Daman Indo-Portuguese language
Encyclopedia
The Daman Indo-Portuguese language or Daman Portuguese creole, known to its speakers as Língua da Casa (Portuguese
for "Home language"), is a Portuguese
-based creole
spoken in Daman. It is of the few Portuguese creole
s still spoken in South Asia
.
s on the Coast from Chaul
, Baçaim
, Bombay, Daman and Diu.
Since the Norteiros are ethnic Konkani people
, the substrate
of the Daman creole is likely to be Konkani
. Gujarati
has also been suggested as a possible substrate, but this is doubtful, since the Gujarati people
moved into the region only after the Portuguese arrived.
The superstrate language is Portuguese. Before the Indian annexation of the territory, the Daman creole had become more similar to standard Portuguese.
The language is spoken by an estimated number of 2,000 Damanese. However, the Damanese Portuguese-Indian Association
says that there are 10– 12,000 Portuguese speakers in the territory of 110,000 residents. Sunday Mass is celebrated in Portuguese.
Besides the lingua da casa, Gujarati and Portuguese are also found in the territory.
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
for "Home language"), is a Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
-based creole
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
spoken in Daman. It is of the few Portuguese creole
Portuguese Creole
Portuguese creoles are creole languages which have been significantly influenced by Portuguese.- Origins :Portuguese overseas exploration in the 15th and 16th century's led to the establishment of a Portuguese Empire with trading posts, forts and colonies in the Americas, Asia and Africa...
s still spoken in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
.
Origins
The Daman creole is a descendant of the Norteiro creole, spoken originally by the NorteiroNorteiro people
Norteiro people are people who live in the former Portuguese exclaves in the western littoral of South Asia;The word Norteiro, meaning "Northerner," comes from the Portuguese. The term refers to the city of Baçaim, which was styled the "Court of the North" and stood second only to the city of Goa ...
s on the Coast from Chaul
Chaul
Chaul is a former city of Portuguese India, now in ruins. It is located 60 km south of Mumbai, in Raigad District of Maharashtra state in western India....
, Baçaim
Vasai-Virar
Vasai-Virar is a city in Maharashtra state in western India. As per 2011 census this is the 5th largest city in Maharashtra . It is located in Thane District, 50 km north of Mumbai. The city is located on the north bank of Vasai Creek, part of the estuary of the Ulhas River...
, Bombay, Daman and Diu.
Since the Norteiros are ethnic Konkani people
Konkani people
Konkani people , form a group of people mainly found in the Konkan Coast of western India whose mother-tongue is the Konkani language....
, the substrate
Substratum
In linguistics, a stratum or strate is a language that influences, or is influenced by another through contact. A substratum is a language which has lower power or prestige than another, while a superstratum is the language that has higher power or prestige. Both substratum and superstratum...
of the Daman creole is likely to be Konkani
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
. Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
has also been suggested as a possible substrate, but this is doubtful, since the Gujarati people
Gujarati people
Gujarati people , or Gujaratis are an ethnic group that is traditionally Gujarati-speaking and can trace their ancestry to the state of Gujarat in western India...
moved into the region only after the Portuguese arrived.
The superstrate language is Portuguese. Before the Indian annexation of the territory, the Daman creole had become more similar to standard Portuguese.
Number of speakers
The Portuguese heritage in Daman is more common and lively than in Goa and this helped to keep the language alive. Even so, the language is rapidly disappearing because Gujarati is becoming more widely spoken and has become the main language of education. Only the older members of the community speak it at home now. In the past there was a vibrant community of Damanese who spoke it.The language is spoken by an estimated number of 2,000 Damanese. However, the Damanese Portuguese-Indian Association
Damanese Portuguese-Indian Association
The Portuguese-Indian Association of Daman The Portuguese-Indian Association of Daman The Portuguese-Indian Association of Daman (in Portuguese Associação Luso Indiana Damaense is an organization that congregates most Damanese Catholics....
says that there are 10– 12,000 Portuguese speakers in the territory of 110,000 residents. Sunday Mass is celebrated in Portuguese.
Besides the lingua da casa, Gujarati and Portuguese are also found in the territory.
See also
- Diu Indo-Portuguese languageDiu Indo-Portuguese languageThe Diu Indo-Portuguese language or Diu Portuguese Creole was spoken in Diu, India. It is a creole based on Portuguese and Gujarati....
- Kristi languageKristi languageKorlai Indo-Portuguese is the language of some 1,000 Christians in an isolated area around the village of Korlai in Raigad District of Maharashtra state, India...