
... and numerous other examples. Many of these words and expression made their way to Portugal during the period of decolonisation in the 1970s, with the arrival of so-called retornados, white Angolans
who left the newly independent nation. This influence was reinforced by more recent immigration of black Angolans as a result of the Angolan civil war. These words were even brought to Brazil
by white Angolan refugees during and after independence.
With origin in Kimbundu, a second language for several people, there is an exotic popular grammar use, and unlike the first it doesn't occur anywhere else: A Maria é mais nova da Inês ("Mary is younger of Agnes") instead of A Maria é mais nova que a Inês ("Mary is younger than Agnes").
Another local use is the use given to the word só ("only") to emphasize the verb: Anda só! ("Come on!") instead of just Anda!
Variety (linguistics)
In sociolinguistics a variety, also called a lect, is a specific form of a language or language cluster. This may include languages, dialects, accents, registers, styles or other sociolinguistic variation, as well as the standard variety itself...
of Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
used mostly in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
where it is an official language. It is generally used in Angola by 80% of all residents, of which 60% of the inhabitants of Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
, with around 7.5 million first-language speakers.
History
Portuguese explorers started to explore Angola in the late 15th century. Portuguese, although spoken earlier, has largely entered Angola during the 19th century, after the division of Africa between the former colonial powers (Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, and Great Britain). For the Africans to be considered Portuguese, they had to be Roman CatholicsRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and speak Portuguese. These conditions made a rush between Africans to speak proper Portuguese, thus a local variant did not arise, and a competition between the rival tribes had arisen to provide their children with the best education along with speaking the best Portuguese, which is still common today. The local languages came to be viewed as inferior by both colonizers and locals. In the late 20th century, Portuguese became an instrument for independence, as it was perfectly spoken by the African native and political elite, becoming a symbol of national identity unifying the various rival tribes for the same goal—independence. Portuguese is still seen as something that unifies Angola. The government relies on it because it is a widely spoken, unifying element, as well as being a widely spoken international language.
Phonology
Angolan Portuguese shares similarities with Brazilian PortugueseBrazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese is a group of Portuguese dialects written and spoken by most of the 190 million inhabitants of Brazil and by a few million Brazilian emigrants, mainly in the United States, United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, Japan and Paraguay....
and these similar features have historical reasons. The contemporary Standard European Portuguese
European Portuguese
European Portuguese refers to the variety of Portuguese spoken in continental Portugal, as well as the Azores and Madeira islands...
is the preferred pronunciation, as such it has become a transitional dialect somewhat midway between the European and Brazilian varieties. In its phonology, Angolan Portuguese is not significantly influenced by the local languages. The standard phonology in Angola is the European standard, like in Portugal and the rest of Africa. But there are some phonological features similar to Brazilian dialect, such as that
Palatal approximant
The palatal approximant is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is '...
[~j] which nasalizes the vowel that precedes it and dropping of word-final /r/ ([ɾ] and [ʁ]), especially for people who speak Portuguese as their second language. It is also commonly seen as the African accent of Portuguese, and when dubbing an African character in cartoons and TV and film productions, Portuguese usually mimic an Angolan accent.
Lexicon
Although most of the vocabulary is the same as in Portugal or Brazil, there are some differences, many due to the influence of several languages spoken in Angola. Each area has different lexicon originating from the distinctive languages. In the capital, Luanda, a very standard Portuguese is spoken, and tribal culture and languages are practically nonexistent. Still, there are several KimbunduKimbundu
North Mbundu, or Kimbundu, one of two Bantu languages called Mbundu is one of the most widely spoken Bantu languages in Angola, concentrated in the north-west of the country, notably in the Luanda Province, the Bengo Province and the Malanje Province...
influences. This lexicon
Lexicon
In linguistics, the lexicon of a language is its vocabulary, including its words and expressions. A lexicon is also a synonym of the word thesaurus. More formally, it is a language's inventory of lexemes. Coined in English 1603, the word "lexicon" derives from the Greek "λεξικόν" , neut...
is not used in documents or business, for example, as it is mostly seen as slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
, but there are exceptions. Most of this lexicon is mostly used by younger Angolans and Portuguese, similarly to younger African-Americans in the US.
| Angola | Portugal | Brazil | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| anhara, chana | savana | savana | savanna | bazar | ir embora, bazar (slang) | ir embora, vazar (slang) | to go away/home | cacimba | poço | cacimba, poço | well | chuinga | pastilha elástica, chiclete | chiclete | chewing gum | farra | festa, farra | festa, farra | party | garina | rapariga, miúda, garina, gaja (slang) | garota | girl | jinguba | amendoim | amendoim | peanut | bunda | rabo, cu (slang) | bunda | backside (bottom) | machimbombo | autocarro | ônibus | bus | muceque | bairro da lata | favela | slum quarter |
Younger Luandese, who speak primarily Portuguese, have even a wider lexicon of slang. It does not correspond to a dialect, but a sociolect. Because of immigration and because of the slang's novelty, the younger generations in Portugal often adopt its use. Angolans in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
also have a tendency to create new words for use socially and as group expressions, and often even newcomers from Angola cannot understand them. The newcomers are known as exportados ("exported ones").
The following list has Luandese followed by Standard Portuguese:
- está anduta - está fácil ("it is easy")
- apanhar uma tona - apanhar uma bebedeira ("to get drunk")
- kota - velho ("older person"; originally a respectful word and still so between Angolans, but younger Portuguese use it as a slang for older people, sometimes kindly, but often pejorativePejorativePejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
ly, e.g. for "old geezer"). - iofé - feio ("ugly"; maybe a Portuguese inversed sland; see verlanVerlanVerlan is an argot in the French language, featuring inversion of syllables in a word, and is common in slang and youth language. It rests on a long French tradition of transposing syllables of individual words to create slang words...
