European Portuguese
Encyclopedia
European Portuguese refers to the variety of Portuguese
spoken in continental Portugal
, as well as the Azores
and Madeira
islands. The word “European” was chosen to avoid the clash of “Portuguese Portuguese” as opposed to Brazilian Portuguese
.
, the Azores
, etc.) and mainland Portugal (Continental Portuguese). Continental Portuguese is in turn divided roughly into Northern and Southern varieties. The Prestige norms are based around two varieties: that of Coimbra and that of Lisbon.
Phonetically, differences emerge within Continental Portuguese. For example, in northern Portugal, the phonemes [b] and [v] are less differentiated than in the rest of the Portuguese speaking world, and the grapheme 'ch' is pronounced [tʃ] instead of [ʃ] giving this particular regional variety of Portuguese greater proximity to Galician. Another regionalism can be found in the south with the use of the gerund in the present progressive tense rather than the infinitive.
Portuguese is spoken by a significant minority in Andorra and Luxembourg. The Principality of Andorra has shown interest in membership in the CPLP. There are also wealthy immigrant communities in France and Germany.
, spoken in the Autonomous Community of Galicia in Spain, is very closely related to Portuguese. There is, as yet, no consensus among writers and linguists on whether Galician is a variety of Portuguese or a distinct yet closely related language.
Galicia has expressed interest in joining the CPLP as an associate observer pending permission from the Spanish government.
, Cape Verde
, East Timor
, Guinea-Bissau
, Macau
, Mozambique
, and São Tomé and Príncipe
), given the lack of existing official norms in those countries. Portugal remains a destination for postsecondary education for the elites of these places. In Europe, European Portuguese remains the learning standard for PLE (Portuguese as a second language) .
The Instituto Camões
is an organization which promotes not only the Portuguese language but also Portuguese culture. Thus, it promotes Continental Portuguese as a norm for learners.
RTP
is the Portuguese public television network and also serves as a vehicle for European Portuguese providing media content throughout the world. There is a branch of RTPi named RTP África
, which serves Lusophone Africa.
In estimating the size of the speech community for European Portuguese, one must take into account the consequences of the Portuguese Diaspora
: Immigrant communities located throughout the world in the Americas, Australia, Europe and Africa.
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...
spoken in continental 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...
, as well as 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...
and Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
islands. The word “European” was chosen to avoid the clash of “Portuguese Portuguese” as opposed to Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese is a group of Portuguese dialects written and spoken by most of the 190 million inhabitants of Brazil and by a few million Brazilian emigrants, mainly in the United States, United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, Japan and Paraguay....
.
Geographic variation
The two main divisions of European Portuguese differentiate between the Portuguese Islands (MadeiraMadeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, 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...
, etc.) and mainland Portugal (Continental Portuguese). Continental Portuguese is in turn divided roughly into Northern and Southern varieties. The Prestige norms are based around two varieties: that of Coimbra and that of Lisbon.
Phonetically, differences emerge within Continental Portuguese. For example, in northern Portugal, the phonemes [b] and [v] are less differentiated than in the rest of the Portuguese speaking world, and the grapheme 'ch' is pronounced [tʃ] instead of [ʃ] giving this particular regional variety of Portuguese greater proximity to Galician. Another regionalism can be found in the south with the use of the gerund in the present progressive tense rather than the infinitive.
Portuguese is spoken by a significant minority in Andorra and Luxembourg. The Principality of Andorra has shown interest in membership in the CPLP. There are also wealthy immigrant communities in France and Germany.
Galician
The Galician languageGalician language
Galician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
, spoken in the Autonomous Community of Galicia in Spain, is very closely related to Portuguese. There is, as yet, no consensus among writers and linguists on whether Galician is a variety of Portuguese or a distinct yet closely related language.
Galicia has expressed interest in joining the CPLP as an associate observer pending permission from the Spanish government.
The prominence of European Portuguese
Portugal maintained its colonial rule over its old world empire much longer than it did over Brazil. Thus European Portuguese is used as a norm of reference for African and Asian Lusophone spaces (AngolaAngola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
, 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...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, and São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...
), given the lack of existing official norms in those countries. Portugal remains a destination for postsecondary education for the elites of these places. In Europe, European Portuguese remains the learning standard for PLE (Portuguese as a second language) .
The Instituto Camões
Instituto Camões
The Instituto Camões is an institution created in 1992 for the world-wide promotion of the Portuguese language and culture...
is an organization which promotes not only the Portuguese language but also Portuguese culture. Thus, it promotes Continental Portuguese as a norm for learners.
RTP
RTP Internacional
RTP Internacional is the international television service of Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, the Portuguese public broadcaster...
is the Portuguese public television network and also serves as a vehicle for European Portuguese providing media content throughout the world. There is a branch of RTPi named RTP África
RTP África
RTP África is a terrestrial television channel for the Portuguese-speaking African countries owned by RTP with programming from Portuguese public and private television channels and African public networks, RTP África also airs its own news, food and music TV shows...
, which serves Lusophone Africa.
In estimating the size of the speech community for European Portuguese, one must take into account the consequences of the Portuguese Diaspora
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
: Immigrant communities located throughout the world in the Americas, Australia, Europe and Africa.