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18 Cabo Verde

  • Nélia Alexandre and Dominika Swolkien
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Manual of Romance Languages in Africa
This chapter is in the book Manual of Romance Languages in Africa

Abstract

In all African countries where Portuguese has established itself, it coexists with other languages, but in Cabo Verde it is in contact only with the local Creole. The particular settlement of Cabo Verde led to a unique sociolinguistic scenario in the context of Portuguese-speaking countries. This chapter highlights relevant aspects of the sociolinguistic situation -be it diglossic or bilingual- and the linguistic history of Portuguese in this country, as well as the external and internal language policy and some linguistic properties that are beginning to shape the emergent variety of Cabo Verdean Portuguese. This chapter illustrates these relevant features using examples taken from multiple sources (from legal to academic), thereby showing how dynamic the Portuguese language and its relation to Cabo Verdean Creole are.

Abstract

In all African countries where Portuguese has established itself, it coexists with other languages, but in Cabo Verde it is in contact only with the local Creole. The particular settlement of Cabo Verde led to a unique sociolinguistic scenario in the context of Portuguese-speaking countries. This chapter highlights relevant aspects of the sociolinguistic situation -be it diglossic or bilingual- and the linguistic history of Portuguese in this country, as well as the external and internal language policy and some linguistic properties that are beginning to shape the emergent variety of Cabo Verdean Portuguese. This chapter illustrates these relevant features using examples taken from multiple sources (from legal to academic), thereby showing how dynamic the Portuguese language and its relation to Cabo Verdean Creole are.

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