Fado vs Samba – Common past different present

1894

brazilian-and-portuguese-face-paintWhy do we find two similar languages in different countries? Why do people put two similar languages inside the same bag? This is what happens with European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese. Even though the languages are similar (Brazilian developed from the “original” Portuguese), the cultural values and history are very different. In this small country in the corner of Europe, language is closely linked to history and has as much values as the history itself. It’s the symbol of our separation with the Spanish and the birth of the “Portuguese Kingdom” with its own customs and sovereign.  The history of the Brazilian language does not have this deep historical connection. The process of implementing the language in Brazil only started in 1500 when the Portuguese discovered Brazil. The language developed until it could no longer pick up with the linguistic changes from the French influence on the language in Portugal. During the 18th and 20th century the split between the two languages became more obvious due new words of technical innovation. So there we have it: two different languages with an interlined past.

Article written by Andreia Salvado, TermCoord trainee