View source for Portuguese language

{{short description|Romance language}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{Other uses|Portugues (disambiguation){{!}}Portugues}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Portuguese
| nativename       = {{lang|pt|português}}
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|pt|puɾtuˈɣeʃ|}} / {{IPA|pt|pohtuˈɡe(j)s|}}
| states           = [[Portugal]], [[Brazil]], [[Portuguese-speaking African countries|Lusophone Africa]], other locations in the [[Portuguese-speaking world]]
| speakers         = [[First language|L1]]: {{sigfig|249.544530|3}} million
| date             = 2012–2022
| ref              = <ref>{{Ethnologue28|por}}</ref>
| speakers2        = [[Second language|L2]]: {{sigfig|17.085880|2}} million (2022)<ref>{{Ethnologue28|por}}</ref><br/>Total: {{sigfig|266.630410|3}} million (2012–2022)<ref>{{Ethnologue28|por}}</ref>
| speakers_label   = Speakers
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam2             = [[Italic languages|Italic]]
| fam3             = [[Latino-Faliscan languages|Latino-Faliscan]]
| fam4             = [[Latin]]
| fam5             = [[Romance languages|Romance]]
| fam6             = [[Italo-Western languages|Italo-Western]]
| fam7             = [[Western Romance languages|Western Romance]]
| fam8             = [[Gallo-Romance languages|Gallo]]-[[Iberian Romance languages|Iberian]]
| fam9             = [[Iberian Romance languages|Iberian Romance]]
| fam10            = [[West Iberian languages|West Iberian]]
| fam11            = [[Galician–Portuguese]]
| ancestor         = [[Old Latin]]
| ancestor2        = [[Vulgar Latin]]
| ancestor3        = [[Proto-Romance language|Proto-Romance]]
| ancestor4        = [[Galician–Portuguese]]
| script           = {{plainlist|
*[[Latin script|Latin]] ([[Portuguese alphabet]])
*[[Portuguese Braille]]}}
| nation           = {{ubl|[[Angola]]|[[Brazil]]|[[Cape Verde]]|[[Timor-Leste]]|[[Equatorial Guinea]]|[[Guinea-Bissau]]|[[Macau]] ([[China]])<br>[[Mozambique]]|[[Portugal]]|[[São Tomé and Príncipe]]|[[List of international organisations which have Portuguese as an official language|Numerous international organizations]]}}
| minority         = {{ubl|[[Uruguay]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gutiérrez Bottaro |first=Silvia Etel |title=El portugués uruguayo y las marcas de la oralidad en la poesía del escritor uruguayo Agustín R. Bisio |date=2014 |url=http://www.hispanistas.org.br/arquivos/revistas/sumario/revista6/109-129.pdf |journal=Abehache |volume=4 |issue=6 |trans-title=Uruguayan Portuguese and oral marks in the poetry of Uruguayan writer Agustín R. Bisio |language=es |access-date=18 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812061109/http://www.hispanistas.org.br/arquivos/revistas/sumario/revista6/109-129.pdf |archive-date=12 August 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historiadelaslenguasenuruguay.edu.uy |title=Historia lingüística del Uruguay |website=historiadelaslenguasenuruguay.edu.uy |access-date=9 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405013655/http://www.historiadelaslenguasenuruguay.edu.uy/ |archive-date=5 April 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite conference |last1=Fernández Aguerre |first1=Tabaré |title=Algunas notas teórico metodológicas sobre la relación entre regiones y aprendizajes en Uruguay |url=https://www.colibri.udelar.edu.uy/jspui/handle/20.500.12008/10776 |pages=11–15 |trans-title=Some theoretical methodological notes on the relationship between regions and learning in Uruguay |language=es |last2=González Bruzzese |first2=Mahira |last3=Rodriguez Ingold |first3=Cecilia |year=2017 |hdl=20.500.12008/10776 |hdl-access=free |conference=XVI Jornadas de Investigación : la excepcionalidad uruguaya en debate: ¿como el Uruguay no hay? |access-date=22 January 2020 |archive-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507021434/https://www.colibri.udelar.edu.uy/jspui/handle/20.500.12008/10776 |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
| agency           = {{plainlist|
*'''Portugal''':<br />[[Lisbon Academy of Sciences]] <small>([[Lisbon Academy of Sciences, Class of Letters|Lisbon Academy Class of Letters]])</small>
*'''Brazil''':<br />[[Academia Brasileira de Letras]]
*'''Angola ''':<br />[[Academia Angolana de Letras]]}}
| iso1             = pt
| iso2             = por
| iso3             = por
| lingua           = 51-AAA-a
| map              = Detailed SVG map of the Lusophone world.svg
| mapcaption       = {{legend|#045A8D|Countries or regions where Portuguese is the native language of the majority}}
{{legend|#439DD4|Countries and territories where Portuguese is an official or administrative language but not a majority native language}}
{{legend|#9BBAE1|Countries and territories where Portuguese is a significant minority language}}
| notice           = IPA
| sign             = [[Manually coded language|Manually coded]] Portuguese
| glotto           = port1283
| glottorefname    = Portuguese
}}

'''Portuguese''' ({{langx|pt|label=[[endonym]]|português}} or {{lang|pt|língua portuguesa}}) is a [[Western Romance language]] of the [[Indo-European language family]] originating from the [[Iberian Peninsula]] of [[Europe]]. It is spoken chiefly in Brazil, Portugal, and several countries in Africa, as well as by immigrants in North America, Europe, and South America. With approximately 267 million speakers, it is listed as the [[List of languages by number of native speakers|fifth-most spoken native language]]. 

Portuguese-speaking people or nations are known as [[Lusophone]] ({{lang|pt|lusófono}}). As a result of expansion during colonial times, a cultural presence of Portuguese speakers is also found around the world. Portuguese is part of the [[Iberian Romance languages|Ibero-Romance group]], which evolved from several dialects of [[Vulgar Latin]] in the medieval [[Kingdom of Galicia]] and the [[County of Portugal]], and has retained some [[Gallaecian language|Celtic]] phonology.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sites.duke.edu/judeolusitanica/2013/07/21/the-origin-and-formation-of-the-portuguese-language/ |title=The Origin and Formation of The Portuguese Language |website=Judeo-Lusitanica |publisher=Duke University |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510110052/https://sites.duke.edu/judeolusitanica/2013/07/21/the-origin-and-formation-of-the-portuguese-language/ |archive-date=10 May 2017 |access-date=15 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filologia.org.br/vcnlf/anais%20v/civ8_03.htm |title=Breves considerações sobre o legado das línguas célticas |first=João |last=Bittencourt de Oliveira |website=filologia.org.br |access-date=15 October 2016 |archive-date=21 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210621224925/https://www.filologia.org.br/vcnlf/anais%20v/civ8_03.htm/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Portuguese language structure reflects its Latin roots and centuries of outside influences. These are seen in [[Portuguese phonology|phonology]], [[Portuguese orthography|orthography]], [[Portuguese grammar|grammar]], and [[Portuguese vocabulary|vocabulary]]. Phonologically, Portuguese has a rich system of [[nasal vowels]], complex consonant variations, and different types of [[guttural R]] and other sounds in European and Brazilian varieties. Its spelling, based like English on the [[Latin alphabet]], is largely [[phonemic spelling|phonemic]] but is influenced by [[etymology]] and tradition. [[Portuguese spelling reform of 1990|Recent spelling reforms]] attempted to create a unified spelling for the Portuguese language across [[List of countries and territories where Portuguese is an official language|all countries that use it]]. Portuguese grammar retains many [[Latin verbs|Latin verb forms]] and has some unique features such as the [[Portuguese conjugation|future subjunctive]] and the [[Portuguese grammar#Infinitive form|personal infinitive]]. The vocabulary is derived mostly from Latin but also includes {{ill|List of loanwords in Portuguese|pt|Empréstimo (linguística)#Exemplos de empréstimos|lt=numerous loanwords|v=sup}} from Celtic, Germanic, Arabic, African, Amerindian, and Asian languages, resulting from historical contact including wars, trade, and [[Portuguese colonization|colonization]].

There is significant [[Variation (linguistics)|variation]] in dialects of Portuguese worldwide, with two primary [[Standard language|standardized varieties]]: [[European Portuguese]] and [[Brazilian Portuguese]], each one having numerous [[regional accent]]s and [[subdialect]]s. African and Asian varieties generally follow the European written standard, though they often have different [[phonological]], [[lexical item|lexical]], and sometimes [[syntax|syntactic features]]. While there is broad [[mutual intelligibility]] among varieties, variation is seen mostly in speech patterns and vocabulary, with some regional differences in grammar.

== History ==
{{Main|History of the Portuguese language}}
{{see also|Will of Afonso II of Portugal}}

=== Origins ===
When the [[Roman people|Romans]] arrived in the [[Iberian Peninsula]] in 216&nbsp;BC, they brought with them the [[Latin language]], from which all [[Romance languages]] are descended. The language was spread by Roman commoners, merchants, and soldiers, who built Roman cities mostly near the settlements of previous [[Celts|Celtic]] civilizations established long before the Roman arrivals. For that reason, the language has kept a relevant substratum of much older, [[Atlantic Europe]]an [[Megalithic Culture]]<ref>Benozzo, F. (2018): "Uma paisagem atlântica pré-histórica. Etnogénese e etno-filologia paleo-mesolítica das tradições galega e portuguesa", in proceedings of Jornadas das Letras Galego-Portugesas 2015–2017. Università de Bologna, DTS and Academia Galega da Língua Portuguesa. pp. 159–170</ref> and [[Celts|Celtic culture]],<ref name="Gramatica 2007">{{Cite web |last=Bagno |first=Marcos |title=Gramática Histórica do latim ao português brasileiro |date=2007 |url=https://www.academia.edu/29728732 |trans-title=Historical Grammar from Latin to Brazilian Portuguese |publisher=University of Brasília |via=www.academia.edu |access-date=24 January 2020 |archive-date=11 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220711195113/https://www.academia.edu/29728732 |url-status=live }}</ref> part of the [[Hispano-Celtic languages|Hispano-Celtic group]] of ancient languages.<ref name="Colera 2007 p.750 quote">"In the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, and more specifically between the west and north Atlantic coasts and an imaginary line running north-south and linking Oviedo and Merida, there is a corpus of Latin inscriptions with particular characteristics of its own. This corpus contains some linguistic features that are clearly Celtic and others that in our opinion are not Celtic. The former we shall group, for the moment, under the label northwestern Hispano-Celtic. The latter are the same features found in well-documented contemporary inscriptions in the region occupied by the Lusitanians, and therefore belonging to the variety known as LUSITANIAN, or more broadly as GALLO-LUSITANIAN. As we have already said, we do not consider this variety to belong to the Celtic language family." Jordán Colera 2007: p.750</ref> In Latin, the Portuguese language is known as ''lusitana'' or ''(latina) lusitanica'', after the [[Lusitanians]], a pre-Celtic tribe that lived in the territory of present-day Portugal and Spain that adopted the Latin language as Roman settlers moved in. This is also the origin of the ''luso-'' prefix, seen in terms like "[[Lusophone]]".

=== Germanic Period ===
Between AD 409 and AD 711, as the [[Roman Empire]] collapsed in [[Western Europe]], the Iberian Peninsula was conquered by [[Germanic peoples]] of the [[Migration Period]]. The occupiers, most notably [[Suebi]]<ref name="cornell" /><ref>[http://www.arkeotavira.com/Mapas/Iberia/Populi.htm Ethnologic Map of Pre-Roman Iberia (c. 200 BC)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405013713/http://www.arkeotavira.com/Mapas/Iberia/Populi.htm |date=5 April 2016 }}. Arkeotavira.com. Retrieved 14 November 2011.</ref> but also [[Visigoths]] and [[Buri tribe|Buri]]<ref>Domingos Maria da Silva, Os Búrios, Terras de Bouro, Câmara Municipal de Terras de Bouro, 2006. (in Portuguese)</ref> originally spoke [[Germanic languages]]. Quickly, they adopted late Roman culture and the [[Vulgar Latin]] dialects of the peninsula and over the next 300 years totally integrated into the local population. Some Germanic words from that period are part of the Portuguese lexicon, together with place names, surnames, and first names.

=== After the Arab Conquest ===
With the [[Umayyad conquest of Hispania|Umayyad conquest]] beginning in 711, [[Arabic]] became the administrative and common language in the conquered regions, but most of the [[Mozarabs|remaining Christian population]] continued to speak a form of [[Ibero-Romance]] called [[Andalusi Romance|Mozarabic]] which introduced a few hundred words from Arabic, [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]], and [[Berber languages|Berber]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Corriente |first=F. |title=Dictionary of Arabic and allied loanwords : Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Galician and kindred dialects |date=2008 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-16858-9 |location=Leiden |oclc=234431540}}</ref> Like other Neo-Latin and European languages, Portuguese has adopted a significant number of [[loanword]]s from [[Greek language|Greek]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eduportal.gr/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/www.eduportal.gr_media_files_lexeis_2.pdf |title=Palavras que cheiram mar 2: Etimologia de mais de 1000 Palavras Gregas Usadas em Português (Λέξεις που μυρίζουν θάλασσα) |first=Dimitrios |last=Koutantos |access-date=7 March 2019 |archive-date=8 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190308002940/https://www.eduportal.gr/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/www.eduportal.gr_media_files_lexeis_2.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> mainly in technical and scientific terminology. These borrowings occurred via Latin, and later during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Portuguese evolved from the medieval language spoken in the northwestern medieval [[Kingdom of Galicia]], which the [[County of Portugal]] once formed part of. This variety has been retrospectively named [[Galician–Portuguese]], Old Portuguese, or Old Galician by linguists.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.academia.edu/30975383 |title=Vocabulário Ortográfico da Galiza elaborado pela Academia Galega da Língua Portuguesa (AGLP) |publisher=Academia Galega da Língua Portuguesa (AGLP) |location=Santiago de Compostela, Portugal |date=2015 |language=Portuguese |access-date=5 August 2021 |archive-date=5 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105203427/https://www.academia.edu/30975383 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[File:Idioma galaicoportugués.png|thumb|Spoken area of Galician–Portuguese (also known as Old Portuguese or Medieval Galician) in the kingdoms of Galicia and León around the 10th century, before the separation of [[Galician language|Galician]] and Portuguese]]It is in Latin administrative documents of the 9th century that written Galician–Portuguese words and phrases are first recorded. This phase is known as Proto-Portuguese, which lasted from the 9th century until the 12th-century independence of the [[County of Portugal]] from the [[Kingdom of León]], which had by then assumed reign over [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]].

In the first part of the Galician–Portuguese period (from the 12th to the 14th century), the language was increasingly used for documents and other written forms. For some time, it was the language of preference for [[lyric poetry]] in Christian [[Hispania]], much as [[Occitan language|Occitan]] was the language of the poetry of the [[troubadours]] in France. The Occitan digraphs ''lh'' and ''nh'', used in its classical orthography, were adopted by the [[Portuguese alphabet#Basic digraphs|orthography of Portuguese]], presumably by [[Gerald of Braga]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lay |first=Stephen |date=2015 |title=Sanctity and Social Alienation in Twelfth-Century Braga as Portrayed in the Vita Sancti Geraldi |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=153–168 |doi=10.5699/portstudies.31.2.0153 |journal=Portuguese Studies|s2cid=164609309 |issn = 0267-5315}}</ref> a monk from [[Moissac]], who became bishop of [[Braga]] in Portugal in 1047, playing a major role in modernizing written Portuguese using classical Occitan norms.<ref>Jean-Pierre Juge (2001) ''Petit précis – Chronologie occitane – Histoire & civilisation'', p. 25</ref> Portugal became an independent kingdom in 1139, under King [[Afonso I of Portugal]]. In 1290, King [[Denis of Portugal]] created the first Portuguese university in Lisbon (the ''Estudos Gerais'', which later moved to [[University of Coimbra|Coimbra]]) and decreed for Portuguese, then simply called the "common language", to be known as the Portuguese language and used officially.

