Porglish
Encyclopedia
Porglish or Portuglish refers to various types of language contact
between Portuguese
and English
which have occurred in regions where the two languages coexist. These range from improvised code-switching
between bilingual speakers of each language to more or less stable dialects. The name is a portmanteau of the English words Portuguese and English.
This kind of pidgin
is rare but observable in Macau
, among the British expatriates in Portugal
and Portuguese speakers in North America and Oceania. The best-studied example of this is spoken in the Portuguese communities in California
, in Hawaii
(pidgin contributions) and in the region between Fall River
and New Bedford
in Southeastern Massachusetts
.
). This is sometimes used by speakers of the two languages to talk to each other.
Portuglish is similar to Spanglish
, and it is basically composed of English and Portuguese lexicon and a Portuguese grammar.
Among Portuguese Americans (particularly from the Azores
islands)
Language contact
Language contact occurs when two or more languages or varieties interact. The study of language contact is called contact linguistics.Multilingualism has likely been common throughout much of human history, and today most people in the world are multilingual...
between 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...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
which have occurred in regions where the two languages coexist. These range from improvised code-switching
Code-switching
In linguistics, code-switching is the concurrent use of more than one language, or language variety, in conversation. Multilinguals—people who speak more than one language—sometimes use elements of multiple languages in conversing with each other...
between bilingual speakers of each language to more or less stable dialects. The name is a portmanteau of the English words Portuguese and English.
This kind of pidgin
Pidgin
A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the...
is rare but observable in Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, among the British expatriates in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Portuguese speakers in North America and Oceania. The best-studied example of this is spoken in the Portuguese communities in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
(pidgin contributions) and in the region between Fall River
Fall River
-Cities and towns:In Canada:*Fall River, Nova ScotiaIn the United States:*Fall River, Kansas*Fall River, Massachusetts, the largest city with this name*Fall River, Tennessee*Fall River, Wisconsin*Fall River County, South Dakota-Rivers:In Canada:...
and New Bedford
New Bedford
-Places:*New Bedford, Illinois*New Bedford, Massachusetts, the most populous New Bedford**New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park*New Bedford, New Jersey *New Bedford, Ohio*New Bedford, Pennsylvania...
in Southeastern Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
As code-switching
It is the name often given to any unsystematic mixture of Portuguese with English (code-switchingCode-switching
In linguistics, code-switching is the concurrent use of more than one language, or language variety, in conversation. Multilinguals—people who speak more than one language—sometimes use elements of multiple languages in conversing with each other...
). This is sometimes used by speakers of the two languages to talk to each other.
Portuglish is similar to Spanglish
Spanglish
.Spanglish refers to the blend of Spanish and English, in the speech of people who speak parts of two languages, or whose normal language is different from that of the country where they live. The Hispanic population of the United States and the British population in Argentina use varieties of...
, and it is basically composed of English and Portuguese lexicon and a Portuguese grammar.
Examples
Among Brazilian-Americans and the Lusophone diaspora:- Aplicação - application (instead of Port.formulário)
- Apontamento - appointment (instead of Port.horário, encontro)
- Attachar or Atachar - to attach (instead of Port. anexar)
- Bizado or Bisado - busy (instead of Port. ocupado)
- Bootar or Butar - to boot, usually computers (instead of Port. iniciar)
- Chattear - to chat (instead of Port. conversar, bater papo)
- Dar um Suit - to sue (instead of Port. processar)
- Deletar - to delete (instead of Port. excluir, apagar, suprimir)
- Dropar - to drop (instead of Port. derrubar, descartar, descer, largar)
- Escanear or Scanear - to scan (instead of Port. digitalizar, varrer, ler, examinar)
- Escore - Score (instead of Port. pontuação)
- Espreiar or Spreiar - to spray (instead of Port. pulverizar, borrifar)
- Eslaidar or Slidar - to slide (instead of Port. escorregar, deslizar, resvalar)
- Estartar or Startar - to start (instead of Port. iniciar, inicializar)
- Frizar or Frisar - to freeze (instead of Port. congelar)
- Hoovar - to vacuum, to hoover (UK) (instead of Port. aspirar o pó, passar o aspirador de pó)
- Inicializar - to initialize (instead of Port. iniciar)
- Mopear - to mop (UK) (instead of Port. esfregar, usar o esfregão)
- Ordenar - to place an order (instead of Port. encomendar, pedir, fazer um pedido, requisitar)
- Parkear or Parquear - to park (instead of Port.estacionar)
- Printar - to print out (instead of Port. imprimir)
- Resetar - to reset (instead of Port. reiniciar, reinicializar)
- Ser Suposto a / Estar Suposto a - to be supposed to (instead of Port. dever, dever de)
- Uppar - to up (on a level; slang term used for RPG games by Brazilian players, instead of Port. evoluir)
- Vacuumar or Vequiar - to vacuum (instead of Port. aspirar from aspirador)
- Ligar, chamar, ou telefonar para trás - to call back (instead of Port. "ligar, chamar, ou telefonar de volta")
Among Portuguese Americans (particularly from the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
islands)
- Friza – freezer (instead of Port. frigorífico, geladeira)
- Calafona – Portuguese immigrant to the USA (from proper noun CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
; no Port. equivalent)
See also
- LlanitoLlanitoLlanito or Yanito is an Andalusian Spanish based creole spoken in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It consists of an eclectic mix of Andalusian Spanish and British English, marked by a great deal of code switching and loanwords from many other Mediterranean languages.Gibraltarians also...
- EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
- English dialects
- Portuguese dialectsPortuguese dialectsPortuguese dialects are variants of the Portuguese language that are shared by a substantial number of speakers over several generations, but are not sufficiently distinct from the official norms to be considered separate languages...
- Code-switchingCode-switchingIn linguistics, code-switching is the concurrent use of more than one language, or language variety, in conversation. Multilinguals—people who speak more than one language—sometimes use elements of multiple languages in conversing with each other...
- Portunhol
- FranglaisFranglaisFranglais , a portmanteau combining the French words "français" and "anglais" , is a slang term for an interlanguage, although the word has different overtones in French and English....
- SpanglishSpanglish.Spanglish refers to the blend of Spanish and English, in the speech of people who speak parts of two languages, or whose normal language is different from that of the country where they live. The Hispanic population of the United States and the British population in Argentina use varieties of...