). - nboa - mulher ("woman").]]* piô, candengue - criança ("child")
- pitéu - comida ("food"; Between Portuguese, it indicates "tasty food").
- latona - mulata ("mulatto woman").
- mboio - comboio (abbreviation for "train").
- tape - televisão ("television").
- bila, bilau - camisa ("shirt").
- bóter - carro ("car").
Examples of words borrowed from Kimbundu
Kimbundu
North Mbundu, or Kimbundu, one of two Bantu languages called Mbundu is one of the most widely spoken Bantu languages in Angola, concentrated in the north-west of the country, notably in the Luanda Province, the Bengo Province and the Malanje Province...
, for instance, into Angolan Portuguese include:
- cubata 'house'
- muamba 'chicken stew'
- quinda 'basket'
- giumbo 'machete'
- milongo 'medicine'
- quituxe 'crime'
The impact of Angolan Portuguese
Many words of Angolan origin have reached other countries or regions where Portuguese is used. Among these words are bunda (backside or "bottom"); fubá (a maize flour); moleque ("kid"); sambaSamba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
; and several others. Also included are words not native to other regions, such as kizomba
Kizomba
Kizomba is one of the most popular genres of dance and music created in Angola. Derived directly from Zouk, sung generally in Portuguese, it is a genre of music with a romantic flow mixed with African rhythm. The kizomba dancing style is also known to be very sensual.- Origin :Kizomba was developed...
, kilapanda, kilapanga, ngoma, and kuduro
Kuduro
Kuduro is a type of music and dance originally born in Angola in the 1980s. It is characterized as uptempo, energetic, and danceable. Kuduro, which translates as "hard ass", began in Luanda, Angola in the late 80s...
. But regardless of the loanwords from Bantu languages
Bantu languages
The Bantu languages constitute a traditional sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 250 Bantu languages by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, though the distinction between language and dialect is often unclear, and Ethnologue counts 535 languages...
in the lexicon, it must not be considered a Portuguese Creole
Portuguese Creole
Portuguese creoles are creole languages which have been significantly influenced by Portuguese.- Origins :Portuguese overseas exploration in the 15th and 16th century's led to the establishment of a Portuguese Empire with trading posts, forts and colonies in the Americas, Asia and Africa...
because grammar and lexicon are truly Portuguese-base.
In Brazilian Portuguese, there are a large number of words, whose origin lie in Angolan languages. Various aspects of Brazilian culture Samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
, Candomblé
Candomblé
Candomblé is an African-originated or Afro-Brazilian religion, practised chiefly in Brazil by the "povo de santo" . It originated in the cities of Salvador, the capital of Bahia and Cachoeira, at the time one of the main commercial crossroads for the distribution of products and slave trade to...
and Capoeira
Capoeira
Capoeira is a Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports, and music. It was created in Brazil mainly by descendants of African slaves with Brazilian native influences, probably beginning in the 16th century...
all bear linguistic traces of this contact.
In Portugal, Angolan Portuguese has had a large influence on the vernacular of the younger population, contributing significant amounts of lexicon. Examples include:
- bazar ("to go away/home")
- garina ("girl")
- bumbar ("working" in Angola, "partying" in Portugal; sometimes altered to become bombar)
- farra ("party" in Angola; "wild party" in Portugal)
- bué ("many", "a lot")
- iá ("yes")
... and numerous other examples. Many of these words and expression made their way to Portugal during the period of decolonisation in the 1970s, with the arrival of so-called retornados, white Angolans
Portuguese Angolans
Portuguese Angolan is a person of Portuguese descent born or permanently living in Angola.-History:The first Portuguese settlements in Angola were established in the 16th century. Some Portuguese settlers married native Africans resulting in a mixed-race population...
who left the newly independent nation. This influence was reinforced by more recent immigration of black Angolans as a result of the Angolan civil war. These words were even brought to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
by white Angolan refugees during and after independence.
Dialects
Angolans have retained features of Old Portuguese and have become influenced by African languages. Luanda has the most variety known of Portuguese in Angola: phonetically, vowels tend to be open: dedo ("finger") is pronounced [dɛdu], while in standard Portuguese it is pronounced [dedu]. This always occurs with the popular parlance and occasionally in cultivated Luandese Portuguese. Another feature is the excessive use of lhe substituting other forms, as in ("The chicken, they ate it") instead of ("They ate the chicken"); or even ("Maria/Mary, they beat her") instead of ("They beat Maria/Mary") or ("Maria/Mary, they beat her").With origin in Kimbundu, a second language for several people, there is an exotic popular grammar use, and unlike the first it doesn't occur anywhere else: A Maria é mais nova da Inês ("Mary is younger of Agnes") instead of A Maria é mais nova que a Inês ("Mary is younger than Agnes").
Another local use is the use given to the word só ("only") to emphasize the verb: Anda só! ("Come on!") instead of just Anda!
See also
- Portuguese language in AfricaAfrican PortuguesePortuguese is spoken in five African states: Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola, and Mozambique. Like English and French, Portuguese has become a post-colonial language in Africa and one of the working languages of the African Union and the Southern African Development Community...
- São Tomean PortugueseSão Tomean PortugueseSão Tomean Portuguese is a dialect of Portuguese spoken in São Tomé and Príncipe....
- Simple PortugueseSimple PortuguesePequeno Português literally "Little Portuguese" was a restructured variant of Portuguese spoken in the 18th and 19th by people on the periphery of the major urban settlements along the coast of Angola....
- KimbunduKimbunduNorth Mbundu, or Kimbundu, one of two Bantu languages called Mbundu is one of the most widely spoken Bantu languages in Angola, concentrated in the north-west of the country, notably in the Luanda Province, the Bengo Province and the Malanje Province...