In the second period of Old Portuguese, in the 15th and 16th centuries, with the [[Age of Discovery|Portuguese discoveries]], the language was taken to many regions of Africa, Asia, and the [[Americas]]. By the mid-16th century, Portuguese had become a ''[[lingua franca]]'' in Asia and Africa, used not only for colonial administration and trade but also for communication between local officials and Europeans of all nationalities. The Portuguese expanded across South America, across Africa to the Pacific Ocean, taking their language with them.

Its spread was helped by mixed marriages between Portuguese and local people and by its association with [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] [[missionary]] efforts, which led to the formation of [[creole language]]s such as that called [[Kristang language|Kristang]] in many parts of Asia (from the word ''cristão'', "Christian"). The language continued to be popular in parts of Asia until the 19th century. Some Portuguese-speaking Christian communities in [[India]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Malaysia]], and [[Indonesia]] preserved their language even after they were isolated from Portugal.

The end of the Old Portuguese period was marked by the publication of the ''Cancioneiro Geral'' by [[Garcia de Resende]], in 1516. The early times of Modern Portuguese, which spans the period from the 16th century to the present day, were characterized by an increase in the number of learned words borrowed from [[Classical Latin]] and [[Ancient Greek|Classical Greek]] because of the [[Renaissance]] (learned words borrowed from Latin also came from [[Renaissance Latin]], the form of Latin during that time), which greatly enriched the lexicon. Most literate Portuguese speakers were also literate in Latin; and thus they easily adopted Latin words into their writing, and eventually speech, in Portuguese.<ref>{{Cite web |last=de Assis |first=Maria Cristina |title=História da língua portuguesa |url=http://biblioteca.virtual.ufpb.br/files/histaria_da_langua_portuguesa_1360184313.pdf |access-date=21 February 2019 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308025308/http://biblioteca.virtual.ufpb.br/files/histaria_da_langua_portuguesa_1360184313.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Spanish author [[Miguel de Cervantes]] once called Portuguese "the sweet and gracious language", while the Brazilian poet [[Olavo Bilac]] described it as {{lang|pt|a última flor do Lácio, inculta e bela}} ("the last flower of [[Latium]], naïve and beautiful").<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Pedro Paulo Funari|date=2002|edition=2.ª|first=Pedro Paulo Abreu|isbn=9788572441605|language=pt|last=Funari|location=São Paulo|page=80|publisher=Contexto|quote=Dos romanos herdamos, também, nossa própria língua, pois o português nada mais é do que um latim modificado. A maioria das palavras do português deriva do latim, sendo, em alguns casos, exatamente as mesmas. Vamos a um exemplo, como é o caso de família, "família". Noutros casos, são palavras quase iguais, como filius, "filho" ou adolescentes, "adolescentes". O português deriva do latim, porque os romanos dominaram a Península Ibérica e, por muitos séculos, o latim foi ali falado. Por isso, o português é conhecido como "a última flor do Lácio", ou seja, a última língua derivada do latim, a língua do Lácio, região onde estava Roma.|title=Grécia e Roma}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=13 October 2022|archive-date=9 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409183949/https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fsp/opiniao/fz1608200410.htm|date=16 August 2004|first=Arnaldo|language=pt|last=Niskier|quote=Por que gastar o seu latim nestes tempos descartáveis que vivemos? Uma resposta óbvia — pelo menos para aqueles que lidam diretamente com a língua portuguesa e lutam pela sua preservação — é que ela é conhecida como "a última flor do Lácio", ou seja, foi a última ramificação do latim.|title=Identidade cultural: língua e soberania|url=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fsp/opiniao/fz1608200410.htm|url-status=live|website=[[Folha de S.Paulo]]}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref><ref>{{cite journal|access-date=13 October 2022|archive-date=13 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013232237/https://www.revistaphilologus.org.br/index.php/rph/article/view/327|date=2020|first1=Haline Janaína Franco|first2=Luiz Roberto Peel Furtado de|journal=Revista Philologus|language=pt|last1=Almeida|last2=Oliveira|number=78|pages=1132–1142|publisher=Círculo Fluminense de Estudos Filológicos e Linguísticos|quote=Conhecida como "A última flor do Lácio", a língua portuguesa vem sofrendo transformações no decorrer dos séculos, a partir do latim vulgar, sendo caracterizada como dinâmica e heterogênea.|title=Cartografando os neologismos na quarentena: ampliando o vocabulário da língua portuguesa|url=https://www.revistaphilologus.org.br/index.php/rph/article/view/327|url-status=live|volume=26}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=13 October 2022|archive-date=13 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013234012/https://www.gazetanews.com/comentando-sobre-origens-e-descendencias/index.html|date=17 November 2016|language=pt|quote=Com a Língua Portuguesa não foi diferente. Você sabia que o português é conhecido como a última flor do Lácio?|title=Comentando sobre origens e descendências|url=https://www.gazetanews.com/comentando-sobre-origens-e-descendencias/index.html|url-status=live|website=Gazeta Brazilian News}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=24 August 2006|archive-date=7 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007095253/http://www.ruadapoesia.com/content/view/125/47/|language=pt|quote=Última flor do Lácio, inculta e bela,/ És, a um tempo, esplendor e sepultura:/ Ouro nativo, que na ganga impura/ A bruta mina entre os cascalhos vela…|title=Língua Portuguesa|url=http://www.ruadapoesia.com/content/view/125/47/|website=Rua da Poesia}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> Portuguese is also termed "the language of Camões", after [[Luís Vaz de Camões]], one of the greatest literary figures in the Portuguese language and author of the Portuguese [[epic poem]] ''[[The Lusiads]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Watts |first=Henry Edward |url=https://archive.org/details/lifeofmigueldece00watt |title=Miguel de Cervantes: His Life & Works |publisher=Walter Scott |year=1891 |location=London |author-link=Henry Edward Watts}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Literature|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofli01ship|url-access=registration|first=Joseph T.|last=Shipley|publisher=Philosophical Library|year=1946|page=1188}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=A historical companion to postcolonial literatures: continental Europe and its empires|first1=Prem |last1=Poddar |first2=Rajeev S. |last2=Patke |first3=Lars |last3=Jensen |publisher=Edinburgh University Press|year=2008|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ghah5S3usnsC&q=%22language+of+Cam%C3%B5es%22&pg=PA431|chapter=Introduction: The Myths and Realities of Portuguese (Post) Colonial Society|page=431|isbn=978-0-7486-2394-5}}</ref>

In March 2006, the [[Museum of the Portuguese Language]], an interactive museum about the Portuguese language, was founded in [[São Paulo]], Brazil, the city with the greatest number of Portuguese language speakers in the world.<ref name="NOVA">{{cite web |url=http://www.noticiaslusofonas.com/view.php?load=arcview&article=13562&catogory=CPLP |title=Museu da Língua Portuguesa aberto ao público no dia 20 |date=8 March 2006 |website=Noticiaslusofonas.com |language=pt |trans-title=Portuguese Language Museum open to the public on 20 |access-date=23 July 2012 |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501003337/http://www.noticiaslusofonas.com/view.php?load=arcview&article=13562&catogory=CPLP |url-status=live }}</ref> The museum is the first of its kind in the world.<ref name="NOVA" /> In 2015 the museum was partially destroyed in a fire,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/brazil-fire-engulfs-portuguese-language-museum-sao-paulo-one-killed-1534447|title=Brazil: Fire engulfs Portuguese language museum in Sao Paulo, one killed|newspaper=International Business Times|date=22 December 2015|access-date=13 March 2016|archive-date=16 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316103036/http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/brazil-fire-engulfs-portuguese-language-museum-sao-paulo-one-killed-1534447|url-status=live}}</ref> but restored and reopened in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/geral/noticia/2021-07/museu-da-lingua-portuguesa-sera-reaberto-ao-publico-no-domingo|title=Museu da Língua Portuguesa será reaberto ao público no domingo|date=29 July 2021|website=Agência Brasil|access-date=10 April 2022|archive-date=10 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410191140/https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/geral/noticia/2021-07/museu-da-lingua-portuguesa-sera-reaberto-ao-publico-no-domingo|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Geographic distribution ==
{{Main|List of countries and territories where Portuguese is an official language|Geographical distribution of Portuguese speakers}}
[[File:Portuguese Language Map - Darker Blue - Mother Language of More than 50%.png|thumb|Portuguese Language Map - World Geographical Distribution
{{legend|#002375|Native/Mother language of the majority of the population - > 50%}}
{{legend|#080891|Official and administrative language, but minority native language - < 50%}}
{{legend|#02ADFD|Cultural or secondary language - not official but spoken as the main native language - uruguayan portuguese - bayano, fronteiriço or riverense}}
{{legend|#CCF4FA|Cultural or secondary language - not official but spoken as a minority native or second language}}
{{legend|#17E1DE|Galician is an official language - seen by some organizations as the same language as portuguese}}
]]
[[File:Portuguese - Native Language Gradient 2.svg|thumb|Portuguese - Native Language Gradient 
{{legend|#24334b|Prevalence of Native Speakers: 90–100%}}
{{legend|#000099|Prevalence of Native Speakers: 40–70%}}
{{legend|#1ab2ff|Prevalence of Native Speakers: 10–20%}}
{{legend|#99ceff|Prevalence of Native Speakers: 1–5%}}
{{legend|#e6f3ff|Prevalence of Native Speakers: Less Than 1%}}
]]
[[File:Multilingual Emergency Assembly Area Sign in Oizumi.JPG|thumb|Sign in Japanese, Portuguese, and English in [[Oizumi]], Japan, which has a large [[lusophone]] community due to the return immigration of [[Japanese Brazilians]]<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7nlxybOVae8C&q=oizumi+brazilians&pg=PT150 |title=Migrants and Identity in Japan and Brazil: The Nikkeijin |isbn=978-1-135-78765-3 |last1=Carvalho |first1=Daniela de |date=1 February 2013|publisher=Routledge }}</ref>]]

Portuguese is spoken by approximately 200 million people in South America, 30 million in Africa, 15 million in Europe, 5 million in North America and 0.33 million in Asia and Oceania. It is the native language of the vast majority of the people in Portugal,<ref name="Special Eurobarometer 243">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf|title=Special Eurobarometer 243 "Europeans and their Languages"|year=2006|page=6|publisher=European Commission|access-date=11 May 2011|archive-date=21 February 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221061227/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Brazil<ref>{{cite web |url=http://countrystudies.us/brazil/39.htm |title=Portuguese language in Brazil |publisher=Country Studies US |access-date=23 July 2012 |archive-date=29 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629083546/http://countrystudies.us/brazil/39.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> and São Tomé and Príncipe (95%).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hagemeijer |first=Tjerk |title=As Línguas de S. Tomé e Príncipe |url=https://www.um.edu.mo/fah/ciela/old_ciela/rcblpe/doc/As%20Linguas%20de%20S%20Tome%20e%20Principe.pdf |journal=Revista de Crioulos de Base Lexical Portuguesa e Espanhola |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=1–27 |year=2009 |access-date=17 November 2019 |archive-date=24 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224144743/https://www.um.edu.mo/fah/ciela/old_ciela/rcblpe/doc/As%20Linguas%20de%20S%20Tome%20e%20Principe.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Around 75% of the population of urban Angola speaks Portuguese natively,<ref>{{ELL2|Angola: Language Situation}}</ref><!--reports that 85% or more speak it natively are based on rates in the cities, and a little exaggerated for the country as a whole. See ELL for a ref.--> with approximately 85% fluent; these rates are lower in the countryside.<ref>Medeiros, Adelardo. ''[[Portuguese in Africa]]'' – Angola</ref> Just over 50% (and rapidly increasing) of the population of [[Mozambique]] are native speakers of Portuguese, and 70% are fluent, according to the 2007 census.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linguaportuguesa.ufrn.br/pt_3.4.d.php|title=Portuguese in Africa – Mozambique|last=A. D. Medeiros|first=Adelardo|access-date=12 June 2015|archive-date=28 April 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050428022423/http://www.linguaportuguesa.ufrn.br/pt_3.4.d.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Portuguese is also spoken natively by 30% of the population in Guinea-Bissau, and a Portuguese-based creole is understood by all.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linguaportuguesa.ufrn.br/pt_3.4.c.php|title=Portuguese in Africa – Guinea-Bissau|last=A. D. Medeiros|first=Adelardo|access-date=12 June 2015|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501003558/http://www.linguaportuguesa.ufrn.br/pt_3.4.c.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Almost 50% of the East Timorese are fluent in Portuguese. No data is available for Cape Verde, but almost all the population is bilingual, and the monolingual population speaks the Portuguese-based [[Cape Verdean Creole]]. Portuguese is mentioned in the [[Constitution of South Africa]] as one of the languages spoken by communities within the country for which the [[Pan South African Language Board]] was charged with promoting and ensuring respect.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.za/documents/constitution/chapter-1-founding-provisions#6|title=Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996, Chapter 1: Founding Provisions|website=www.gov.za|access-date=2019-06-20|archive-date=18 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518042037/https://www.gov.za/documents/constitution/chapter-1-founding-provisions#6|url-status=live}}</ref>

There are also significant Portuguese-speaking immigrant communities in many territories including [[Andorra]] (17.1%),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://static1.ara.cat/ara/public/content/file/original/2019/1216/13/principals-dades-de-l-estudi-sobre-coneixements-i-usos-lingueistics-d0807a0.pdf |title=Coneixements i usos lingüístics de la població d'Andorra: Situació actual i evolució 1995–2018 |date=2019 |language=Portuguese |publisher=Government of Andorra |access-date=20 July 2022 |archive-date=22 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322022207/https://static1.ara.cat/ara/public/content/file/original/2019/1216/13/principals-dades-de-l-estudi-sobre-coneixements-i-usos-lingueistics-d0807a0.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Bermuda]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldinfozone.com/country.php?country=Bermuda |title=Bermuda |publisher=World InfoZone |access-date=21 April 2010 |archive-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507021514/https://www.worldinfozone.com/country.php?country=Bermuda |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Canada]] (400,275 people in the 2006 census),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo11a-eng.htm |title=Population by mother tongue, by province and territory (2006 Census) |publisher=Statistics Canada |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313161228/https://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo11a-eng.htm |archive-date=13 March 2012 }}</ref> [[France]] (1,625,000 people),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://languageknowledge.eu/languages/portuguese |title=Portuguese in Europe · Portuguese-speaking countries & Portuguese language knowledge in Europe |publisher=Languageknowledge.eu |access-date=2022-03-19 |archive-date=26 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326201622/https://languageknowledge.eu/languages/portuguese |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Japan]] (400,000 people),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.correiodoestado.com.br/noticias/japao-imigrantes-brasileiros-popularizam-lingua-portuguesa_43355/ |title=Japão: imigrantes brasileiros popularizam língua portuguesa |language=pt |year=2008 |access-date=13 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706152346/http://www.correiodoestado.com.br/noticias/japao-imigrantes-brasileiros-popularizam-lingua-portuguesa_43355/ |archive-date=6 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Jersey]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/jersey/ |title=4.6% according to the 2001 census, see |publisher=Cia.gov |access-date=23 July 2012 |archive-date=13 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113013826/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/jersey |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Luxembourg]] (about 25% of the population as of 2021), [[Namibia]] (about 4–5% of the population, mainly refugees from Angola in the north of the country),<ref name="www.namibian.com.na">{{cite web|url=http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=28&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=85817&no_cache=1|title=The Namibian|author=Carin Pretorius – Developed CEIT Development CC|access-date=16 March 2012|archive-date=22 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121222082932/http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=28&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=85817&no_cache=1|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Paraguay]] (10.7% or 636,000 people),<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/country/PY Paraguay] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221231185530/https://www.ethnologue.com/country/PY |date=31 December 2022 }} in {{e25}}</ref> [[Switzerland]] (550,000 in 2019, learning + mother tongue),<ref>{{cite report |year=2019 |title=Lingue della Svizzera |url=https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/it/home/statistiche/popolazione/rilevazioni/esrk.assetdetail.15324911.html |work=Pratiche linguistiche in Svizzera: Primi risultati dell'Indagine sulla lingua, la religione e la cultura 2019 |language=it |access-date=18 March 2022 |archive-date=26 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326201622/https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/it/home/statistiche/popolazione/rilevazioni/esrk.assetdetail.15324911.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Venezuela]] (554,000),<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/country/PY Venezuela] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221231185530/https://www.ethnologue.com/country/PY |date=31 December 2022 }} in {{e25}}</ref> and the United States (0.35% of the population or 1,228,126 speakers according to the 2007 [[American Community Survey]]).<ref>{{cite book |last=Carvalho |first=Ana Maria |contribution=Portuguese in the USA |year=2010 |editor-last=Potowski |editor-first=Kim |title=Language Diversity in the USA |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-74533-8 |page =346 }}</ref>

