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6 Portugal: Madeira

  • Aline Bazenga
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Manual of Romance Languages in Africa
This chapter is in the book Manual of Romance Languages in Africa

Abstract

The spoken varieties of Portuguese in the archipelago of Madeira form part of the group of Insular Dialects of European Portuguese and may be classified as settler or transported varieties. This chapter describes the complex sociolinguistic characterization of this Portuguese archipelago, with special attention to the educated variety of Madeiran Portuguese. It presents an overview of the historical context of the settlement of Madeira, and it outlines the contemporary political situation taking account of diverse, interdisciplinary perspectives. The chapter discusses usage and attitudes towards specific linguistic phenomena with illustrative examples. Linguistic and cultural contacts, the peripheral location of the archipelago relative to Europe, internal isolation over a long period, and the natural vulnerability of the islands have all contributed to the construction of a regional identity and, through the Madeiran elite, to the recognition of that identity within the rest of Portugal and Europe. In all, the chapter seeks to contribute to a deeper, more systematic, and up-to-date understanding of the linguistic situation of Madeiran Portuguese.

Abstract

The spoken varieties of Portuguese in the archipelago of Madeira form part of the group of Insular Dialects of European Portuguese and may be classified as settler or transported varieties. This chapter describes the complex sociolinguistic characterization of this Portuguese archipelago, with special attention to the educated variety of Madeiran Portuguese. It presents an overview of the historical context of the settlement of Madeira, and it outlines the contemporary political situation taking account of diverse, interdisciplinary perspectives. The chapter discusses usage and attitudes towards specific linguistic phenomena with illustrative examples. Linguistic and cultural contacts, the peripheral location of the archipelago relative to Europe, internal isolation over a long period, and the natural vulnerability of the islands have all contributed to the construction of a regional identity and, through the Madeiran elite, to the recognition of that identity within the rest of Portugal and Europe. In all, the chapter seeks to contribute to a deeper, more systematic, and up-to-date understanding of the linguistic situation of Madeiran Portuguese.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Manuals of Romance Linguistics V
  3. Table of Contents VII
  4. 1 Introduction 1
  5. Northern Africa
  6. French
  7. 2 Algeria 23
  8. 3 Morocco 43
  9. 4 Tunisia 71
  10. Italian
  11. 5 Libya 85
  12. Portuguese
  13. 6 Portugal: Madeira 95
  14. Spanish
  15. 7 Spain: Canary Islands 115
  16. 8 Spain: Ceuta and Melilla 147
  17. Western Africa
  18. French
  19. 9 Benin 169
  20. 10 Burkina Faso 193
  21. 11 Côte d’Ivoire 221
  22. 12 Guinea 241
  23. 13 Mali 265
  24. 14 Mauritania 289
  25. 15 Niger 319
  26. 16 Senegal 337
  27. 17 Togo 391
  28. Portuguese
  29. 18 Cabo Verde 413
  30. 19 Guinea-Bissau 447
  31. Middle Africa
  32. French
  33. 20 Cameroon 469
  34. 21 Central African Republic 483
  35. 22 Chad 497
  36. 23 Congo-Brazzaville 507
  37. 24 Congo-Kinshasa 537
  38. 25 Gabon 551
  39. Portuguese
  40. 26 Angola 579
  41. 27 São Tomé and Príncipe 609
  42. Spanish
  43. 28 Equatorial Guinea 625
  44. Eastern Africa
  45. French
  46. 29 Burundi and Rwanda 643
  47. 30 Djibouti 669
  48. 31 France: Réunion and Mayotte 691
  49. 32 Madagascar and Comoros 717
  50. 33 Mauritius and Seychelles 753
  51. Italian
  52. 34 Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia 783
  53. Portuguese
  54. 35 Mozambique 809
  55. Overview
  56. Country Key Facts
  57. 36 Country Key Facts 827
  58. Language Index 841
  59. Linguistic Subject Index 849
  60. General Subject Index 855
  61. Person Index 867
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110628869-006

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Manuals of Romance Linguistics V
  3. Table of Contents VII
  4. 1 Introduction 1
  5. Northern Africa
  6. French
  7. 2 Algeria 23
  8. 3 Morocco 43
  9. 4 Tunisia 71
  10. Italian
  11. 5 Libya 85
  12. Portuguese
  13. 6 Portugal: Madeira 95
  14. Spanish
  15. 7 Spain: Canary Islands 115
  16. 8 Spain: Ceuta and Melilla 147
  17. Western Africa
  18. French
  19. 9 Benin 169
  20. 10 Burkina Faso 193
  21. 11 Côte d’Ivoire 221
  22. 12 Guinea 241
  23. 13 Mali 265
  24. 14 Mauritania 289
  25. 15 Niger 319
  26. 16 Senegal 337
  27. 17 Togo 391
  28. Portuguese
  29. 18 Cabo Verde 413
  30. 19 Guinea-Bissau 447
  31. Middle Africa
  32. French
  33. 20 Cameroon 469
  34. 21 Central African Republic 483
  35. 22 Chad 497
  36. 23 Congo-Brazzaville 507
  37. 24 Congo-Kinshasa 537
  38. 25 Gabon 551
  39. Portuguese
  40. 26 Angola 579
  41. 27 São Tomé and Príncipe 609
  42. Spanish
  43. 28 Equatorial Guinea 625
  44. Eastern Africa
  45. French
  46. 29 Burundi and Rwanda 643
  47. 30 Djibouti 669
  48. 31 France: Réunion and Mayotte 691
  49. 32 Madagascar and Comoros 717
  50. 33 Mauritius and Seychelles 753
  51. Italian
  52. 34 Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia 783
  53. Portuguese
  54. 35 Mozambique 809
  55. Overview
  56. Country Key Facts
  57. 36 Country Key Facts 827
  58. Language Index 841
  59. Linguistic Subject Index 849
  60. General Subject Index 855
  61. Person Index 867
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