Portuguese Empire, Language of Portugal, Portuguese Language, Language of Empire

Portugal, a tiny nation which in 1500 had around a million inhabitants, created a world empire between the 15th and 17th centuries which left its language and culture in 5 continents, and vestiges in the world  as late as the 1970s.

PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE:

Portuguese is a fascinating and beautiful language Romance language.mutually intelligible with Galician (Galego), and Portuguese and Spanish share a lexical, grammatical and sentence structure similarity of 89%. As such, an educated speaker of Portuguese and Spanish can have a fairly fluid conversation with one another each speaking in his own language. Italian is more or less intelligible to Portuguese speakers in the written form, and close enough orally for them to get the general gist of a discussion. French on the other hand is only fairly intelligible in written. Romanian is basically unintelligible to other Romance speakers. However, Romanians claim to be able to understand some Italian, whereas some Italian speakers may only understand Romanian on a very basic level. In the end it all comes down to who is doing the talking and who is doing the listening.

The Moors were in Portugal for 500 years, and left much influence re : cuisine, architecture, music, and especially the language. It is estimated that there are 1,000 words of Arabic origin in the Portuguese language. Perhaps one of the most important and often used word of Arabic extraction is 'Oxala' = which comes from 'In-Shalah' which in Arabic means 'If God Wills (or) 'God-Willing'. The Portuguese words of Arabic derivation are easily identifiable as most them begin with the prefix 'Al' or 'A'. Some examples are: Algarve='the west', Almofada='pillow', Alquerim='Rosemary', Azeite='Olive Oil', Alfaiate='tailor', Armazem='Warehouse', Alfombra/Alcatifa=Carpet', Alcachofra='Artichoke', Alfandega='Customs'
Today, the Portuguese language is spoken by approx. 260 million people, in 10 countries, on 5 continents. Portuguese is the most spoken language in South America at 51%. Portuguese is also the most spoken in the Southern Hemisphere. It is estimated that Portuguese has the highest potential for growth in the next 25 years, especially in Africa and South America. where the total number of speakers is predicted to reach approx.400 million. And if the number of Portuguese L1, L2 speakers continues to grow exponentially in places where the learning of Portuguese is on the rise such as in: some European countries, Spanish speaking Central & South American countries, African countries, USA, China, Japan, India, then that number can easily reach 425 million if not higher.

PORTUGUESE FOOD:

Cod fish is king in Portugal. There is a saying in Portugal that the Portuguese can prepare a different cod fish dish every day of the year. Seafood is the Portuguese cuisine's claim to fame, where clams, lobster, octopus, squid, crab, sardines, mackerel, shrimp, mussels, etc., are prepared in a myriad of creative and mouth watering styles. These seafood ingredients are often deliciously prepared with rice, potatoes, meats, fruits, vegetables, etc. The Portuguese also know how to make great tasting breads, desserts and sweets, especially the 'Pasteis de Nata' which are loved and sought after everywhere!.

Carne de Porco à Alentejana (deliciously seasoned pork meat, clams in a white wine sauce)

Bacalhau ao Forno (Oven Baked Cod Casserole w/Eggs, Potatoes, Peppers & Onions, Olive Oil)
Everyone is in Love With the Delicious Portuguese Pastel de Nata

Flavourful and Perfectly Prepared Sardine Dinner

Arroz de Marisco (Seafood Rice)

PORTUGUESE WINES: 

Portuguese wines are some of the best in the world. The very fertile soils and perfect weather conditions of the Douro wine growing region of Portugal produces some of the best grapes. In addition to top quality red, white and Vinho Verde wines, Portugal is also known for its Madeira and Port wines, known for their distinctive full-bodied and distinctive flavour.

Red:
Campolargo, Alvarelhão 2011 Bairrada
Casa da Passarela, Vinhas Velhas 2008 Dão
Casca Wines, Monte Cascas Ramisco 2009 Colares
Dulcineia dos Santos Ferreira, Sidónio de Sousa Garrafeira 2005 Bairrada

White:
Adega de Monção, 2011 Vinho Verde
Afros, Loureiro 2009 Vinho Verde
Biomanz, Dona Fátima Jampal 2011 Vinho Regional Lisboa
Casal Figueira, António 2011 Vinho Regional Lisboa
Dominó, Monte das Pratas Branco 2010 Vinho Regional Alentejano
Vino Verde
Gazela
Madeira & Port Wine


The wines of Portugal, from the very fertile wine growing region of Duoro, are considered to be some of the best in the world. Some excellent red, white wines are produced there, as is the world famous 'Port' which is a fortified blend of red wine and 'aguardente' literally 'firewater'. Aguardentes are strong alcoholic beverages, obtained by fermentation and later distillation of sugared or sweet musts, vegetable macerations, or mixtures of the two.