In some parts of former [[Portuguese India]], namely [[Goa]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.colaco.net/1/port.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010529163919/http://www.colaco.net/1/port.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 May 2001 |title=Portuguese Language in Goa |publisher=Colaco.net |access-date=21 April 2010 }}</ref> and [[Daman and Diu]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rjmacau.com/english/rjm1996n3/ac-mary/portuguese.html |title=The Portuguese Experience: The Case of Goa, Daman and Diu |publisher=Rjmacau.com |access-date=21 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060721135904/http://www.rjmacau.com/english/rjm1996n3/ac-mary/portuguese.html |archive-date=21 July 2006 }}</ref> the language is still spoken by about 10,000 people. In 2014, an estimated 1,500 students were learning Portuguese in Goa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.revistamacau.com/2014/06/02/1-500-pessoas-estudam-portugues-em-goa/|title=1.500 pessoas estudam português em Goa|publisher=Revistamacau.com|date=2 June 2014|access-date=10 July 2015|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501003451/http://www.revistamacau.com/2014/06/02/1-500-pessoas-estudam-portugues-em-goa/|url-status=live}}</ref> Approximately 2% of the people of Macau, China are fluent speakers of Portuguese. Additionally, the language is being very actively studied in the Chinese school system right up to the doctorate level. The [[Kristang people]] in [[Malaysia]] speak [[Kristang language|Kristang]], a Portuguese-Malay creole; however, the Portuguese language itself is not widely spoken in the country.

=== Official status ===
{{Main|List of countries and territories where Portuguese is an official language}}

The [[Community of Portuguese Language Countries]]<ref name="CPLP">{{cite web |url=https://www.cplp.org/id-2597.aspx |title=Estados-membros |date=7 February 2017 |website=Community of Portuguese Language Countries |language=pt |trans-title=Member States |access-date=7 February 2017 |archive-date=7 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207182400/https://www.cplp.org/id-2597.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>
(in Portuguese ''Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa'', with the Portuguese acronym CPLP) consists of the nine independent countries that have Portuguese as an [[official language]]: [[Angola]], [[Brazil]], [[Cape Verde]], [[East Timor]], [[Equatorial Guinea]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Mozambique]], [[Portugal]] and [[São Tomé and Príncipe]].<ref name="CPLP" />

[[Equatorial Guinea]] made a formal application for full membership to the CPLP in June 2010, a status given only to states with Portuguese as an official language.<ref>{{cite web |author=Factoria Audiovisual S.R.L. |url=http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticia.php?id=703 |title=El portugués será el tercer idioma oficial de la República de Guinea Ecuatorial – Página Oficial del Gobierno de la República de Guinea Ecuatorial |publisher=Guineaecuatorialpress.com |date=20 July 2010 |access-date=23 July 2012 |archive-date=4 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104083320/http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticia.php?id=703 |url-status=live }}</ref> Portuguese became its third official language (besides [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[French language|French]])<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/equatorial-guinea-adds-portuguese-as-the-countrys-third-official-language-131882808.html|title=Equatorial Guinea Adds Portuguese as the Country's Third Official Language|website=PR Newswire|access-date=7 February 2017|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612163747/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/equatorial-guinea-adds-portuguese-as-the-countrys-third-official-language-131882808.html|url-status=live}}</ref> in 2011, and in July 2014, the country was accepted as a member of the CPLP.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticia.php?id=5434|title=Equatorial Guinea, member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries|author=Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea|access-date=1 November 2016|archive-date=27 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227223516/https://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticia.php?id=5434|url-status=live}}</ref>

Portuguese is also one of the official languages of the Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China of Macau (alongside [[Chinese language|Chinese]]) and of several international organizations, including [[Mercosul]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://actrav.itcilo.org/actrav-english/telearn/global/ilo/blokit/mercopro.htm#Chapter%20VIII |title=Official languages of Mercosul as agreed in the ''Protocol of Ouro Preto'' |publisher=Actrav.itcilo.org |access-date=23 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722053855/http://actrav.itcilo.org/actrav-english/telearn/global/ilo/blokit/mercopro.htm#Chapter%20VIII |archive-date=22 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the [[Organization of Ibero-American States]],<ref>Statutes, Article 1{{cite web |url=http://www.oei.es/estatutos.htm |title=Official statute of the organization |publisher=Oei.es |access-date=23 July 2012 |archive-date=28 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628144938/http://www.oei.es/estatutos.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Union of South American Nations]],<ref>Constitutive Treaty of the Union of South American Nations, Article 23 {{Cite web |title=Tratado Constitutivo de la Unión de Naciones Suramericanas |url=https://www.unasursg.org/images/descargas/DOCUMENTOS%20CONSTITUTIVOS%20DE%20UNASUR/Tratado-UNASUR-solo.pdf |access-date=4 October 2018 |archive-date=15 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715170723/http://www.unasursg.org/images/descargas/DOCUMENTOS%20CONSTITUTIVOS%20DE%20UNASUR/Tratado-UNASUR-solo.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> the [[Organization of American States]],<ref>General Assembly of the OAS, [http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/agres_1737_xxxo00.htm Amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515221257/http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/agres_1737_xxxo00.htm |date=15 May 2011 }}, 5 June 2000</ref> the [[African Union]],<ref name="africa-union.org">Article 11, Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the African Union {{cite web |url=http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Documents/Treaties/Text/Protocol%20on%20Amendments%20to%20the%20Constitutive%20Act.pdf |title=Protocol on the Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the African Union. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208183015/http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Documents/Treaties/Text/Protocol%20on%20Amendments%20to%20the%20Constitutive%20Act.pdf |archive-date=8 December 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=5 February 2016}}</ref> the [[Economic Community of West African States]],<ref name="africa-union.org" /> the [[Southern African Development Community]]<ref name="africa-union.org" /> and the [[European Union]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Languages in Europe&nbsp;– Official EU Languages |publisher=EUROPA web portal |url=http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/languages-of-europe/doc135_en.htm |access-date=12 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202112407/http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/languages-of-europe/doc135_en.htm |archive-date=2 February 2009 }}</ref>

=== Lusophone countries ===
According to ''[[The World Factbook]]''{{'}}s country population estimates for 2018, the population of each of the ten jurisdictions is as follows (by descending order):
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
! Country
! Population<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpid=INE&xpgid=ine_main|title=Statistics Portugal - Web Portal|website=www.ine.pt|access-date=18 March 2022|archive-date=12 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712165513/https://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpgid=ine_main&xpid=INE|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ibge.gov.br/apps/populacao/projecao/index.html|title=IBGE &#124; Projeção da população|website=www.ibge.gov.br|access-date=18 March 2022|archive-date=16 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151116063907/http://www.ibge.gov.br/apps/populacao/projecao/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/|title=Population by Country (2022) - Worldometer|website=www.worldometers.info|access-date=18 March 2022|archive-date=5 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105162622/http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/|url-status=live}}</ref>
! More information
! Native language<br />of the majority
! Spoken by
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flagdeco|Brazil}} [[Brazil]] ||style="text-align:right;"| 203,062,512 || [[Brazilian Portuguese|Portuguese in Brazil]]||{{ya}}||95% as a native language<ref name="Ethn.ST">{{e26|por}}, 2022</ref>
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flagdeco|Angola}} [[Angola]] ||  style="text-align:right;"| 35,981,281 || [[Angolan Portuguese|Portuguese in Angola]]||{{ya}}||70% as a native language, 82% total<ref name="Ethn.AO">{{e26|por}}, 2021</ref>
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flagdeco|Mozambique}} [[Mozambique]] || style="text-align:right;"| 32,513,805 || [[Mozambican Portuguese|Portuguese in Mozambique]]||{{na}}||40% as a native language, 60% total<ref name="Ethn.ST"/>
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flagdeco|Portugal}} [[Portugal]] || style="text-align:right;"| 10,467,366 || [[European Portuguese|Portuguese in Portugal]]||{{ya}}||95% as a native language<ref name="Ethn.PT">{{e26|por}}</ref>
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flagdeco|Guinea-Bissau}} [[Guinea-Bissau]] ||style="text-align:right;"| 2,078,820 || [[Guinean Portuguese|Portuguese in Guinea-Bissau]]||{{na}}||5% as a native language, 50% total<ref name="Ethn.TL">{{e26|por}}, 2015</ref>
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{flagdeco|Equatorial Guinea}} [[Equatorial Guinea]]<sup>2</sup>|| style="text-align:right;" | 1,679,172 || [[Languages of Equatorial Guinea|Portuguese in Equatorial Guinea]]||{{na}}||Small minority as a second language
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{flagdeco|East Timor}} [[East Timor]]|| style="text-align:right;" | 1,340,513 || [[East Timorese Portuguese|Portuguese in East Timor]]||{{na}}||0.5% as a native language; 50% total<ref name="Ethn.TL"/>
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flagdeco|Macau}} [[Macau]]<sup>1</sup>||style="text-align:right;"| 682,300 || [[Macanese Portuguese|Portuguese in Macau]]||{{na}}||0.5% as a native language, 7% total<ref name="Ethn.MO">{{e26|por}}, 2017 (L1), 2021 census (L2)</ref>
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flagdeco|Cape Verde}} [[Cape Verde]] || style="text-align:right;"| 561,901 || [[Cape Verdean Portuguese|Portuguese in Cape Verde]]||{{na}}|| 5% as a native language, 80% total<ref name="Ethn.CV">{{e26|por}}, 2010 census</ref>
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{flagdeco|São Tomé and Príncipe}} [[São Tomé and Príncipe]]|| style="text-align:right;"| 220,372 || [[São Tomean Portuguese|Portuguese in São Tomé and Príncipe]]||{{ya}}||75% as a native language, 99% total<ref name="Ethn.ST"/>
|- class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:left;"| '''Total''' || style="text-align:right;"| 288,588,042 ||colspan=3|[[Community of Portuguese Language Countries]]
|}
{{smalldiv|1=
Notes:
#[[Macau]] is one of the two autonomous [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China]] (the other being [[English language|Anglophone]] [[Hong Kong]], a former British colony).
# [[Equatorial Guinea]] adopted Portuguese as one of its official languages in 2007, being admitted to CPLP in 2014. The use of the Portuguese language in this country is limited, but quickly growing.
}}

The combined population of the entire [[Lusophone]] area was estimated at 300 million in January 2022.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpgid=ine_main&xpid=INE|title=Statistics Portugal - Web Portal|website=www.ine.pt|access-date=18 March 2022|archive-date=9 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170109182931/https://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpgid=ine_main&xpid=INE|url-status=live}}</ref> This number does not include the Lusophone [[diaspora]], estimated at 10 million people (including 4.5 million Portuguese, 3 million Brazilians), although there are no official accurate figures for diasporic Portuguese speakers because a significant portion of these citizens are naturalized citizens born outside of Lusophone territory or are children of immigrants, and may have only a basic command of the language. Additionally, a large part of the diaspora is a part of the already-counted population of the Portuguese-speaking countries and territories, such as the high number of Brazilian and [[Portuguese-speaking African countries|PALOP]] emigrant citizens in Portugal or the high number of Portuguese emigrant citizens in the PALOP and Brazil.

The Portuguese language therefore serves more than 250 million people daily, who have direct or indirect legal, juridical and social contact with it, varying from the only language used in any contact, to only education, contact with local or international administration, commerce and services or the simple sight of road signs, public information and advertising in Portuguese.

