Portuguese Creole

: This article is primarily about the languages. See also a summary in the context of the other creole people.

Extinct Portuguese Creoles

Africa

There were possibly many creoles in Africa, especially in Congo region and former Portuguese feitorias in the Golf of Guinea. The Upper Guinea Creole was spoken in all the upper Guinea, today it is only spoken in Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and The Gambia.

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Brazil

There were Portuguese Creoles in Brazil's Quilombos brought from Africa, but the Portuguese acculturation was so effective that they are all extinct. Also, the large level of immigration played an important role, as almost half of Brazilians are of Portuguese origin. Nothing in Brazilian Portuguese varieties and dialects seem to indicate a creolization; they are, in fact, continuous from European Portuguese and very conservative. In some Afro-Brazilian animist religions there are songs in ancient Portuguese creoles brought from Africa.

Related Topics:
Brazil - Quilombo

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East Timor

In East Timor a variety of Portuguese-based Creole known as "Português de Bidau", was spoken in the Bidau area of Dili, but it had became extinct in the 1960s. The Creole was never widespread in the colony. Soldiers and officials from Lifau, and Portuguese settlers and Mestiços of Flores, Indonesia introduced it.

Related Topics:
East Timor - Dili

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India

Christians, even in Calcutta, used Portuguese until 1811. A Portuguese Creole was still spoken in the early 20th century. The Creoles of Bengal were found in places such as Balasore, Pipli, Chandernagore, Chittagong, Midnapore and Hugli.

Related Topics:
Calcutta - 1811 - Bengal

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The Creoles of the Coast of Coromandel, India (such as of Meliapor, Madrasta, Tuticorin, Cuddalore, Karikal, Pondicheri, Tranquebar, Manapar, Negapatam) were already extinct by the 19th century, the Portuguese-Indian (known locally as Topasses) shifted to the English when the British conquered their lands.

Related Topics:
India - English

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Most of the Creoles of the coast of Malabar, India (Cananor, Tellicherry, Mahé, Cochin, Vaipim and Quilom) had become extinct by the 19th century. The Creole of the island of Vaipim (near Cochin) has prevailed until the present. It is spoken by some families of the Christian community. In Cananor and Tellicherry, some elders still spoke some Creole until the 1980s.

Related Topics:
India - Cananor - Tellicherry - Mahé - Cochin - Vaipim - Quilom - 1980s

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Most of the "Norteiro" Creoles (language of Christian Indo-Portuguese in Northern India) have died, such as of Baçain, Salsete, Thana, Chevai, Mahim, Tecelaria, Dadar, Parel, Cavel, Bandora-Badra, Govai, Morol, Andheri, Versova, Malvan, Manori, Mazagão and Chaul. Only the Creoles of Daman (known as Língua da Casa), Korlai (known as Kristi) and Diu are still living. But the Creole of Diu is in danger of extinction. The two surviving creoles have suffered drastic changes; Standard Portuguese re-influenced the Creole of Daman in the mid-20th century. And Kristi became isolated from Portuguese language and culture in 1739.

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Indonesia

In early 16th century, Portuguese traders and missionaries established themselves on the island of Flores, Indonesia after the Dutch attacks in Indonesia. They settled in Larantuka and Sikka. There is still a strong Portuguese influence on the language, religion and culture of Sikka. However, in Larantuka the people there only speak the local language or Larantuka Malay. Rituals called Tuan Ma in Larantuka still use Portuguese for praying.

Related Topics:
Flores - Indonesia

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The Mardijkers of Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia) are descendant of old slaves from Malacca and India, converted to Protestantism. They spoke a Portuguese Creole and there was also a local Portuguese community. Portuguese was the First language until 1750, in spite of Dutch efforts against it. After 1750, Portuguese was replaced by a kind of Malay which called Betawian Malay or Omong Betawi. It was spoken until the 19th century. All Mardijkers now speak Betawian Malay and Bahasa Indonesia as their daily uses. However, they still maintain old lyrics in their music called Keroncong Moresco or Keroncong Tugu.

Related Topics:
Jakarta - Indonesia - Betawian Malay - Bahasa Indonesia

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In Tugu, village north of Jakarta, descendants of the Portuguese maintained a creole, known as Papiá (similar to Papiá Kristang), as their mother-tongue until the1940s, the last speaker died in 1978.

Related Topics:
1940s - 1978

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In Ambon and Ternate, in the Moluccas Islands (Indonesia), the Portuguese mixed with locals and created a community of Christians that spoke "Portugis". They spoke it until the middle of the 20th century. When the Dutch conquered the islands, many Portuguese were imprisoned and exported as slaves to Batavia, the rest of Indonesia and to South Africa. Because the population still continue to spoke Portugis, the Dutch also started to speak it for communication with locals. Then, gradually replaced by a creolized Malay called Ambonese Malay. Elders still speak Dutch at home, while the younger speak Malay.

Related Topics:
Ambon - Ternate - Moluccas - Indonesia - South Africa - Ambonese Malay

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