PORTUGUESE ARCHITECTURE::

Portugal boasts some of most exotic architecture in the world. The Manueline style, which is distinctively Portuguese, fuses maritime motifs (anchors, ropes) in the design, and Baroque styles are popular in Portugal too. The Moors, who were in Portugal for 500 years, also significantly influenced Portuguese architecture among many other things, Moorish castles are found everywhere in Portugal. An extravagant example of Moorish architecture is found in the 'Palacio da Pena Castle' located in Sintra, and the 'Silver' castle in the southern Algarve region of Portugal. Remnants of Roman aqueducts and temples, some which are still in great condition, are found throughout Portugal as well - the 'Temple of Diana' is one great example. Gothic architectural styles, legacy of the Celts, are also commonly found throughout Portugal.

Manueline Style Church Batalha (Tomar)

Gothic Church of Alcobaça
Silves Moorish Castle

Moorish Style Architecture, Palacio da Pena, Sintra, Portugal (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Roman Temple of Diana (Evora)

Rococco Style Church Portugal

Colonial Portuguese Style Church in Ouro Preto, Brazil

THE SIZE AND SCOPE OF THE PORTUGUESE EMPIRE:

Portugal, the first European country to start colonization, was the father of globalization and its empire spanned five continents. Initially, Portugal's exploration interests were mainly commercial in nature. The Portuguese built forts everywhere they went, along the coasts of South America, Africa, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, IndoChina, Japan,, etc. The Spanish, who longed for the prized sea route to India, faced great disappointment when the great Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama found it first. Consequently, in 1500 Portugal went on to control the 'Spice Trade' of the 'East Indies'. Portugal became the wealthiest country in the world, as it enjoyed a monopoly of the spice trade. In Europe, it was common knowledge that to do business anywhere in Europe one had to have a 'Portuguese Partner'. The business acumen, aplomb, and financial means of the Portuguese Jews helped solidify Portugal's leading role in global trade.

Portugal also profited immensely from the 'Slave Trade', whereby millions of slaves were shipped from the west coast f Africa, particularly from Portugal's rich colony of Angola in Africa, to Portugal's biggest and richest colony South America of Brazil. The African slaves provided much needed labour for the agricultural and sugarcane plantations in Brazil. Portugal's major role in the slave trade is a sad chapter of Portuguese history to this day. Portugal also shipped copious amounts of gold, silver to its royal coffers in Lisbon, Portugal. The precious metals were also used to build guilded, ornate churches and towns and all over Brazil. One such town called 'Ouro Preto', which means 'Black Gold', built from the riches acquired from the mining district of 'Minas Gerais' which means 'General Mines'. To this day some Brazilians unfairly lament that Portugal stripped Brazil of its riches to further it own ends back in Europe. Not to excuse a wrong/s, but all of the European colonial powers of the time committed the same injustices to varying degrees.

From 1580 -1640 Philip of Spain took over the Portuguese throne. It was precisely during this time that many of Portugal's colonies in the East were lost, as those territories were neglected. That paved the way for other European powers namely the England and Holland to usurpl Portugal's territories in the East Indies. Those events spelled the beginning of the end of Portugal's overseas empire.

Currently Portuguese is Officially Spoken by 260 Million, in 10 Countries, on 5 Continents 

Dark Green: Native Language
Medium Green: Official Language
Light Green: Secondary/Cultural Language
Light Green Dots: Large Portuguese Speaking Communities- between 10,000 - 1,500,000 speakers:
USA (1,500,000) France (1,200,000) Paraguay (600,000) Venezuela (500,000) Canada (500,000) 
South Africa (300,000) Japan (200,000)  Namibia (150,000)
Yellow Dots:  (1 of 3 linguistic situations)
a.) 1st Language is Creole Portuguese & Official Portuguese Spoken as a 2nd Language:
Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Macau - China
b.) Portuguese as a Cultural & 3rd Language Spoken in: Goa, Daman, Diu - India
c.) Creole Portuguese & Cultural Language Spoken in: Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia, Batticaloa - Sri Lanka

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Insular Portugal and the Portuguese Colonial Empire (de Sousa 1934)


As a result of the 'Berlin Conference' in the late 1800s and again in 1925, the borders of Portugal's African colonies were finalized. According to Portugal's 'Pink Map', in addition to Angola and Mozambique, Rhodesia should have also been allocated to Portugal since it already had a military presence there long before any other European colonial power. However, England and Germany basically thwarted Portugal's southern African colonial aspirations, as they wanted additional African colonies to connect to their existing colonies. As such, Salazar, the president of Portugal at the time, was manipulated into compliance, and ended up losing a lot of land that Portugal should have rightfully had. Additionally, the Portuguese Indian colonies of Goa, Daman, Diu, and Nagar Haveli were lost in 1954 and 1965 respectively., when the Indian army went in and in one fell swoop re-claimed those territories as rightfully part of India.