=== Portuguese as a foreign language ===
Portuguese is a mandatory subject in the school curriculum in [[Uruguay]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://noticias.uol.com.br/ultnot/lusa/2007/11/05/ult611u75523.jhtm |title=Governo uruguaio torna obrigatório ensino do português |date=5 November 2007 |website=UOL Notícias |language=pt |trans-title=Uruguayan government makes Portuguese mandatory |access-date=13 July 2010 |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501003353/https://noticias.uol.com.br/ultnot/lusa/2007/11/05/ult611u75523.jhtm |url-status=live }}</ref> Other countries where Portuguese is commonly taught in schools or where it has been introduced as an option include [[Venezuela]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.letras.etc.br/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93:lingua-portuguesa-sera-opcao-no-ensino-oficial-venezuelano&catid=6:noticia&Itemid=13/ |title=Portuguese language will be option in the official Venezuelan teachings |language=pt |date=24 May 2009 |access-date=13 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522092756/https://www.letras.etc.br/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93%3Alingua-portuguesa-sera-opcao-no-ensino-oficial-venezuelano&catid=6%3Anoticia&Itemid=13%2F |archive-date=22 May 2011 }}</ref> [[Zambia]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movv.org/2009/05/26/a-zambia-vai-adotar-a-lingua-portuguesa-no-seu-ensino-basico/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090528221719/http://movv.org/2009/05/26/a-zambia-vai-adotar-a-lingua-portuguesa-no-seu-ensino-basico/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=28 May 2009 |title=Zambia will adopt the Portuguese language in their Basic school |language=pt |date=26 May 2009 |access-date=13 July 2010 }}</ref> the [[Republic of the Congo]],<ref name="estadao">{{cite web|url=http://cultura.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,congo-passara-a-ensinar-portugues-nas-escolas,561666 |title=Congo will start to teach Portuguese in schools |language=pt |date=4 June 2010 |access-date=13 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100807021226/http://www.estadao.com.br/noticias/arteelazer%2Ccongo-passara-a-ensinar-portugues-nas-escolas%2C561666%2C0.htm |archive-date=7 August 2010 }}</ref> [[Senegal]],<ref name="estadao" /> [[Namibia]],<ref name="www.namibian.com.na" /> [[Eswatini]],<ref name="estadao" /> [[South Africa]],<ref name="estadao" /> [[Ivory Coast]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.portugal.gov.pt/pt/gc21/comunicacao/noticia?i=20160623-mne-costa-marfim |title=Português entra no currículo escolar da Costa do Marfim no próximo ano letivo |date=23 June 2016 |website=www.portugal.gov.pt |language=pt |trans-title=Portuguese enters the Ivory Coast school curriculum next school year |access-date=19 July 2019 |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501003345/https://www.portugal.gov.pt/pt/gc21/comunicacao/noticia?i=20160623-mne-costa-marfim |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Mauritius]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cplp.org/id-4440.aspx|title=República da Maurícia|website=www.cplp.org|access-date=19 July 2019|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501003439/https://www.cplp.org/id-4440.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2017, a project was launched to introduce Portuguese as a school subject in [[Zimbabwe]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://24.sapo.pt/atualidade/artigos/portugues-vai-ser-introduzido-no-ensino-secundario-no-zimbabue |title=Português vai ser introduzido no ensino secundário no Zimbabué |date=18 January 2017 |website=SAPO 24 |language=pt |trans-title=Portuguese to be introduced to secondary education in Zimbabwe |access-date=23 July 2019 |archive-date=14 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414133303/https://24.sapo.pt/atualidade/artigos/portugues-vai-ser-introduzido-no-ensino-secundario-no-zimbabue |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.angop.ao/angola/pt_pt/noticias/africa/2017/0/3/Zimbabwe-Portugues-vai-ser-introduzido-ensino-secundario-pais,7e5aad04-47b2-4b4f-aee8-c8351c5ae23f.html |title=Zimbabwe: Português vai ser introduzido no ensino secundário do país |date=19 January 2017 |agency=Angola Press – ANGOP |language=pt |trans-title=Zimbabwe: Portuguese to be introduced into the country's secondary education |access-date=22 January 2020 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806105712/http://www.angop.ao/angola/pt_pt/noticias/africa/2017/0/3/Zimbabwe-Portugues-vai-ser-introduzido-ensino-secundario-pais,7e5aad04-47b2-4b4f-aee8-c8351c5ae23f.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Also, according to Portugal's Minister of Foreign Affairs, the language will be part of the school curriculum of a total of 32 countries by 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://24.sapo.pt/atualidade/artigos/portugues-sera-lingua-curricular-em-32-paises-no-proximo-ano-letivo |title=Português será língua curricular em 32 países no próximo ano letivo |date=22 July 2019 |website=SAPO 24 |language=pt |trans-title=Portuguese will be curricular language in 32 countries next school year |access-date=23 July 2019 |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501003350/https://24.sapo.pt/atualidade/artigos/portugues-sera-lingua-curricular-em-32-paises-no-proximo-ano-letivo |url-status=live }}</ref> In such countries, Portuguese is spoken either as a native language by vast majorities due to their Portuguese colonial past or as a ''[[lingua franca]]'' in bordering and multilingual regions, such as on the Brazilian borders of Uruguay and Paraguay and in regions of Angola and Namibia. In many other countries, Portuguese is spoken by majorities as a second language. There remain communities of thousands of Portuguese (or [[Creole language|Creole]]) first language speakers in [[Goa]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Daman and Diu]], and other areas due to [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese colonization]]. In [[Timor-Leste|East Timor]], the number of Portuguese speakers is quickly increasing as Portuguese and Brazilian teachers are making great strides in teaching Portuguese in the schools all over the island.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://repositorio.ul.pt/bitstream/10451/479/1/17753_Disserta00E700E3odeMestradoLCP.pdf|title=Portuguese language in Timor Leste|access-date=10 April 2022|archive-date=16 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616050638/https://repositorio.ul.pt/bitstream/10451/479/1/17753_Disserta00E700E3odeMestradoLCP.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, there are many large Portuguese-speaking immigrant communities all over the world.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
! Country
! Population<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2119.html|title=The World Factbook – Field Listing – Population – CIA|access-date=2015-03-07|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|archive-date=4 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004113653/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2119.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />(July 2017 est.)
! More information
! Compulsory education
! Spoken by
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flag|Uruguay}} ||style="text-align: right"| 3,444,006 || [[Uruguayan Portuguese|Portuguese in Uruguay]]||{{ya}}||Significant minority as a native language; significant minority as a second language
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flag|Argentina}} || style="text-align: right"|43,847,430 || [[Portuguese in Argentina]]||{{ya}}||Minority as a second language
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flag|Paraguay}} || style="text-align: right"| 7,052,984 || [[Portuguese in Paraguay]]||{{na}}||Significant minority as a native language
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flag|Venezuela}} ||  style="text-align: right"|31,568,179 || [[Portuguese in Venezuela]]||{{ya}}||Minority as a second language
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flag|South Africa}} || style="text-align: right"| 57,725,600 || [[Portuguese language in Africa|Portuguese in South Africa]]||{{na}}||Small minority as a native language
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flag|Namibia}} ||  style="text-align: right"|2,606,971 || [[Portuguese language in Africa|Portuguese in Namibia]]||{{na}}||Small minority as a native language
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flag|Congo}} ||  style="text-align: right"|5,125,821 || [[Portuguese language in Africa|Portuguese in Congo]]||{{na}}||Small minority as a second language
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flag|Zambia}} ||  style="text-align: right"|16,591,390 || [[Portuguese language in Africa|Portuguese in Zambia]]||{{na}}||Small minority as a second language
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flag|Senegal}} || style="text-align: right"| 15,411,614 || [[Portuguese language in Africa|Portuguese in Senegal]]||{{na}}||Small minority as a second language
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{flag|Eswatini}} || style="text-align: right"| 1,343,098 || [[Portuguese language in Africa|Portuguese in Eswatini]]||{{na}}||Small minority as a second language
|}

=== Future ===
[[File:MC 澳門 Macau 港珠澳大橋 HK-Zhu-Macau Bridge port building Jan 2019 IX2 63.jpg|thumb|Multilingual signage in Chinese, Portuguese and English at the [[Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge]] port building in [[Macau]]. Portuguese is a co-official language in Macau.]]
According to estimates by [[UNESCO]], Portuguese is the fastest-growing [[European language]] after [[English language|English]] and the language has, according to the newspaper ''[[The Portugal News]]'' publishing data given from UNESCO, the highest potential for growth as an international language in [[southern Africa]] and [[South America]].<ref name="The Portugal News">{{cite web|url=http://www.theportugalnews.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?id=906-9|title=Portuguese language gaining popularity|publisher=Anglopress Edicões e Publicidade Lda|date=5 May 2007|access-date=18 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318152307/http://www.theportugalnews.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?id=906-9|archive-date=18 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Portuguese is a globalized language spoken officially on five continents, and as a second language by millions worldwide.

Since 1991, when Brazil signed into the economic community of [[Mercosul]] with other South American nations, namely [[Argentina]], [[Uruguay]] and [[Paraguay]], Portuguese is either mandatory, or taught, in the schools of those South American countries.

Although early in the 21st century, after [[Macau]] was returned to [[China]] and immigration of Brazilians of [[Japanese Brazilian|Japanese descent]] to [[Japan]] slowed down, the use of Portuguese was in decline in [[Asia]], it is once again becoming a language of opportunity there, mostly because of increased diplomatic and financial ties with economically powerful Portuguese-speaking countries in the world.<ref>{{cite web|last=Leach |first=Michael |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6469/is_92/ai_n29406744/ |title=talking Portuguese; China and East Timor |access-date=18 May 2011 |website=Arena Magazine |year=2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105033001/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6469/is_92/ai_n29406744/ |archive-date=5 November 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.macaomagazine.net/china/promising-future-portuguese-language-china |title=Promising future for Portuguese language in China |last=Bilrero |first=António |date=15 March 2018 |website=Macao Magazine |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702230400/https://www.macaomagazine.net/china/promising-future-portuguese-language-china |archive-date=2019-07-02}}</ref>

===Current status and importance===
Portuguese, being a language spread on all continents, has official status in several international organizations. It is one of twenty official languages of the [[European Union]], an official language of NATO, the [[Organization of American States]] (alongside Spanish, French and English), and one of eighteen official languages of the [[European Space Agency]].

Portuguese is a working language in nonprofit organisations such as the [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross]] (alongside English, German, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian), [[Amnesty International]] (alongside 32 other languages of which English is the most used, followed by Spanish, French, German, and Italian), and [[Médecins sans Frontières]] (used alongside English, Spanish, French and Arabic), in addition to being the official legal language in the [[African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights]], also in [[Community of Portuguese Language Countries]], an international organization formed essentially by [[Lusophone|lusophone countries]].

== Linguistic demography ==

With approximately 250 million native speakers and 17 million [[second language]] speakers, Portuguese has approximately 267 million total speakers.<ref>{{Ethnologue28|por}},</ref> It is usually listed as the [[List of languages by number of native speakers|fifth-most spoken native language]],<ref>{{cite book|first=Emmanuel|last=da Silva|chapter=Socioliguistic Tensions in Toronoto|page=129|editor-first=Luiz Paulo|editor-last=Moita-Lopes|title=Global Portuguese: Linguistic Ideologies in Late Modernity|location=New York|publisher=Routledge|year=2015|isbn=978-1-31763-304-4}}</ref> the third-most spoken European language in the world in terms of native speakers<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/world/|title=CIA World Factbook|access-date=12 June 2015|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126032610/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/world/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the second-most spoken [[Romance languages|Romance language]] in the world, surpassed only by [[Spanish language|Spanish]]. Being the first most widely spoken language in [[South America]]<ref>{{cite web|title=The Different Languages of South America|url=https://latinobridge.com/blog/the-different-languages-of-south-america-2/|access-date=2020-06-21|website=Latino Bridge|language=en|date=7 November 2022|archive-date=12 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212165044/https://latinobridge.com/blog/the-different-languages-of-south-america-2/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2012 World Population Data Sheet Interactive Map - Population Reference Bureau |url=http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2012/world-population-data-sheet/world-map.aspx#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url |archive-url=https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?rev_t=20230622000824&url=http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2012/world-population-data-sheet/world-map.aspx#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-06-15 |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=archive.wikiwix.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=La langue espagnole (présentation) |url=https://www.axl.cefan.ulaval.ca/Langues/2vital_inter_espagnol.htm |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=www.axl.cefan.ulaval.ca}}</ref> and the most-spoken language in the [[Southern Hemisphere]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Potencial Económico da Língua Portuguesa|url=http://www.uc.pt/international-applicants/oportunidades/linguas/economic_potential_portuguese.pdf|website=University of Coimbra|access-date=21 June 2020|archive-date=24 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024163947/https://www.uc.pt/international-applicants/oportunidades/linguas/economic_potential_portuguese.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=World Portuguese Language Day|url=https://www.unesco.org/en/days/portuguese-language|website=[[UNESCO]]|access-date=20 November 2023|archive-date=17 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117112028/https://www.unesco.org/en/days/portuguese-language|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=20 Most Spoken Languages in the World in 2023|url=https://www.berlitz.com/blog/most-spoken-languages-world|website=[[Berlitz Corporation]]|access-date=20 November 2023|archive-date=21 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121060019/https://www.berlitz.com/blog/most-spoken-languages-world|url-status=live}}</ref> it is also the second-most spoken language, after Spanish, in [[Latin America]], one of the 10 most spoken languages in [[Africa]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://africa-facts.org/top-10-most-spoken-languages-in-africa/ |website=Africa Facts |title=Top 11 Most Spoken Languages in Africa |date=2017-10-18 |access-date=10 October 2018 |archive-date=18 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918174122/https://africa-facts.org/top-10-most-spoken-languages-in-africa/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and an official language of the [[European Union]], [[Mercosul]]<!-- This is the Portuguese spelling of Mercosur, Portuguese being an official language of that organization. -->, the [[Organization of American States#Official languages|Organization of American States]], the [[Economic Community of West African States]], the [[African Union]], and the [[Community of Portuguese Language Countries]], an international organization made up of all of the world's officially [[Lusophone]] nations. In 1997, a comprehensive academic study ranked Portuguese as one of the 10 most influential languages in the world.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130507110651/http://www.andaman.org/BOOK/reprints/weber/rep-weber.htm "The World's 10 most influential languages"], George Weber, 1997, ''Language Today'', "...includes besides many other languages, Bengali, English, French, German, Hindi/Urdu, Italian, Marathi, Panjabi, Persian, Brazilian (Portuguese), Russian, the Scandinavian languages, and Spanish." "''Portuguese'' today means above all Brazilian."</ref><ref>Bernard Comrie, Encarta Encyclopedia (1998); George Weber, [http://www2.ignatius.edu/faculty/turner/languages.htm "Top Languages: The World's 10 Most Influential Languages"], ''Language Today'' (Vol. 2, December 1997). [https://web.archive.org/web/20110927062910/http://www2.ignatius.edu/faculty/turner/languages.htm Archived] from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-09-28.</ref>

== Classification and related languages ==
[[File:Linguistic map Southwestern Europe.gif|thumb|upright=1.65|right|Map showing the historical retreat and expansion of Portuguese ([[Galician–Portuguese]]) within the context of its linguistic neighbors between the year 1000 and 2000]] [[File:Lenguas y dialectos iberorromances.PNG|thumb|upright=1.45|right|Map showing mostly contemporary [[West Iberian languages|West Iberian]] and [[Occitano-Romance languages|Occitano-Romance]] languages, as well many of their mainland European dialects (areas colored green, [[Aragonese language|gold]] or pink/purple represent languages deemed [[Endangered language|endangered]] by [[UNESCO]], so this may be outdated in less than a few decades). It shows European Portuguese, [[Galician language|Galician]], [[Galician-Asturian|Eonavian]], [[Mirandese language|Mirandese]] and the [[Fala language|Fala]] as not only closely related but as [[dialect continuum]], though it excludes dialects spoken in insular Portugal (Azores and Madeira–[[Canarian Spanish|Canaries]] is not shown either).{{Image reference needed|date=November 2022}}]]

{{Main|Iberian Romance languages| Galician–Portuguese |Comparison of Spanish and Portuguese}}

Portuguese belongs to the [[West Iberian languages|West Iberian]] branch of the [[Romance language]]s, and it has special ties with the following members of this group:
* [[Galician language|Galician]], [[Fala language|Fala]] and [[Riverense Portuñol language|''portunhol do pampa'']] (the Portuguese term for ''riverense'' and its sibling dialects), its closest relatives.
* [[Mirandese language|Mirandese]], [[Leonese language|Leonese]], [[Asturian language|Asturian]], [[Extremaduran language|Extremaduran]] and [[Cantabrian dialect|Cantabrian]] ([[Astur-Leonese languages]]). Mirandese is the only recognised regional language spoken in Portugal (beside Portuguese, the only official language in Portugal).
* [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Caló language|''calão'']] (the Portuguese term for ''caló'', language of the Iberian [[Romani people|Romani]]).

