Portuguese is a *Romance language spoken in Portugal, Galicia (Spain),
Brazil, Madeira and the Azores. Portuguese is also an official language
in Mozambique, Angola, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde,
now in East Timor and has a special status in Macao. It is spoken by more
than 200 million people all over the world and it is believed that in 10
years more people will speak Portuguese than French! Portuguese emerged
as a distinct language during the early medieval period. The standard
form is based on the dialect of Lisbon. Brazilian Portuguese differs
slightly in grammar and sound system. A notable characteristic of
Portuguese is the use of nasal vowel sounds.
*Basically descendants of Latin, the group consists of modern French, Italian,
Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan,
the Rhaetian group of dialects, Sardinian and the now extinct Dalmatian.
These languages are classified under the name 'Romance' on the basis of a
shared vocabulary, which originated from the Roman conquerors of the
Mediterranean Sea, in which the languages of the group are clustered.
Since 1500 their use has spread outside Europe to South America and
Africa, with French, Spanish and Portuguese colonisation.
Is Portuguese difficult to learn?
Our Rating:**
*
= Easy **** = Very
difficult
Explanation:
Romance languages are easier for English speakers
to learn, due to similar alphabets, sentence structure, and
relatively straightforward pronunciation.
Watch out for:
The nasalisation of vowels and diphthongs is a
notable feature of Portuguese pronunciation and does not always
come naturally to non-native speakers.
Portugal is a country in South West Europe, occupying the western section
of the Iberian Peninsula and bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The Madeira
islands are an integral part of Portugal. Coastal plains rise to
mountains, reaching 1935 metres (6352 feet) in the north. The main rivers
are the Douro, Miņo, and Tagus.
Economy:
Traditionally agricultural, Portugal's
principal exports are textiles, clothing, cork, wood products,
sardines and fortified wines. Tourism is an important source of
foreign currency
Historical Fact:
From the 15th century Portuguese explorers
opened up new trade routes, allowing for the establishment of an
extensive overseas empire that included Angola, Mozambique and
Brazil.