THE PORTUGUESE AFRICAN  'PINK MAP'

Many felt that the then Portuguese Prime Minister Salazar was too soft on the Indian army, and should have fought harder to keep its Indian colonial possessions. Article 2 of the U.N. Charter obligated all members was referred to In an effort to resolve the hostilities between India and Portugal, The above resolution received seven votes in favour (the four sponsors and Chile, Ecuador, and Nationalist China) and four against (the Soviet Union, Ceylon, Liberia, and the United Arab Republic). It was thus defeated by the Soviet veto–the 99th cast by the U.S.S.R.in the security Council. Thus, the closest they came to a resolution of the crisis was effectively derailed by the U.S.S.R. A ironic hypocrisy given that the U.S.S.R. itself was an imperialist agitator. The loss of Goa, as the Portuguese 'Pear of the Orient', was a huge loss, and one that to this day haunts the deeply saddens the Portuguese.

In the final analysis, Portugal still managed to hang on to so much of its empire. The fact that the Portuguese language today is the 6th most spoken native language in the world, with over 280 million speakers, spoken officially in 10 countries, on 5 continents, is a grand testament to Portugal's glorious colonial past. Portugal was a tiny European country that could, and in the face of insurmountable odds, she accomplished as much, if not more of other European colonial powers 5 times her size.

All that was accomplished by the very courageous Portuguese explorers, at a time when it was believed that scary, evil sea monsters lived in the depths of the oceans and ate up sailors and ships. How was it then that a tiny, insignificant European nation was able to accomplish so much? Well, Portugal's most illustrious epic poet Luís Vaz de Camões believed that Providence had destined his country to be the masters of the seas. And so it would seem to have been the case given Portugal's grand maritime achievements.

PORTUGUESE ARABESQUE AZULEJOS:


The Portuguese Azulejos are beautiful, colourful, hand painted tiles. This art form was inherited from the Moors. Azulejo comes from the Arabic word 'Az-zulay' meaning 'polished stone'. These techniques were introduced into Portugal by king Manuel I after a visit to Seville in 1503. They were applied on walls and used for paving floors, such as can be seen in several rooms, and especially the Arab Room of the Sintra National Palace (including the famous cuenca tiles with the armillary sphere, symbol of king Manuel I). The Portuguese adopted the Moorish tradition of horror vacui ('fear of empty spaces') and covered the walls completely with azulejos.

FADO: NATIONAL MUSIC OF PORTUGAL:

The national music of Portugal is the 'Fado',which means 'Fate'. There is a 12 string pear shaped 'Guitarra', a six string 'Viola' and sometime a 'Bass Guitar' is used. The singer is usually a female who wears a long black dress and shawl. The songs are about 'Saudade' a unique Portuguese word that has no translation, but loosely means 'nostalgia' (or) 'longing'. Fado is all about 'loss', lost love or a loved one, lost opportunity, and loss of 'empire'. when Portugal ruled the seas. Fado is a 'Fatalistic' kind of music, and the melodies are undeniably middle-eastern sounding. People often remark that fado sounds like someone who is in a lot of emotional sorrow, pain and grief, - the melodies themselves are haunting. Fado songs are usually sung in minor keys, but the more uplifting ones are in major keys. The undisputed queen of Portuguese fado is Amalia Rodrigues. Other popular 'faddists' are: Maria Severa (1820 - 1846 Maria Severa Onofriana, also known simply as 'A Severa,' was a Portuguese fado singer and guitarist. She is regarded as the first fado singer to have risen to fame in her short life, attaining a near-mythical status after her death),Carlos do Carmo, Rodrigo, Alfredo Marceneiro, Maria Teresa de Noronha, Carlos Paredes, Maria de Fe. 


Fado Styles

Fado Castiço / Fado de Lisboa: the most traditional fado popularized by Maria Severa, of jealousy, sadness of every day life struggles in the ghettoes and bordelos of Lisbon
Fado Coimbra: usually sung by university students, linked to medieval serenading troubadours
Fado Vadio: the style usually preferred by amateurs who one day might become professional
Fado Corrido: is a lively, happy, fun type of fado. One of the oldest original, and unique styles of Fado, which usually consists of 2 chords, and it is improvised, where the guitarists simply follow the singer

AMALIA RODRIGUES (Primavera song 1967)
Click link to listen to this great fado song by: Amalia
https://www.whosampled.com/Amália-Rodrigues/Primavera/