Portuguese and other Romance languages (namely [[French language|French]] and [[Italian language|Italian]]) share considerable similarities in both vocabulary and grammar. Portuguese speakers will usually need some formal study before attaining strong comprehension in those Romance languages, and vice versa. However, Portuguese and [[Galician language|Galician]] are fully mutually intelligible. Spanish is relatively intelligible for lusophones, owing to their geographic proximity and history as [[West Iberian languages|West Iberian]] ([[Ibero-Romance languages]]), historical contact between speakers and mutual influence, shared [[areal features]] as well as modern lexical, structural, and grammatical similarity (over 85%) between them.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jensen
|first=John B.
|year=1989
|title=On the Mutual Intelligibility of Spanish and Portuguese
|journal=Hispania
|volume=72
|issue=4
|pages=848–852
|jstor=343562
|doi=10.2307/343562}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book
|last=Penny
|first=Ralph
|year=2000
|title=Variation and Change in Spanish
|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]
|isbn=978-0-521-78045-2
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rVNGMlx7cOYC&q=how+well+do+spanish+speakers+understand+portuguese&pg=PA14
|page=14
|access-date=19 November 2020
|archive-date=27 April 2024
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427105110/https://books.google.com/books?id=rVNGMlx7cOYC&q=how+well+do+spanish+speakers+understand+portuguese&pg=PA14#v=snippet&q=how%20well%20do%20spanish%20speakers%20understand%20portuguese&f=false
|url-status=live
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Dalby
|first=Andrew
|year=1998
|title=Dictionary of Languages: The Definitive Reference to More Than 400 Languages
|publisher=[[Columbia University Press]]
|isbn=978-0-231-11568-1
|url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryoflang00dalb
|url-access=registration
|quote=how well do spanish speakers understand portuguese?.
|page=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryoflang00dalb/page/501 501]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book
|last1=Ginsburgh
|first1=Victor
|last2=Weber
|first2=Shlomo
|year=2011
|title=How Many Languages Do We Need?: The Economics of Linguistic Diversity
|publisher=[[Princeton University Press]]
|isbn=978-0-691-13689-9
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4QX8ri2o1TUC&q=how+well+do+spanish+speakers+understand+portuguese&pg=PA90
|page=90
|access-date=19 November 2020
|archive-date=27 April 2024
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427105241/https://books.google.com/books?id=4QX8ri2o1TUC&q=how+well+do+spanish+speakers+understand+portuguese&pg=PA90#v=snippet&q=how%20well%20do%20spanish%20speakers%20understand%20portuguese&f=false
|url-status=live
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Similar languages to Portuguese |url=https://www.ezglot.com/most-similar-languages.php?l=por |website=EZ Glot |access-date=27 April 2023 |archive-date=2 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302192659/https://www.ezglot.com/most-similar-languages.php?l=por |url-status=live }}</ref> Many young Portuguese speakers however, will often choose [[English language|English]] as the lingua-franca of choice, with Spanish, French, Italian, other Europeans, and speakers of other languages. Over 97% of 18 to 24 year olds in Portugal speak a second language fluently, 95% of those have English as L2, some 33.7% speak French, 23% German, and 14% Spanish.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsenglish.pt/pt/wse/blog/portugueses-falam-cada-vez-mais-e-melhor-l%C3%ADnguas-estrangeiras/ |title=Portugueses falam cada vez mais (e melhor) línguas estrangeiras |language=pt |editor=wse english|date=2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=2016 |publisher=The Portugal News |title=Portugal's students amongst Europe's most bilingual |url=https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/portugals-students-among-europes-most-bilingual/37355}}<!-- auto-translated from Portuguese by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>

[[Portuñol]]/Portunhol, a form of [[code-switching]], has a lively use and is mentioned in popular culture in South America. Said code-switching is not to be confused with the Portuñol spoken on the borders of Brazil with Uruguay ({{lang|pt|dialeto do pampa}}) and Paraguay ({{lang|pt|dialeto dos [[Brasiguayos|brasiguaios]]}}), and of Portugal with Spain ({{lang|pt|[[barranquenho]]}}), that are Portuguese dialects spoken natively by thousands of people, which have been heavily influenced by Spanish.<ref name="Lipski">{{Cite conference |last=Lipski |first=John M |year=2006 |editor-last=Face |editor-first=Timothy L |editor2-last=Klee |editor2-first=Carol A |title=Too close for comfort? the genesis of 'portuñol/portunhol' |url=http://www.lingref.com/cpp/hls/8/paper1251.pdf |pages=1–22 |access-date=21 June 2015 |journal=Selected Proceedings of the 8th Hispanic Linguistics Symposium |archive-date=16 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216225441/http://www.lingref.com/cpp/hls/8/paper1251.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Portuguese and Spanish are the only Ibero-Romance languages, and perhaps the only Romance languages in Latin-America, with such thriving inter-language forms, in which visible and lively bilingual contact dialects and code-switching have formed, in which functional bilingual communication is achieved through attempting an approximation to the target foreign language (known as 'Portuñol') without a learned acquisition process, but nevertheless facilitates communication. There is an emerging literature focused on such phenomena in South America (including informal attempts of standardization of the linguistic continua and their usage).<ref name="Lipski" />

=== Galician–Portuguese in Spain ===
{{see also|Reintegrationism}}
The closest relative of Portuguese is Galician, which is spoken in the autonomous community and historical nationality of Galicia ([[Spain]]). The two were part of a common dialect continuum during the Middle Ages, known today as [[Galician–Portuguese]], but they have diverged especially in pronunciation and vocabulary due to the political separation of [[County of Portugal|Portugal]] from [[Kingdom of Galicia|Galicia]]. There is, however, still a linguistic continuity consisting of the variant of Galician referred to as ''galego-português baixo-limiao'', which is spoken in several Galician and Portuguese villages within the transboundary biosphere reserve of [[Peneda-Gerês National Park|Gerês]]-[[Baixa Limia – Serra do Xurés|Xurés]]. It is "considered a rarity, a living vestige of the medieval language that ranged from [[Cantabria]] to [[Mondego River|Mondego]] [...]".<ref name="agal-gz.or">{{Cite web |title=A Fala Galego-Portuguesa da Baixa-Limia e Castro Laboreiro |url=http://www.agal-gz.org/pdf/falabaixalimia.pdf |trans-title=The Galician–Portuguese Speech of Baixa-Limia and Castro Laboreiro |language=pt |access-date=2018-10-05 |archive-date=13 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113080652/http://www.agal-gz.org/pdf/falabaixalimia.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
As reported by [[UNESCO]], due to the pressure of Spanish on the standard official version of Galician and centuries-old [[Hispanization|Castilianization]], the Galician language was on the verge of disappearing.<ref name="agal-gz.or" />

According to the UNESCO philologist Tapani Salminen, the proximity to Portuguese protects Galician.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 February 2009 |title=O galego deixa de ser unha das linguas 'en perigo' para a Unesco |language=gl |trans-title=Galician is no longer one of the "endangered" languages for Unesco |work=Galicia Hoxe |url=http://www.galiciahoxe.com/mare/gh/galego-deixa-ser-unha-das-linguas-perigo-unesco/idNoticia-397878 |access-date=30 May 2015 |archive-date=6 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106122417/http://www.galiciahoxe.com/mare/gh/galego-deixa-ser-unha-das-linguas-perigo-unesco/idNoticia-397878 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The core vocabulary and grammar of Galician are noticeably closer to Portuguese than to those of Spanish. Within the EU, Galician, while not being a [[European Parliament]] official language, can be used and is in fact used by some European Parliament constituents due to its similarity with Portuguese.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.agal-gz.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1349 |title=O Galego já é oficial na UE [GL/PT] |publisher=Associaçom Galega da Lingua |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041030142629/http://www.agal-gz.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1349 |archive-date=30 October 2004 }}</ref><ref name="moniz1">{{cite journal|last=Moniz|first=Alexandre|date=2021|url=https://www.cambridge.org/engage/api-gateway/coe/assets/orp/resource/item/60fb35650b093e286fe31ba8/original/how-to-kill-a-language-planning-diglossia-bi-normativism-the-internet-and-galician.pdf|title=Galician: How to Kill a Language|website=Cambridge Engage|access-date=21 Sep 2021|archive-date=21 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921050757/https://www.cambridge.org/engage/api-gateway/coe/assets/orp/resource/item/60fb35650b093e286fe31ba8/original/how-to-kill-a-language-planning-diglossia-bi-normativism-the-internet-and-galician.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Galician like Portuguese, uses the future subjunctive, the personal infinitive, and the synthetic pluperfect. Mutual intelligibility estimated at 85% is excellent between Galicians and Portuguese.<ref>{{e25|glg|Galician}}</ref> Despite political efforts in Spain to define them as separate languages, many linguists consider [[Galician language|Galician]] and Portuguese to be co-dialects of the same language with regional variations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lusojornal.com/nuno-gomes-garcia-conversa-com-eduardo-maragoto-o-galego-e-o-portugues-sao-a-mesma-lingua|title=O galego e o português são a mesma língua/|date=27 January 2020|access-date=21 September 2021|archive-date=21 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921022638/https://lusojornal.com/nuno-gomes-garcia-conversa-com-eduardo-maragoto-o-galego-e-o-portugues-sao-a-mesma-lingua/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="moniz1"/>

Another member of the Galician–Portuguese group, most commonly thought of as a Galician dialect, is spoken in the [[Galician-Asturian|Eonavian]] region in a western strip in [[Asturias]] and the westernmost parts of the provinces of [[Province of León|León]] and [[Province of Zamora|Zamora]], along the frontier with Galicia, between the [[Eo (river)|Eo]] and [[Navia (river)|Navia]] rivers (or more exactly Eo and Frexulfe rivers). It is called ''eonaviego'' or ''gallego-asturiano'' by its speakers.

The Fala language, known by its speakers as ''xalimés'', ''mañegu'', ''a fala de Xálima'' and ''chapurráu'' and in Portuguese as ''a fala de Xálima'', ''a fala da Estremadura'', ''o galego da Estremadura'', ''valego'' or ''galaico-estremenho'', is another descendant of Galician–Portuguese, spoken by a small number of people in the Spanish towns of [[Valverde del Fresno]] (''Valverdi du Fresnu''), [[Eljas]] (''As Ellas'') and [[San Martín de Trevejo]] (''Sa Martín de Trevellu'') in the autonomous community of [[Extremadura]], near the border with Portugal.

There are a number of other places in Spain in which the native language of the common people is a descendant of the Galician–Portuguese group, such as [[La Alamedilla]], [[Cedillo]] (''Cedilho''), [[Herrera de Alcántara]] (''Ferreira d'Alcântara'') and [[Olivenza]] (''Olivença''), but in these municipalities, what is spoken is actually Portuguese, not disputed as such in the mainstream.

The diversity of dialects of the Portuguese language is known since the time of medieval Portuguese-Galician language when it coexisted with the Lusitanian-Mozarabic dialect, spoken in the south of Portugal. The dialectal diversity becomes more evident in the work of [[Fernão de Oliveira|Fernão d'Oliveira]], in the ''Grammatica da Lingoagem Portuguesa'', (1536), where he remarks that the people of Portuguese regions of Beira, Alentejo, Estremadura, and Entre Douro e Minho, all speak differently from each other. Also Contador d'Argote (1725) distinguishes three main varieties of dialects: the local dialects, the dialects of time, and of profession (work jargon). Of local dialects he highlights five main dialects: the dialect of Estremadura, of Entre-Douro e Minho, of Beira, of Algarve and of Trás-os-Montes. He also makes reference to the overseas dialects, the rustic dialects, the poetic dialect and that of prose.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

In the kingdom of Portugal, ''Ladinho'' (or ''Lingoagem Ladinha'') was the name given to the pure Portuguese romance language, without any mixture of Aravia or Gerigonça Judenga.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/diccionariodalin02morauoft|page=[https://archive.org/details/diccionariodalin02morauoft/page/140 140]|quote=aravia.|title=Diccionario da lingua portugueza|publisher=Na typ. de M. P. de Lacerda|access-date=30 May 2015|last1=Silva|first1=António de Morais|year=1823}}</ref> While the term ''língua vulgar'' was used to name the language before D. Dinis decided to call it "Portuguese language",<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Osório |first=Jorge A. |date=1993 |title=D. Dinis: o Rei a Língua e o Reino |trans-title=D. Dinis: the King the Language and the Kingdom |url=http://repositorio-aberto.up.pt/bitstream/10216/20003/2/jaosoriomathesis41993000083737.pdf |hdl=10216/20003 |journal=Máthesis |language=pt |issue=2 |pages=17–36 |access-date=12 June 2015 |archive-date=16 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816084101/https://repositorio-aberto.up.pt/bitstream/10216/20003/2/jaosoriomathesis41993000083737.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> the erudite version used and known as Galician–Portuguese (the language of the Portuguese court) and all other Portuguese dialects were spoken at the same time. In a historical perspective the Portuguese language was never just one dialect. Just like today there is a standard Portuguese (actually two) among the several dialects of Portuguese, in the past there was Galician–Portuguese as the "standard", coexisting with other dialects.

=== Influence on other languages ===
[[File:St_Peter_Church_Melaka_3.jpg|thumb|An Old Portuguese [[memento mori]] memorial sign in [[Malacca City]]]] 
{{See also|List of English words of Portuguese origin|Loan words in Malayalam#Portuguese|Loan words in Indonesian|Japanese words of Portuguese origin|List of Malay loanwords|Portuguese loanwords in Sinhala|Loan words in Sri Lankan Tamil#Portuguese|Sri Lanka Indo-Portuguese language|Hindustani etymology#Loanwords from Portuguese|Gujarati language#Portuguese|Burmese language|Bengali vocabulary#Portuguese (পর্তুগিজ Pôrtugij)|Thai language#Portuguese-origin|Chittagonian language|Tok Pisin}}

Portuguese has provided [[loanword]]s to many languages, such as [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]], [[Manado Malay]], [[Malayalam]], [[Sri Lanka Tamils (native)|Sri Lankan Tamil]] and [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]], [[Malay language|Malay]], [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[English (language)|English]], [[Hindi]], [[Swahili language|Swahili]], [[Afrikaans]], [[Konkani language|Konkani]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]], [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Tetum language|Tetum]], [[Tsonga language|Xitsonga]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], [[Lanc-Patuá creole|Lanc-Patuá]], [[Esan people#Language|Esan]], [[Bandar Abbas|Bandari]] (spoken in Iran) and [[Sranan Tongo]] (spoken in Suriname). It left a strong influence on the ''[[Old Tupi|língua brasílica]]'', a [[Tupi–Guarani language]], which was the most widely spoken in Brazil until the 18th century, and on the language spoken around [[Sikka Regency|Sikka]] in [[Flores]] Island, [[Indonesia]]. In nearby [[Larantuka]], Portuguese is used for prayers in [[Holy Week]] rituals.
The Japanese–Portuguese dictionary ''[[Nippo Jisho]]'' (1603) was the first dictionary of Japanese in a European language, a product of [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] missionary activity in Japan. Building on the work of earlier Portuguese missionaries, the ''[[Dictionarium Anamiticum, Lusitanum et Latinum]]'' (Annamite–Portuguese–Latin dictionary) of [[Alexandre de Rhodes]] (1651) introduced the modern [[Vietnamese alphabet|orthography of Vietnamese]], which is based on the orthography of 17th-century Portuguese. The [[Romanization]] of [[Chinese language|Chinese]] was also influenced by the Portuguese language (among others), particularly regarding [[List of common Chinese surnames|Chinese surnames]]; one example is ''Mei''. During 1583–88 Italian Jesuits [[Michele Ruggieri]] and [[Matteo Ricci]] created a Portuguese–Chinese dictionary&nbsp;– the first ever European–Chinese dictionary.<ref name=camus>{{cite web|url=http://www.riccimac.org/doc/JesuitsJourneys.pdf|title=Jesuits' Journeys in Chinese Studies|last=Camus|first=Yves|access-date=12 June 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924090942/http://www.riccimac.org/doc/JesuitsJourneys.pdf|archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="ricciDict">''Dicionário Português–Chinês : Pu Han ci dian: Portuguese–Chinese dictionary'', by Michele Ruggieri, Matteo Ricci; edited by John W. Witek. Published 2001, Biblioteca Nacional. {{ISBN|972-565-298-3}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=A7h5YbM5M60C Partial preview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215183226/https://books.google.com/books?id=A7h5YbM5M60C |date=15 December 2022 }} available on [[Google Books]]</ref>

