Angolan Portuguese (Portuguese: Português de Angola) is a group of dialects and accents of the Portuguese language used mostly in Angola, where it is an official language. In 2005 it was used there by 60% of the population, including by 20% as their first language. The 2016 CIA World Fact Book reports that 12.3 million, or 47% of the population, speaks Portuguese as their first language. However, many parents raise their children to speak only Portuguese. The 2014 census found that 71% speak Portuguese at home, many of them alongside a Bantu language, breaking down to 85% in urban areas and 49% in rural areas.[2]
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Angolan Portuguese | |
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português angolano, português de Angola | |
Native to | Angola |
Native speakers | 12 million (48% of the population) (2016)[1] 26 million (71% of the population) spoke Portuguese at home, often alongside a Bantu language (2014 census)[2] |
Language family | Indo-European
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Writing system |
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Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | – |
Glottolog | None |
IETF | pt-AO[3][4] |
There are different stages of Portuguese in Angola in a similar manner to other Portuguese-speaking African countries. Some closely approximate Standard Portuguese pronunciation and are associated with the upper class and younger generations of urban background. Angola is the second country with the highest number of Portuguese-speaking people, only behind Brazil.
The standard phonology in Angola is based on the European standard, as in the rest of Lusophone Africa. Vernacular accents share similarities with Brazilian Portuguese and these similar features have historical reasons. However, the contemporary Standard European Portuguese is the preferred pronunciation, as such it has become a transitional dialect somewhat midway between the European and Brazilian varieties.
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Although most of the vocabulary is the same as in Portugal, Brazil or Mozambique, there are differences, many due to the influence of several languages spoken in Angola. Each area has different lexicon originating from the distinctive languages. In the capital, Luanda, standard Portuguese is spoken and indigenous languages are practically nonexistent. Still, there are several Kimbundu influences. Most of this lexicon is used mostly by younger Angolans and Portuguese.
Angola | Portugal | Brazil | Translation |
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bazar | ir embora, bazar (slang) | ir embora, vazar (slang) | to go away/home |
cacimba | poço | cacimba, poço | well |
chuinga | pastilha elástica | chiclete | chewing gum |
garina | rapariga, miúda, gaja (slang) | garota, guria (in the south) | girl |
jinguba | amendoim, alcagoita | amendoim | peanut |
machimbombo, autocarro | autocarro | ônibus | bus |
candongueiro | carrinha | van | van |
ngongo | país | país | country |
musseque | bairro da lata | favela | slum quarter |
Examples of words borrowed from Kimbundu into Angolan Portuguese include:
Many words of Angolan origin have reached other countries or regions where Portuguese is used. Among these words are bunda (backside or "bottom"); fubá (a maize flour); moleque ("kid"); and several others. Also included are words not native to other regions, such as kizomba, kilapanda, kilapanga, ngoma, and kuduro. But regardless of the loanwords from Bantu languages in the lexicon, it must not be considered a Portuguese creole because the grammar and lexicon are truly Portuguese-based. In Brazilian Portuguese, there are a large number of words whose origins lie in Angolan languages. Various aspects of Brazilian culture – samba, candomblé and capoeira – all bear linguistic traces of this contact.
In Portugal, Angolan Portuguese has had a large influence on the vernacular of the younger population, contributing significant amounts of lexicon. Examples include:
and numerous other examples. Many of these words and expression made their way to Portugal during the period of decolonisation in the 1970s, with the arrival of so-called retornados, white Angolans who left the newly independent nation. This influence was reinforced by more recent immigration of black Angolans as a result of the Angolan civil war. These words were even brought to Brazil and South Africa by white Angolan refugees during and after independence.
It is also commonly seen as the African accent of Portuguese, and when dubbing an African character in cartoons and TV and film productions, Portuguese usually mimic an Angolan accent. Many Angolan Portuguese speakers grew up as, or had parents who were, speakers of African languages such as Umbundu, so there is some phonological influence of these local African languages on this form of Portuguese.
Languages of Angola | |
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Official language | |
National languages | |
Non-official |
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Africa (Portuguese in Africa) | |
America (American Portuguese) |
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Asia (Portuguese in Asia) | |
Europe (Portugal) (European Portuguese) |
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See also |