A Global Language
A Global and Pluricentric Language The planetary image of the Earth; Lexical loans to other languages
ReadThe passage of Cabo das Tormentas by the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias. (1488) by Observatory of the Portuguese LanguageObservatory of the Portuguese Language
The passage of Cabo das Tormentas by the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias.
The Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias, when folding the Cabo das Tormentas, in 1488, which then became known as Cabo da Boa Esperança, opened the way to Europe to the East.
55 years earlier, the ships of Chinese admiral Zheng He, in 1433, were in lands of present-day Tanzania.
The Portuguese moved from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. What if the Chinese had moved from the Indian to the Atlantic?
Since then, with the passage from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean and the discovery of America, the planetary image of the Earth has changed.
Portuguese Language, a pluricentric language
With the creation of the IILP (International Institute of the Portuguese Language) and the CPLP, (Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries), Lusophony has been democratizing the management of the Portuguese language among all its member states.
Portuguese, pluricentric language (2020) by Observatory of the Portuguese LanguageObservatory of the Portuguese Language
What are the top 200 most spoken languages? (2020) by Ethnologue and OLPObservatory of the Portuguese Language
What are the 200 most spoken languages?
The languages listed in the 2019 edition of Ethnologue.
Ethnologue presents the present classification, identifying the number of native speakers and those who speak a language as a second language.
The number of native speakers of Portuguese was updated according to the calculation presented in this video.
Spanish and Portuguese taken together (2020) by Ethnologue and OLPObservatory of the Portuguese Language
Spanish and Portuguese, if considered together (since they have a high degree of intercomprehension), constitute the most spoken languages after Mandarin, but with a significantly higher global dispersion (entropy).
There is a high degree of mutual intelligibility between speakers of both languages in relation to:
(1) text comprehension (since these speakers can use lexical inference strategies to help them understand the text globally);
(2) translation (since there is a high index of identical and non-identical cognate words);
(3) inference of lexical items (with the help of vocabulary and grammar strategies).
Lexical loans to Asian languages (2015) by Observatory of the Portuguese LanguageObservatory of the Portuguese Language
Lexical loans to Asian languages
Linguistic loan is the incorporation into the lexicon of a language of a term belonging to another language
Lexical loans to African languages (2015) by Observatory of the Portuguese LanguageObservatory of the Portuguese Language
Lexical loans to African languages
Linguistic loan is the incorporation into the lexicon of a language of a term belonging to another language
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Swahili
Alternative names: Kisuaheli, Kiswahili
Population: 15,000,000 in Tanzania (2012)
Population in all countries: 15,437,390
Location: Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Swahili
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RONGA
Alternative names: Gironga, Rhonga, Shironga, Xironga
Population: 721,000 in Mozambique (2006)
Population in all countries: 722,000
Location: Maputo
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Tswa-Rhonga
Latin alphabet
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CHANGANA
Alternative names: Shangana, Shitsonga, Thonga, Tonga, Xitsonga
Population: 2,280,000 in South Africa (2011 census)
Total population in all countries: 4,009,000
Location: Province of Mpumalanga
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Tswa-Rhonga
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NHUNGUE
Alternative names: Chinyungwe, Chinyungwi, Cinyungwe, Nyongwe, Teta, Tete, Yungwe
Population: 439,000 (2006)
Location: Mozambique
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, N, Senga-Sena
Latin alphabet
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MACUA
Alternative names: Makhuwa, Makhuwwa of Nampula, Makoane
Population: 3,090,000 (2006)
Location: Nampula and Zambézia Province; Niassa; Cabo Delgado
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, P, Makhuwa
Writing: Latin alphabet
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CHEWA
Alternative names: Chichewa, Chinyanja, Nyanja, Nyanja-Chewa
Population: 7,000,000 in Malawi (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001)
Population in all countries: 10,036,700
Location: Central and Southwest Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, N, Chewa-Nyanja
Latin alphabet
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YAO
Alternative names: Achawa, Adsawa, Adsoa, Ajawa, Ayao, Ayawa, Ayo, Chiyao, Ciyao, Djao, Haiao, Hiao, Hyao, Jao, Veiao, Wajao, Yawo
Population: 2,200,000 in Malawi
Population in all countries: 3, 116, 000
Location: Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, P, Yao
Latin alphabet
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TONGA
Alternative names: Chitonga, Plateau Tonga, Zambezi
Population: 1,330,000 in Zambia (2010 census)
Population in all countries: 1,467,000
Location: Zambia and Zimbabwe
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, M, Lenje-Tonga
Latin alphabet
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QUIMBUNDO
Alternative names: Kimbundo, Kindongo, Loanda Mbundu, Loande, Luanda, Lunda, Mbundu
Population: 4,000,000 (World Factbook 2012)
Location: Cuanza Norte, Bengo and Malanje, areas adjacent to the provinces of Cuanza Sul, Uíge and Luanda
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, H, Kimbundu
Latin alphabet
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NHANECA
Nomes alternativos:Nyaneka, Lunyaneka, Olunyaneka
População:1.200.000 (Nyaneka Language Association 2012)
Localização: Sudoeste de Angola, Huíla e Namibe, Cunene e Benguela
Classificação:Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Estreito Bantu, Central, R, Umbundu
Alfabeto latino
- National Coach Museum, Lisbon.
- Camões, I.P.
- Ethnologue (2019 edition)
- DALGADO, Sebastião Rodolfo, Influence of Portuguese vocabulary in Asian languages. Coimbra: university press, 1913.
- Prof. Dr. Ernesto d’Andrade, University of Lisbon.
- Accenture: Latin America – Europe – Africa Strategic Triangle / Reality and potential for expansion.
- Prof. Dr. Eunice R. HENRIQUES, State University of Campinas.
Author: Francisco Nuno Ramos, Observatory of the Portuguese Language