For instance, as [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese merchants]] were presumably the first to introduce the [[sweet orange]] in Europe, in several modern [[Indo-European languages]] the fruit has been named after them. Some examples are Albanian ''[[wikt:portokall#Albanian|portokall]]'', Bosnian (archaic) ''portokal'', ''prtokal'', Bulgarian [[wikt:портокал#Bulgarian|портокал]] (''portokal''), Greek [[wikt:πορτοκάλι#Greek|πορτοκάλι]] (''portokáli''), [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]] ''{{transliteration|mk|portokal}}'', Persian [[wikt:پرتقال#Persian|پرتقال]] (''porteghal''), and Romanian ''[[wikt:portocală#Romanian|portocală]]''.<ref name="plantname">{{cite web |title=Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database: Sorting Citrus Names |url=http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Citrus_2.html |publisher=[[University of Melbourne]] |access-date=11 December 2012 |archive-date=15 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515001035/http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Citrus_2.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="OstergrenBosse2011">{{cite book  |author1=Ostergren, Robert C. |author2=Le Bosse, Mathias  |name-list-style=amp |title=The Europeans, Second Edition: A Geography of People, Culture, and Environment |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y-1fwix23zMC&pg=PA129 |year=2011 |publisher=[[Guilford Press]] |isbn=978-1-60918-140-6 |page=129}}</ref> Related names can be found in other languages,<!--"[[Amharic language|Amharic]] birtukan": NOT in sources--> such as Arabic [[wikt:البرتقال#Arabic|البرتقال]] (''burtuqāl''), [[Georgian language|Georgian]] [[wikt:ფორთოხალი#Georgian|ფორთოხალი]] (''p'ort'oxali''), Turkish ''[[wikt:portakal#Turkish|portakal]]'' and [[Amharic]] ''birtukan''.<ref name="plantname" /> Also, in southern [[Italian language|Italian dialects]] (e.g. [[Neapolitan language|Neapolitan]]), an orange is ''[[:wikt:portogallo|portogallo]]'' or ''[[:wikt:it:purtuallo|purtuallo]]'', literally "(the) Portuguese (one)", in contrast to [[standard Italian]] ''arancia''.

[[File:2014 Lusophony Games map.svg|thumb|right|Participating countries of the [[Lusophony Games]]]]

=== Derived languages ===
{{Main|Portuguese-based creole languages}}

Beginning in the 16th century, the extensive contacts between Portuguese travelers and settlers, African and Asian slaves, and local populations led to the appearance of many [[pidgin]]s with varying amounts of Portuguese influence.

As each of these pidgins became the mother tongue of succeeding generations, they evolved into fully fledged [[creole language]]s, which remained in use in many parts of Asia, Africa and South America until the 18th century.

Some Portuguese-based or Portuguese-influenced creoles are still spoken today, namely [[Cape Verdean Creole]] and [[Papiamento]]. Portuguese-based creoles are spoken by over three million people worldwide, especially people of partial [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] ancestry.

== Language structure ==

=== Phonology ===
{{Main|Portuguese phonology}}
[[File:WIKITONGUES-_Sara_speaking_Portuguese.webm|thumb|Sara, a native speaker of [[European Portuguese]]]]
[[File:2JOB Brasilândia.ogg|thumb|Spoken [[Brazilian Portuguese]]]]

Portuguese phonology is similar to those of languages such as [[Franco-Provençal language|Franco-Provençal]] and [[Catalan phonology|Catalan]], whereas [[Spanish phonology|that of Spanish]] is similar to those of [[Sardinian language|Sardinian]] and the [[Neapolitan language|Southern Italian dialects]]. Some would describe the phonology of Portuguese as a blend of [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Gallo-Romance languages|Gallo-Romance]] (e.g. [[French language|French]]) and the [[Gallo-Italic languages|languages of northern Italy]] (especially [[Genoese dialect|Genoese]]).<ref>''Handbook of the International Phonetic Association'' pp.&nbsp;126–130</ref><ref name="Gramatica 2007" />

Portuguese can have as many as nine oral vowels, as many as two semivowels, and as many as 21 consonants; some varieties of the language have fewer [[phoneme]]s. There are also five [[nasal vowel]]s, which some linguists regard as [[allophone]]s of oral vowels.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}} Galician–Portuguese developed in the region of the former Roman province of [[Gallaecia]], from the [[Vulgar Latin]] (common Latin) that had been introduced by Roman soldiers, colonists and magistrates during the time of the [[Roman Empire]]. Although the process may have been slower than in other regions, after a period of bilingualism, the centuries of contact with Vulgar Latin completely extinguished the native languages, and a variety of Latin with a few Gallaecian features evolved.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Luján Martínez |first=Eugenio R. |date=2006 |title=The language(s) of the Callaeci |url=https://dc.uwm.edu/ekeltoi/vol6/iss1/16 |journal=E-Keltoi: Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies |volume=6 |pages=715–748 |issn=1540-4889 |access-date=24 March 2021 |archive-date=27 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227103240/https://dc.uwm.edu/ekeltoi/vol6/iss1/16/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Piel |first=Joseph-Maria |url=http://www.instituto-camoes.pt/cvc/hlp/biblioteca/origens_lex_port.pdf |title=Estudos de Linguística Histórica Galego-Portuguesa |publisher=IN-CM |year=1989 |location=Lisboa |pages=9–16 |language=Portuguese |trans-title=Studies in Galician–Portuguese Historical Linguistics |chapter=Origens e estruturação histórica do léxico português |trans-chapter=Origins and historical structure of the Portuguese lexicon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227235128/https://www.instituto-camoes.pt/cvc/hlp/biblioteca/origens_lex_port.pdf |archive-date=27 February 2008}}</ref>

[[Gallaecian language|Gallaecian]] and [[Lusitanian language|Lusitanian]] influences were absorbed into the local dialect of Vulgar Latin; this can be detected in some Galician–Portuguese words, as well as in placenames of [[Celtic language|Celtic]] and [[Iberians|Iberian]] origin.<ref>Such as ''Bolso'': [http://www.csarmento.uminho.pt/docs/ndat/rg/RGVE1999_015.pdf A Toponímia Céltica e os vestígios de cultura material da Proto-História de Portugal. Freire, José. Revista de Guimarães, Volume Especial, I, Guimarães, 1999, pp. 265–275] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206114400/http://www.csarmento.uminho.pt/docs/ndat/rg/RGVE1999_015.pdf |date=6 February 2012 }}. (PDF) . Retrieved 14 November 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Cabeza Quiles |first1=Fernando |title=A toponimia celta de Galicia |date=2014 |publisher=Toxosoutos |location=Noia |isbn=978-84-942224-4-3}}</ref>

An early form of Galician–Portuguese was already spoken in the [[Kingdom of the Suebi]], and by the year 800 Galician–Portuguese had already become the [[vernacular]] of northwestern Iberia.<ref name="lus">{{cite web |title=As origens do romance galego-português |url=http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/brevesum/porque.html#Origens |website=História da Língua Portuguesa em linha |publisher=Instituto Camões |language=Portuguese |trans-title=The origins of the Galician–Portuguese romance language |access-date=24 March 2021 |archive-date=31 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331050922/http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/brevesum/porque.html#Origens |url-status=live }}</ref> The first known [[phonetic]] changes in Vulgar Latin, which began the evolution to Galician–Portuguese, took place during the rule of the Germanic groups, the [[Suebi]] (411–585) and [[Visigoths]] (585–711).<ref name="lus" /> The Galician–Portuguese "inflected infinitive" (or "personal infinitive")<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Alinei |first1=Mario |url=http://www.continuitas.org/texts/alinei_benozzo_alguns-aspectos.pdf |title=Alguns aspectos da Teoria da Continuidade Paleolítica aplicada à região galega |last2=Benozzo |first2=Francesco |year=2008 |isbn=978-989-618-200-7 |language=Portuguese |trans-title=Some aspects of the Paleolithic Continuity Theory applied to the Galician region |access-date=14 November 2011 |archive-date=17 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317000200/http://www.continuitas.org/texts/alinei_benozzo_alguns-aspectos.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Raposo |first1=Eduardo |chapter=Prepositional Infinitival Constructions in European Portuguese |editor=Osvaldo A. Jaeggli |editor2=Kenneth J. Safir |title=The Null Subject Parameter |series=Studies in Natural Language and Linguistic Theory |year=1989 |volume=15 |pages=277–305 |doi=10.1007/978-94-009-2540-3_10 |isbn=978-1-55608-087-6}}</ref> and the [[nasal vowels]] may have evolved under the influence of local [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] (as in [[Old French]]).<ref name="cornell">{{cite web |title=Comparative Grammar of Latin 34: Language Contact |url=https://ling.cornell.edu/people/Weiss/CGL_34_Language_Contact_5.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927041334/http://ling.cornell.edu/people/Weiss/CGL_34_Language_Contact_5.pdf |archive-date=27 September 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ethnologic Map of Pre-Roman Iberia (circa 200 B.C.) |url=http://www.arkeotavira.com/Mapas/Iberia/Populi.htm |last=Silva |first=Luís Fraga da |website=Arkeotavira.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125215509/http://www.arkeotavira.com/Mapas/Iberia/Populi.htm |archive-date=2011-11-25 |access-date=14 November 2011}}</ref> The nasal vowels would thus be a phonologic characteristic of the Vulgar Latin spoken in Roman [[Gallaecia]], but they are not attested in writing until after the 6th and 7th centuries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fonética histórica |url=http://www.instituto-camoes.pt/cvc/hlp/gramhist/fonetica.html |website=História da Língua Portuguesa em linha |publisher=Instituto Camões |language=Portuguese |trans-title=Historical phonetics |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070922075547/http://www.instituto-camoes.pt/cvc/hlp/gramhist/fonetica.html |archive-date=22 September 2007}}</ref>

==== Vowels ====
[[File:European Portuguese vowel chart.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.15|Chart of monophthongs of the Portuguese of Lisbon, with its {{IPA|/ɐ, ɐ̃/|cat=no}} in central [[schwa]] position]]
[[File:Museu de História Natural (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Natural history|Natural History]] Museum of [[Mozambique]] ([[Manueline]]) in [[Maputo]]]]
[[File:FUDACAO ORIENTE.jpg|thumb|right|The [[:pt:Fundação Oriente|Fundação Oriente]] of [[Fontainhas (quarter)|Fontainhas]], [[India]]. The [[:pt:Fundação Oriente|Fundação Oriente]], along with [[Instituto Camões]], [[Institute Menezes Braganza|Instituto Menezes Bragança]] among others, are institutions dedicated to the worldwide promotion of the Portuguese language and culture.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foriente.pt/static.php?id=3B2FB7E1-AC3A-4E7C-AB36-39480ADFF5B8&area=a-fundacao |title=Delegação da Índia|website=www.foriente.pt |access-date=8 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527172830/https://www.foriente.pt/static.php?id=3B2FB7E1-AC3A-4E7C-AB36-39480ADFF5B8&area=a-fundacao |archive-date=27 May 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ]]
[[File:Praia-Instituto_Internacional_de_Língua_Portuguesa_(2).jpg|thumb|right|The [[International Portuguese Language Institute]] headquarters, in [[Praia]]]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
|+ Vowel phonemes of Portuguese (Portugal)<ref name="Cruz-Ferreira92">{{Harvcoltxt|Cruz-Ferreira|1995|p=92}}</ref><ref name="mateus11">{{Harvcoltxt|Mateus|d'Andrade|2000|p=11}}</ref><ref name="SpahrC">{{cite web |last1=Christopher |first1=Spahr |title=Confronting the European Portuguese low vowel distinction |url=http://individual.utoronto.ca/spahr/spahr_crc_2013.pdf |website=UToronto |access-date=22 December 2021 |archive-date=21 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121041405/http://individual.utoronto.ca/spahr/spahr_crc_2013.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!rowspan="2"|
!colspan="2"|[[Front vowel|Front]]
!colspan="2"|[[Central vowel|Central]]
!colspan="2"|[[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
!{{small|oral}}
!{{small|nasal}}
!{{small|oral}}
!{{small|nasal}}
!{{small|oral}}
!{{small|nasal}}
|-
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPA link|i}}
|{{IPA link|ĩ}}
|({{IPA link|ɯ̽|ɨ}})
|
|{{IPA link|u}}
|{{IPA link|ũ}}
|-
![[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
|{{IPA link|e}}
|{{IPA link|ẽ}}
|colspan="2"|
|{{IPA link|o}}
|{{IPA link|õ}}
|-
![[Open-mid vowel|Open-mid]]
|{{IPA link|ɛ}}
|
|{{IPA link|ɐ}}
|{{IPA link|ɐ̃}}
|{{IPA link|ɔ}}
|
|-
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|colspan="2"|
|{{IPA link|ä|a}}
|
|colspan="2"|
|}
Like [[Catalan language|Catalan]] and [[German language|German]], Portuguese uses vowel quality to contrast stressed syllables with unstressed syllables. Unstressed isolated vowels tend to be [[vowel height|raised]] and sometimes centralized.

