Brazilian Portuguese

Brazilian Portuguese is a form of the Portuguese language used mostly in Brazil. It is spoken by most of the 180 million inhabitants of Brazil. Standard Brazilian Portuguese is strongly influenced by the dialects of the many Brazilian regions. It is also spoken through immigrants and their descendants in Canada, United States, Portugal, and Japan — where it is spoken by Japanese-Brazilian migrants.

History

Portuguese was inherited due to the Portuguese colonization of the Americas. The first wave of Portuguese-speaking immigrants was settled in Brazil in the 16th Century, yet the language was not widely used then. By the end of the 18th century, it was already the national language. It gained words from Amerindian languages such as Lingua Geral. Many of those also reached Portugal, such as "Pipoca" (popcorn) or "Abacaxi" (pineapple). Some of these words have entered into the colony's Portuguese dialects in a very early stage, even with the first Portuguese settlers.

Related Topics:
Portuguese colonization of the Americas - 16th Century - 18th century - Amerindian languages - Lingua Geral

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Brazilian Portuguese was spread worldwide due to the popularity of the Brazilian music. Ever since Brazil entered Mercosul, the Portuguese language is sometimes taught as a second language in the Spanish-speaking partner countries. A language mix of Portuguese and Spanish is sometimes named Portuñol or Portunhol.

Related Topics:
Brazilian music - Mercosul - Language mix - Portuñol

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