Portuguese language

Portuguese (endonym: português or língua portuguesa) is a Western Romance language from the Indo-European language family that started in the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. It is mainly spoken in Portugal, Brazil, and several African countries, as well as by people who moved from these places to live in North America, Europe, and South America. With about 267 million speakers, it is the fifth-most spoken native language.

People and countries that speak Portuguese are called Lusophone (lusófono). Because of history and exploration, Portuguese speakers can be found all around the world. The language is part of the Ibero-Romance group, which grew from dialects of Vulgar Latin in old Europe, and it keeps some sounds from Celtic languages.

The structure of Portuguese shows its Latin roots and also influences from other languages over many years. It has special sounds like nasal vowels and different kinds of guttural R. Its writing uses the Latin alphabet like English, and it is mostly based on how words sound but also affected by history and tradition. Recent spelling reforms have tried to make one spelling for Portuguese used in all countries that use it. The grammar keeps many Latin verb forms and has some special features. The words in Portuguese come mostly from Latin but also include many from Celtic, Germanic, Arabic, African, Amerindian, and Asian languages because of past wars, trade, and colonization.

There are many different ways people speak Portuguese around the world. The two main standard kinds are European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese. African and Asian kinds usually follow the European writing style but can sound different or use different words. Even though people who speak Portuguese can mostly understand each other, they might speak differently, use different words, or follow different grammar rules.

History

Main article: History of the Portuguese language

See also: Will of Afonso II of Portugal

The Portuguese language began when the Romans came to the Iberian Peninsula in 216 BC. They brought the Latin language, which is the root of all Romance languages. Roman people, including ordinary folks, traders, and soldiers, spread Latin as they built cities. This Latin mixed with older languages from the area, such as Atlantic European and Celtic culture.

Later, between AD 409 and AD 711, Germanic peoples like the Suebi and Visigoths took over the land. They quickly started speaking Latin too, and some of their words stayed in Portuguese.

When Arabs ruled the area starting in 711, Arabic was used for official matters. But many people still spoke a form of Latin mixed with Arabic words.

Portuguese grew from a version spoken in the northwest of what is now Portugal. It was first written down in the 9th century. By the 12th century, it was used in poems and official documents. In 1139, Portugal became its own kingdom, and by 1290, the language was officially called Portuguese.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, Portuguese explorers took the language to many parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, and the Americas. It became a common language for trade and talking between different groups of people. Even today, some communities in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Indonesia still use Portuguese in their daily lives.

Geographic distribution

Main articles: List of countries and territories where Portuguese is an official language and Geographical distribution of Portuguese speakers

Portuguese is spoken by many people around the world. In South America, about 200 million people speak it, mostly in Brazil. In Africa, around 30 million speak it, mainly in countries like Mozambique and Angola. In Europe, about 15 million people speak Portuguese, mostly in Portugal. There are also smaller groups in North America, Asia, and Oceania.

Portuguese is the main language in Portugal, Brazil, and São Tomé and Príncipe. It is also an important language in Mozambique, Angola, and Guinea-Bissau. Many people in East Timor are learning Portuguese, and it is one of the official languages in South Africa and Macau. There are also communities of Portuguese speakers in places like Canada, France, Japan, and the United States.