==== Consonants ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
|+ Consonant phonemes of Portuguese (Portugal)<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Harvcoltxt|Cruz-Ferreira|1995|p=91}}</ref><ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Barbosa|Albano|2004|pp=228–229}}</ref><ref name="labialized velar - Carvalho">{{Cite journal |last=Carvalho |first=Joana |date=2012 |title=Sobre os Ditongos do Português Europeu |url=http://cl.up.pt/elingup/vol4n1/article/article_2.pdf |journal=ELingUp |volume=4 |issue=1 |page=20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151129081825/http://cl.up.pt/elingup/vol4n1/article/article_2.pdf |archive-date=29 November 2015 |quote=A conclusão será que nos encontramos em presença de dois segmentos fonológicos /kʷ/ e /ɡʷ/, respetivamente, com uma articulação vocálica. Bisol (2005:122), tal como Freitas (1997), afirma que não estamos em presença de um ataque ramificado. Neste caso, a glide, juntamente com a vogal que a sucede, forma um ditongo no nível pós-lexical. Esta conclusão implica um aumento do número de segmentos no inventário segmental fonológico do português. |language=pt}}</ref><ref name="labialized velar - Bisol">{{Harvcoltxt|Bisol|2005|p=122}}: {{lang|pt|italic=no|"A proposta é que a sequencia consoante velar + glide posterior seja indicada no léxico como uma unidade monofonemática /kʷ/ e /ɡʷ/. O glide que, nete caso, situa-se no ataque não-ramificado, forma com a vogal seguinte um ditongo crescente em nível pós lexical. Ditongos crescentes somente se formam neste nível. Em resumo, a consoante velar e o glide posterior, quando seguidos de a/o, formam uma só unidade fonológica, ou seja, um segmento consonantal com articulação secundária vocálica, em outros termos, um segmento complexo."}}</ref>
! colspan=2 rowspan=2 |
! rowspan=2| [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! rowspan=2| [[Dental consonant|Dental]]/<br />[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! rowspan=2| [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! colspan=2| [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! rowspan=2| [[Uvular consonant|Uvular]]
|-
! {{small|plain}}
! {{small|[[Labialization|labialized]]}}
|-
!colspan=2| [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|m}}
| {{IPA link|n}}
| {{IPA link|ɲ}}
|colspan=2|
|
|-
!rowspan=2| [[Stop consonant|Plosive]]
! {{small|[[voicelessness|voiceless]]}}
| {{IPA link|p}}
| {{IPA link|t}}
|
| {{IPA link|k}}
| {{IPA link|kʷ}}
|
|-
! {{small|[[voice (phonetics)|voiced]]}}
| {{IPA link|b}}
| {{IPA link|d}}
|
| {{IPA link|ɡ}}
| {{IPA link|ɡʷ}}
|
|-
!rowspan=2| [[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
! {{small|[[voicelessness|voiceless]]}}
| {{IPA link|f}}
| {{IPA link|s}}
| {{IPA link|ʃ}}
|colspan=2|
| 
|-
! {{small|[[voice (phonetics)|voiced]]}}
| {{IPA link|v}}
| {{IPA link|z}}
| {{IPA link|ʒ}}
|colspan=2|
| {{IPA link|ʁ}}
|-
!rowspan=2| [[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
! {{small|[[semivowel]]}}
| {{IPA link|w}}
|
| {{IPA link|j}}
|
| ({{IPA link|w}})
|
|-
! {{small|[[Lateral consonant|lateral]]}}
|
| {{IPA link|l}}
| {{IPA link|ʎ}}
|colspan=2|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Flap consonant|Flap]]
|
| {{IPA link|ɾ}}
|
|colspan=2|
|
|}

'''Phonetic notes'''
* Semivowels contrast with unstressed high vowels in verbal conjugation, as in ''(eu) rio'' {{IPA|/ˈʁi.u/}} and ''(ele) riu'' {{IPA|/ˈʁiw/}}.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Rodrigues|2012|pp=39–40}}</ref> Phonologists discuss whether their nature is vowel or consonant.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Bisol|2005|p=123}}</ref>
* In most of Brazil and Angola, the consonant hereafter denoted as {{IPA|/ɲ/}} is realized as a [[nasal palatal approximant]] {{IPAblink|ȷ̃|j̃}}, which [[Nasalization|nasalizes]] the vowel that precedes it: {{IPA|[ˈnĩj̃u]}}.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Thomas|1974|p=8}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book
|last=Perini
|first=Mário Alberto
|year=2002
|title=Modern Portuguese (A Reference Grammar)
|place=New Haven
|publisher=Yale University Press
|isbn=978-0-300-09155-7
}}</ref>
* {{Harvcoltxt|Bisol|2005|p=122}} proposes that Portuguese possesses labio-velar stops {{IPA|/kʷ/}} and {{IPA|/ɡʷ/}} as additional phonemes rather than sequences of a velar stop and {{IPA|/w/}}.<ref name="labialized velar - Bisol" />
* The consonant hereafter denoted as {{IPA|/ʁ/}} has a variety of realizations depending on dialect. In Europe, it is typically a [[uvular trill]] {{IPA|[ʀ]}}; however, a pronunciation as a [[voiced uvular fricative]] {{IPA|[ʁ]}} may be becoming dominant in urban areas. There is also a realization as a [[voiceless uvular fricative]] {{IPA|[χ]}}, and the original pronunciation as an [[alveolar trill]] {{IPA|[r]}} also remains very common in various dialects.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Mateus|d'Andrade|2000|pp=5–6, 11}}</ref> A common realization of the word-initial {{IPA|/r/}} in the Lisbon accent is a voiced uvular fricative trill {{IPAblink|ʀ̝}}.<ref name="gr157">{{Harvcoltxt|Grønnum|2005|p=157}}</ref> In Brazil, {{IPA|/ʁ/}} can be [[velar consonant|velar]], [[uvular consonant|uvular]], or [[glottal consonant|glottal]] and may be voiceless unless between voiced sounds.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Barbosa|Albano|2004|p=228}}</ref> It is usually pronounced as a [[voiceless velar fricative]] {{IPA|[x]}}, a [[voiceless glottal fricative]] {{IPA|[h]}} or [[voiceless uvular fricative]] {{IPA|[χ]}}. See also {{section link|Guttural R#Portuguese}}.
* {{IPA|/s/}} and {{IPA|/z/}} are normally {{lcons|lamino-alveolar}}, as in English. However, a number of dialects in northern Portugal pronounce {{IPA|/s/}} and {{IPA|/z/}} as [[apico-alveolar]] sibilants (sounding somewhat like a soft {{IPA|[ʃ]}} or {{IPA|[ʒ]}}), as in the Romance languages of northern Iberia. Some very few northeastern Portugal dialects still maintain the medieval distinction between apical and laminal [[sibilant]]s (written ''s/ss'' and ''c/ç/z'', respectively).
* As a phoneme, {{IPA|/tʃ/}} occurs only in loanwords, names, and interjections, with a dialectal tendency for speakers to substitute in {{IPA|/ʃ/}} in most dialects outside of Brazil (as well as some conservative Brazilian dialects, to a variable extent.) However, {{IPA|[tʃ]}} is an [[allophone]] of {{IPA|/t/}} before {{IPA|/i/}} in a majority of Brazilian dialects. Similarly, {{IPA|[dʒ]}} is an allophone of {{IPA|/d/}} in the same contexts.
* In northern and central Portugal, the voiced stops ({{IPA|/b/}}, {{IPA|/d/}}, and {{IPA|/ɡ/}}) are usually lenited to [[fricative]]s {{IPA|[β]}}, {{IPA|[ð]}}, and {{IPA|[ɣ]}}, respectively, except at the beginning of words or after nasal vowels.<ref name="Cruz-Ferreira92"/><ref name="mateus11"/> At the end of a phrase, due to [[final-obstruent devoicing]], they may even be devoiced to {{IPA|[ɸ]}}, {{IPA|[θ]}}, and {{IPA|[x]}} (for example, ''verde'' at the end of a sentence may be pronounced {{IPA|[veɹθ]}}).
* In Brazil, many speakers further shift {{IPA|[ɫ]}} to {{IPA|[w]}} in closed syllables, especially outside the southern region.
* Phonetically, Portuguese and [[French language|French]], are quite different from the other major Romance languages. It has been suggested that this stems from the ancient link to Celtic languages such as [[Welsh language|Welsh]] or [[Breton language|Breton]],<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44938469//|title=Insular Portuguese Pronunciation:Alleged Breton Influence|date=20 January 2024|jstor=44938469 |last1=Rogers |first1=Francis Millet |journal=Romance Philology |volume=2 |issue=4 |pages=305–314 }}</ref> with which it also shares a substantial number of cognates: there are 37 sounds in Portuguese, including vowels, consonants and diphthongs, most of which exist in today's [[Celtic languages]].<ref name="Filppula-Klemola"/>

=== Orthography ===
{{excerpt|Portuguese orthography|only=paragraphs|paragraphs=1-2}}

==== Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement of 1990 ====
{{excerpt|Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement of 1990|Changes|only=table|tables=2}}

=== Grammar ===
{{Main|Portuguese grammar}}

A notable aspect of the grammar of Portuguese is the verb. Morphologically, more verbal inflections from classical Latin have been preserved by Portuguese than by any other major [[Romance language]]. Portuguese and Spanish share very similar grammar, vocabulary and sentence structure. Portuguese also has some grammatical innovations not found in other Romance languages (except Galician and Fala):
* The [[present perfect]] has an iterative sense unique to the Galician–Portuguese language group. It denotes an action or a series of actions that began in the past but expected to occur again in the future. For instance, the sentence ''Tenho tentado falar contigo'' would be translated to "I have been trying to talk to you", not "I have tried to talk to you." On the other hand, the correct translation of "Have you heard the latest news?" is not ''*Tens ouvido as últimas?'' but ''Ouviste as últimas?'' since no repetition is implied.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Verbal Periphrases in Romance: Aspect, Actionality, and Grammaticalization |last=Squartini |first=Mario |publisher=Mouton de Gruyter |year=1998 |isbn=978-3-11-016160-1 |location=Berlin |oclc=39007172}}</ref>
* Portuguese makes use of the future [[subjunctive mood]], which developed from medieval [[West Iberian languages|West Iberian Romance]]. In modern Spanish and Galician, it has almost entirely fallen into disuse. The future subjunctive appears in dependent clauses that denote a condition that must be fulfilled in the future so that the independent clause will occur. English normally employs the present tense under the same circumstances:

:''Se eu ''for'' eleito presidente, mudarei a lei.''
:If ''I am'' elected president, I will change the law.

:''Quando ''fores'' mais velho, vais entender.''
:When ''you grow'' older, you will understand.
* The personal [[infinitive]] can [[inflection|inflect]] according to its subject in [[Grammatical person|person]] and [[Grammatical number|number]]. It often shows who is expected to perform a certain action. ''É melhor voltares'' "It is better [for you] to go back", ''É melhor voltarmos'' "It is better [for us] to go back." Perhaps for that reason, infinitive clauses replace subjunctive clauses more often in Portuguese than in other Romance languages.

=== Vocabulary===
{{Main|Portuguese vocabulary}}
[[File:Languages of pre-Roman Iberia.gif|thumb|Linguistic map of Pre-Roman Iberia]]
[[File:Palácio Presidencial em Bissau (1).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Presidential Palace, Bissau|Bissau-Guinean Presidential Palace]], with its [[Portuguese colonial architecture]], is a building that has a library, a small theater and was formerly the palace of the colonial governor of [[Portuguese Guinea|Portuguese-Guinea]], seen from the PAIGC-building (formerly the seat of the local commercial association ''Associação Comercial, Industrial e Agrícola de Bissau''), located at the ''Praça dos Heróis Nacionais'' square (formerly ''Praça do Império square''), in downtown [[Bissau]].]]

Most of the lexicon of Portuguese is derived, directly or through other Romance languages, from Latin. Nevertheless, because of its original [[Lusitanians|Lusitanian]] and Celtic [[Gallaeci]]an heritage, and the later participation of Portugal in the [[Age of Discovery]], it has a relevant number of words from the ancient [[Hispano-Celtic languages|Hispano-Celtic group]]<ref name="Colera 2007 p.750 quote" /> and adopted [[loanword]]s from other languages around the world.

A number of Portuguese words can still be traced to the [[Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula|pre-Roman inhabitants of Portugal]], which included the [[Gallaeci]], [[Lusitanians]], [[Celtici]] and [[Cynetes]]. Most of these words derived from the Hispano-Celtic [[Gallaecian language]] of northwestern Iberia, and are very often shared with [[Galician language|Galician]] since both languages have the same origin in the medieval language of Galician–Portuguese. A few of these words existed in Latin as loanwords from other [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] sources, often [[Gaulish]]. Altogether these are over 3,000 words, verbs, toponymic names of towns, rivers, surnames, tools, lexicon linked to rural life and natural world.<ref name="Filppula-Klemola">{{cite journal |last1=Filppula |first1=Markku |last2=Klemola |first2=Juhani |title=Celtic Influences in English: A Re-Evaluation |journal=Neuphilologische Mitteilungen |volume=115 |number=1 |date=2014 |pages=33–53 |jstor=43344757 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/43344757 |access-date=20 January 2024 |archive-date=20 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120002914/https://www.jstor.org/stable/43344757 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the 5th century, the Iberian Peninsula (the Roman [[Hispania]]) was conquered by the [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]], [[Suebi]] and [[Visigoths]]. As they adopted the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] civilization and language, however, these people contributed with some 500 
[[Germanic languages|Germanic]] words to the lexicon. Many of these words are related to:
* '''warfare''', such as {{lang|pt|espora}} 'spur', {{lang|pt|estaca}} ('stake'), and {{lang|pt|guerra}} ('war'), from [[Gothic language|Gothic]] ''*spaúra'', ''*stakka'', and ''*wirro'' respectively; 
* '''natural world''', such as {{lang|pt|suino}} ('swine') from ''*sweina'', {{lang|pt|gavião}} ('hawk') from ''*gabilans'', {{lang|pt|vaga}} ('spot') from ''*vigan'';
* '''human emotions''', such as {{lang|pt|orgulho}} or {{lang|pt|orgulhoso}} ('pride', 'proud') from Old Germanic ''*urguol'', and
* '''verbs''' like {{lang|pt|gravar}} ('to craft, record, graft') from ''*graba'' or {{lang|pt|esmagar}} ('to squeeze, quash, grind') from Suebian ''*magōn'' or {{lang|pt|esfarrapar}} ('to shred') from ''*harpō''.

The [[Germanic languages]] influence also exists in [[toponymic surname]]s and [[patronymic surname]]s borne by Visigoth sovereigns and their descendants, and it dwells on placenames such as [[Ermesinde]], [[Esposende]] and [[Resende, Portugal|Resende]] where ''sinde'' and ''sende'' are derived from the Germanic ''sinths'' ('military expedition') and in the case of Resende, the prefix ''re'' comes from Germanic ''reths'' ('council'). Other examples of Portuguese names, surnames and town names of Germanic [[toponymic]] origin include Henrique, [[Henriques (surname)|Henriques]], Vermoim, Mandim, Calquim, Baguim, Gemunde, Guetim, Sermonde and many more, are quite common mainly in the old [[Suebi]] and later [[Visigothic]] dominated regions, covering today's Northern half of Portugal and [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]].

Between the 9th and early 13th centuries, Portuguese acquired some 400 to 600 words from [[Arabic language|Arabic]] by influence of [[al-Andalus|Moorish Iberia]]. They are often recognizable by the initial [[Definite article in Arabic|Arabic article ''a(l)-'']], and include common words such as {{lang|pt|aldeia}} ('village') from الضيعة ''aḍ-ḍayʿa'', {{lang|pt|alface}} ('lettuce') from الخسة ''al-khassa'', {{lang|pt|armazém}} ('warehouse') from المخزن ''al-makhzan'', and {{lang|pt|azeite}} ('olive oil') from الزيت ''az-zayt''.

[[File:State_Central_Library,_Goa_Dec_27,_2012_14.JPG|thumb|left|A sign at [[Goa State Central Library|Goa Central Library]], in [[Panaji]], India, listing three Portuguese-language newspapers]]

Starting in the 15th century, the Portuguese maritime explorations led to the introduction of many loanwords from Asian languages. For instance, {{lang|pt|catana}} ('[[cutlass]]') from [[Japanese language|Japanese]] ''[[katana]]'', {{lang|pt|chá}} ('tea') from [[Chinese language|Chinese]] ''[[Tea#Etymology|chá]]'', and ''[[Canja de galinha|canja]]''<ref>{{cite web |title=Canja |url=https://dicionario.priberam.org/Canja |website=Dicionário Priberam |access-date=23 September 2018 |archive-date=24 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924033808/https://dicionario.priberam.org/Canja |url-status=live }}</ref> ('chicken-soup, piece of cake') from [[Malay language|Malay]].

From the 16th to the 19th centuries, because of the role of Portugal as intermediary in the [[Atlantic slave trade]], and the establishment of large Portuguese colonies in Angola, Mozambique, and Brazil, Portuguese acquired several words of African and [[indigenous peoples of Brazil|Amerind]] origin, especially names for most of the animals and plants found in those territories. While those terms are mostly used in the former colonies, many became current in European Portuguese as well. From [[Kimbundu language|Kimbundu]], for example, came ''kifumate'' > {{lang|pt|cafuné}} ('head caress') (Brazil), ''kusula'' > {{lang|pt|caçula}} ('youngest child') (Brazil), {{lang|pt|marimbondo}} ('tropical wasp') (Brazil), and ''kubungula'' > {{lang|pt|bungular}} ('to dance like a wizard') (Angola). From South America came {{lang|pt|batata}} ('[[potato]]'), from [[Taíno language|Taino]]; {{lang|pt|ananás}} and {{lang|pt|abacaxi}}, from [[Tupi–Guarani languages|Tupi–Guarani]] ''naná'' and [[Tupi language|Tupi]] ''ibá cati'', respectively (two species of [[pineapple]]), and {{lang|pt|pipoca}} ('[[popcorn]]') from Tupi and {{lang|pt|tucano}} ('[[toucan]]') from [[Guarani language|Guarani]] ''tucan''.

