Portuguese

Portuguese - Português

History of Portuguese - História da língua portuguesa

Developed in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, Portuguese was born.  It was derived from the Latin that the Roman Soldiers brought over to the region in the 3rd Century BC.  During the 5th Century Portuguese began to differentiate from other Romance languages after the fall of the Roman Empire.  Its use in written documents can be found around the 9th Century, but this was a variant between vulgar Latin and the modern Romance languages, such as Portuguese, Castilian, Spanish, etc.  At the turn of the 15th Century Portuguese had suddenly become a language boasting a richness of literature.  

At the fall of the Roman Empire, the Iberian Peninsula was invaded by natives of Germanic origin, those which the Romans had labeled as "Barbarians".  These Barbarians quickly adopted the Roman culture and language of the peninsula as their own, spreading Vulgar Latin amongst themselves.  Speaking different forms of Latin, this lead to the creation of many different languages such as Catalan, medieval Spanish, Galician-Portuguese, and Portuguese itself.  The heaviest influence seen from the Germanic languages is in some Portuguese words dealing with war and violence, such as guerra.

Another influence into the languages of the regions came from the 711 AD invasion of the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors, bringing with them Arabic.  The Moors were soon kicked out and their Arabian influence on the language almost but disappeared with them.  

Once Portugal began its colonial expansion into Africa, some of the countries adopted Portuguese as the official language.  Portuguese soon became the language for education, media, administration, and dealings with those outside of the region. 

Down in Brazil the story of the language is much like that of original Portuguese itself.  There was a strong influence by the Indians that brought in the Tupi language.  It wasn't until the second half of the 18th Century that Brazil started to boast a proficiency with the Portuguese language.  It was only restricted by the linguistic and cultural policy decreed by the Marquis of Pombal.  Portuguese eventually dominated the other languages in popularity, but not before many cultural and native influences of the indigenous people.  

Arriving in Brazil in 1500, Pedro Alvares Cabral brought the Portuguese language with him that was originally only found in Europe.  At first understanding and communicating with the natives was difficult, but after gaining favor of the natives over that of the Spaniards, Portuguese was able to prevail in popularity.  The presence of the Jesuits also had a strong influence on how communications were handled.  It wasn't until May 1757 that the Marquis of Pombal declared The Law Directory, which outlawed the Tupi Language.   

(The History of the Portuguese Language, 2017)

Where in the world can Portuguese be found - Onde é o Português?

Portuguese is an official language in Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Macau, Cape Verde, and Sao Tome and Principe.  

Portuguese is also used as a working language for business and government in Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Venezuela, Bolivia, Bermuda, Senegal, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Goa, and parts of Spain.                                                                                                                      (List of Territorial entities where Portuguese is an Official Language, 2017)

Global spread of Portuguese.

  Native language

  Official and administrative language

  Cultural or secondary language

  Portuguese-speaking minorities

  Portuguese-based creole

Where in the US do Portuguese speakers live - Estados Unidos da America

Portuguese can be found in high concentrations in these following states and cities.

Florida: Miami, Wacissa, Copeland, Hurlburt, Loch Lomond, Avalon, Mexico Beach, Bonnie Lock- Woodsetter North, Deerfield Beach

New York: New York City

Massachusetts: Boston, New Bedford, Everett, Framingham, Marlborough, Fall River, North Dartmouth, South Dartmouth, Dighton, Somerset, Acushnet, Westport, Swansea, Fairhaven, East Freetown, Assonet, Taunton, Truro, Carver, Ludlow, Provincetown

New Jersey: Newark, Long Branch, Harrison, Hillside, Kearny

California: Santa Cruz, Hilmar, Crows Landing, Gustine, Stevinson, Strawberry

Rhode Island: Providence, Bristol, Tiverton, Warren

(Top 101 Cities, 2017) ( Team ZipAtlas.com, 2017)

Jobs in the US that require Portuguese - Empregos

(These jobs are actual jobs that were found on Monster.com, but are not the actual listings themselves)


Customer Service:

• Travel representative in Rockledge, FL
• Customer Care Representative in Elmhurst, NY
• Customer Service Executive in Bellevue, WA
• Call Center Representative in Athens, G

Law:

• Law Enforcement Analyst in Los Altos, CA
• Claims Adjuster in Fort Lauterdale, FL
• New Cases Specialist in Tampa, FL
• Paralegal in New Milford, CT

Business:

• Sales Representative for Vacations To Go in Houston, TX
• Operations Support in San Francisco, CA
• Public Content Specialist in Mountain View, CA
• Receptionist in New York City, NY
• Systems Engineer in Miami, FL

Real Estate:

• Guest Property Manager in Kissimee, FL
• Financial Counselor in Dorchester, MA

Communications:

• Media Analyst in Minneapolis, MN
• Internet Researcher for New Paradigm LLC
• Tech Support in West Palm Beach, FL

Resources:

"The History of the Portuguese Language." Pimsleur Approach Language Learning. Accessed March 14, 2017. http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/resources/portuguese/articles/history-language/.

"List of territorial entities where Portuguese is an official language." Wikipedia. March 14, 2017. Accessed March 14, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_territorial_entities_where_Portuguese_is_an_official_language.

"Top 101 cities with the most residents born in Brazil (population 500 )." Top 101 cities with the most residents born in Brazil (population 500 ). Accessed March 14, 2017. http://www.city-data.com/top2/h153.html.

Team, ZipAtlas.com Development. "Cities with the Highest Percentage of Portuguese in the United States." Cities with the Highest Percentage of Portuguese in the United States | Zip Atlas. Accessed March 21, 2017. http://zipatlas.com/us/city-comparison/percentage-portuguese-population.htm.