Finally, it has received a steady influx of loanwords from other European languages, especially French and [[English language|English]]. These are by far the most important languages when referring to loanwords. There are many examples such as: {{lang|pt|colchete}}/{{lang|pt|crochê}} ('bracket'/'crochet'), {{lang|pt|paletó}} ('jacket'), {{lang|pt|batom}} ('lipstick'), and {{lang|pt|filé}}/{{lang|pt|filete}} ('steak'/'slice'), {{lang|pt|rua}} ('street'), respectively, from French {{lang|fr|crochet}}, {{lang|fr|paletot}}, {{lang|fr|bâton}}, {{lang|fr|filet}}, {{lang|fr|rue}}; and {{lang|pt|bife}} ('steak'), {{lang|pt|futebol}}, {{lang|pt|revólver}}, {{lang|pt|stock}}/{{lang|pt|estoque}}, {{lang|pt|folclore}}, from English "beef", "football", "revolver", "stock", "folklore".

Examples from other European languages: {{lang|pt|macarrão}} ('pasta'), {{lang|pt|piloto}} ('pilot'), {{lang|pt|carroça}} ('carriage'), and {{lang|pt|barraca}} ('barrack'), from Italian {{lang|it|maccherone}}, {{lang|it|pilota}}, {{lang|it|carrozza}}, and {{lang|it|baracca}}; {{lang|pt|melena}} ('hair lock'), {{lang|pt|fiambre}} ('wet-cured ham') (in Portugal, in contrast with ''presunto'' 'dry-cured ham' from Latin ''prae-exsuctus'' 'dehydrated') or ('canned ham') (in Brazil, in contrast with non-canned, wet-cured (''presunto cozido'') and dry-cured (''presunto cru'')), or ''castelhano'' ('Castilian'), from Spanish ''melena'' ('mane'), ''fiambre'' and ''castellano.''

== Dialects, accents and varieties ==

Modern Standard [[European Portuguese]] ({{lang|pt|português padrão}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.infoescola.com/linguistica/portugues-na-europa/|title=Português na Europa|website=InfoEscola}}</ref> or {{lang|pt|português continental}}) is based on the Portuguese spoken in the area including and surrounding the cities of [[Coimbra]] and [[Lisbon]], in central Portugal. Standard European Portuguese is also the preferred standard by the Portuguese-speaking African countries. As such, and despite the fact that its speakers are dispersed around the world, Portuguese has only two dialects used for learning: the European and the Brazilian. Some aspects and sounds found in many dialects of Brazil are exclusive to South America, and cannot be found in Europe. The same occur with the Santomean, Mozambican, Bissau-Guinean, Angolan and Cape Verdean dialects, being exclusive to Africa. See [[Portuguese in Africa]].

Audio samples of some dialects and accents of Portuguese are available below. There are some differences between the areas but these are the best approximations possible. IPA transcriptions refer to the names in local pronunciation.

=== Portugal ===
[[File:Portugal portuguese dialects.png|thumb|Portugal's Portuguese dialects]]
[[File:AngolaLanguageMap.png|thumb|Map of Angola 2024 - native majority Portuguese speakers]]
[[File:Portuguese as a Native Language in Mozambique - Proportion of Speakers.png|thumb|Portuguese as a Native Language in Mozambique - Proportion of Speakers]]
[[File:Edificio de Correos y Telégrafos, Macao, 2013-08-08, DD 03.jpg|thumb|right|The main [[post office]] building of [[Macau]]]]
{{Pie chart 
|caption = Percentage of worldwide Portuguese speakers per country (c. 2023)<ref name="Publico25">{{cite web | last1=Sanches | first1=Andreia | last2=Mendon&#xE7 | first2=tia | last3=Moreira | first3=Cristiana Faria | last4=G&#xF3 | first4=Gabriela | last5=Pedro | first5=Gabriela | title=A língua portuguesa no mundo | website=PÚBLICO | date=2025-03-04 | url=https://www.publico.pt/2025/03/04/infografia/lingua-portuguesa-mundo-854 | language=pt | access-date=2025-03-08}}</ref>
|value1=80.1
|label1=Brazil
|color1=#009440
|value2=9.0
|label2=Angola
|color2=Black
|value3=5.9
|label3=Mozambique
|color3=#FCCF03
|value4=4.1
|label4=Portugal
|color4=#FF0000
|value5=0.9
|label5= Others
|color5=Blue
}}
# [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som69.html ''Micaelense (Açores)''] (São Miguel) – [[Azores]].
# [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som40.html ''Alentejano''] – [[Alentejo]] ([[Alentejan Portuguese]]), with the [[Oliventine Portuguese|Oliventine]] subdialect.
# [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som44.html ''Algarvio''] – [[Algarve]] (there is a particular dialect in a small part of western Algarve).
# [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som1.html ''Minhoto'']&nbsp;– Districts of [[Braga]] and Viana do Castelo (hinterland).
# [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som49.html ''Beirão''; ''Alto-Alentejano''] – Central Portugal (hinterland).
# [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som9.html ''Beirão''] – Central Portugal.
# [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som22.html ''Estremenho'']&nbsp;– Regions of [[Coimbra]] and [[Lisbon]] (this is a disputed denomination, as Coimbra and is not part of "Estremadura", and the Lisbon dialect has some peculiar features that are not only not shared with that of Coimbra, but also significantly distinct and recognizable to most native speakers from elsewhere in Portugal).
# [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som60.html ''Madeirense''] (Madeiran)&nbsp;– [[Madeira]].
# [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som14.html ''Portuense'']&nbsp;– Regions of the district of [[Porto]] and parts of [[Aveiro, Portugal|Aveiro]].
# [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som6.html ''Transmontano'']&nbsp;– [[Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro]].

[[File:Uso dos pronomes de segunda pessoa no Brasil.svg|thumb|The status of second person pronouns in Brazil:
{{col-begin}}
{{legend|#A40000|Near exclusive use of {{lang|pt|você}} (greater than 96%)}}
{{legend|#5B4FDE|Decidedly predominant use of {{lang|pt|tu}} (greater than 80%), but with near exclusive third person ({{lang|pt|você}}-like) verbal conjugation.}}
{{legend|#590000|50-50 {{lang|pt|você}}/{{lang|pt|tu}} variation, with {{lang|pt|tu}} being nearly always accompanied by third person ({{lang|pt|você}}-like) verbal conjugation.}}
{{legend|#00C4DC|Decidedly predominant to near exclusive use of {{lang|pt|tu}} (76% to 95%) with reasonable frequency of second person ({{lang|pt|tu}}-like) verbal conjugation.}}
{{legend|#85C700|Balanced você/tu distribution, being {{lang|pt|tu}} exclusively accompanied by third person ({{lang|pt|você}}-like) verbal conjugation.}}
{{legend|#006700|Balanced {{lang|pt|você}}/{{lang|pt|tu}} distribution, {{lang|pt|tu}} being predominantly accompanied by third person ({{lang|pt|você}}-like) verbal conjugation.}}
{{legend|#E6E6E6|No data}}
{{col-end}}]]
[[File:2018 Rio de Janeiro - Fachada do Real Gabinete Português de Leitura - Luis de Camões.jpg|thumb|right|[[Statue]] of the Portuguese poet [[Luís de Camões]] at the entrance of the [[Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]]]]
[[File:Estação da luz-13.jpg|thumb|right|[[Museum of the Portuguese Language]] in [[São Paulo]]]]

Audio samples of some dialects and accents of Portuguese are available below.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/mapa07.html|title=Audio samples of the dialects of Portuguese|access-date=12 June 2015|publisher=[[Instituto Camões]]|archive-date=27 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427031743/http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/mapa07.html|url-status=live}}</ref> There are some differences between the areas but these are the best approximations possible. IPA transcriptions refer to the names in local pronunciation.

=== Brazil ===
# ''[[Caipira dialect|Caipira]]''&nbsp;– Spoken in the states of [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]] (most markedly on the countryside and rural areas); southern [[Minas Gerais]], northern [[Paraná (state)|Paraná]] and southeastern [[Mato Grosso do Sul]]. Depending on the vision of what constitutes ''caipira'', [[Triângulo Mineiro]], border areas of [[Goiás]] and the remaining parts of Mato Grosso do Sul are included, and the frontier of ''caipira'' in Minas Gerais is expanded further northerly, though not reaching metropolitan [[Belo Horizonte]]. It is often said that ''caipira'' appeared by [[decreolization]] of the [[Old Tupi|língua brasílica]] and the related [[língua geral paulista]], then spoken in almost all of what is now São Paulo, a former [[lingua franca]] in most of the contemporary [[Centro-Sul]] of Brazil before the 18th century, brought by the ''[[bandeirante]]s'', interior pioneers of [[Colonial Brazil]], closely related to its northern counterpart [[Nheengatu language|Nheengatu]], and that is why the dialect shows many general differences from other variants of the language.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sosaci.org/balaio2.htm |title=Nheengatu and caipira dialect |publisher=Sosaci.org |access-date=23 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215070133/http://www.sosaci.org/balaio2.htm |archive-date=15 December 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It has striking remarkable differences in comparison to other Brazilian dialects in phonology, prosody and grammar, often [[Social stigma|stigmatized]] as being strongly associated with a [[Prestige (sociolinguistics)|substandard variant]], now mostly rural.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Ferraz |first=Irineu da Silva |title=Características fonético-acústicas do /r/ retroflexo do portugues brasileiro: dados de informantes de Pato Branco (PR) |date=2005 |degree=Master's |publisher=Universidade Federal do Paraná |url=http://dspace.c3sl.ufpr.br/dspace/bitstream/handle/1884/3955/CARACTER%C3%8DSTICAS%20FON%C3%89TICO.pdf?sequence=1 |hdl=1884/3955 |trans-title=Acoustic-phonetic characteristics of the Brazilian Portuguese's retroflex /r/: data from respondents in Pato Branco, Paraná |pages=19–21 |lang=pt |access-date=22 September 2012 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175335/http://dspace.c3sl.ufpr.br/dspace/bitstream/handle/1884/3955/CARACTER%C3%8DSTICAS%20FON%C3%89TICO.pdf?sequence=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Leite |first=Cândida Mara Britto |date=2010 |title=O /r/ em posição de coda silábica na capital do interior paulista: uma abordagem sociolinguística |trans-title=Syllable coda /r/ in the "capital" of the Paulista hinterland: a sociolinguistic analysis |url=http://cedae.iel.unicamp.br/revista/index.php/sinteses/article/download/1198/1766 |journal=Sínteses |language=pt |volume=15 |page=111 |archive-date=22 December 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121222082929/http://cedae.iel.unicamp.br/revista/index.php/sinteses/article/download/1198/1766}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Callou |first1=Dinah |title=Iniciação à Fonética e à Fonologia |last2=Leite |first2=Yonne |publisher=Jorge Zahar Editora |year=2001 |page=24 |language=pt |trans-title=Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Castilho  |first=Ataliba T. de |title=Saber uma língua é separar o certo do errado? A língua é um organismo vivo que varia conforme o contexto e vai muito além de uma coleção de regras e normas de como falar e escrever |url=http://www.poiesis.org.br/files/mlp/texto_16.pdf |trans-title=To know a language is really about separating correct from awry? Language is a living organism that varies by context and goes far beyond a collection of rules and norms of how to speak and write |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121222082936/http://www.poiesis.org.br/files/mlp/texto_16.pdf |publisher=[[Museu da Língua Portuguesa]] |language=pt |archive-date=22 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Linguistic prejudice and the surprising (academic and formal) unity of Brazilian Portuguese |url=http://www.lendo.org/preconceito-linguistico-o-portugues-do-brasil-apresenta-uma-unidade-surpreendente/ |access-date=22 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021055958/http://www.lendo.org/preconceito-linguistico-o-portugues-do-brasil-apresenta-uma-unidade-surpreendente/ |archive-date=21 October 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
# [[North coast Portuguese|''Cearense'' or ''Costa norte'']]&nbsp;– is a dialect spoken more sharply in the states of Ceará and Piauí. The variant of Ceará includes fairly distinctive traits it shares with the one spoken in Piauí, though, such as distinctive regional phonology and vocabulary (for example, a debuccalization process stronger than that of Portuguese, a different system of the vowel harmony that spans Brazil from ''fluminense'' and ''mineiro'' to ''amazofonia'' but is especially prevalent in ''nordestino'', a very coherent coda sibilant palatalization as those of Portugal and Rio de Janeiro but allowed in fewer environments than in other accents of ''nordestino'', a greater presence of dental stop palatalization to palato-alveolar in comparison to other accents of ''nordestino'', among others, as well as a great number of archaic Portuguese words).<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://repositorio.ufc.br/bitstream/riufc/31547/1/2000_art_jlmonteiro.pdf |title=As descrições fonológicas do português do Ceará: de Aguiar a Macambira |first=José Lemos |last=Monteiro |journal=Revista do GELNE |volume=2 |issue=1 |year=2000 |access-date=7 March 2019 |archive-date=8 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190308002954/http://repositorio.ufc.br/bitstream/riufc/31547/1/2000_art_jlmonteiro.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Maia |first=Viviane dos Santos |title='Tu vai para onde? ... Você vai para onde?': manifestações da segunda pessoa na fala carioca |date=2012 |degree=Master's |publisher=Federal University of Rio de Janeiro |url=http://www.letras.ufrj.br/posverna/mestrado/SantosVM.pdf |language=pt |trans-title='Tu vai para onde? ... Você vai para onde?: manifestations of the second person in Carioca speech |access-date=10 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011052321/http://www.letras.ufrj.br/posverna/mestrado/SantosVM.pdf |archive-date=11 October 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Aragão |first=Maria do Socorro Silva de |title=Aspectos Fonético-Fonológicos do Falar do Ceará: O Que Tem Surgido nos Inquéritos Experimentais do Atlas Lingüístico do Brasil – ALiB-Ce |url=http://www.profala.ufc.br/trabalho6.pdf |trans-title=Phonetic-Phonological Aspects of the Speech of Ceará: What Has Appeared in Experimental Surveys of the Linguistic Atlas of Brazil – ALiB-Ce |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201172230/https://profala.ufc.br/trabalho6.pdf |language=pt |access-date=10 August 2017 |archive-date=2014-02-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lee |first=Seung Hwa |date=2006 |title=Sobre as vogais pré-tônicas no Português Brasileiro |trans-title=About pre-tonic vowels in Brazilian Portuguese |url=http://www.gel.org.br/estudoslinguisticos/edicoesanteriores/4publica-estudos-2006/sistema06/shl.pdf |journal=Estudos Lingüísticos |language=pt |volume=XXXV |pages=166–175 |access-date=10 August 2017 |archive-date=11 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011052324/http://www.gel.org.br/estudoslinguisticos/edicoesanteriores/4publica-estudos-2006/sistema06/shl.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Aragão |first=Maria do Socorro Silva de |date=2009 |title=Os estudos fonético-fonológicos nos estados da Paraíba e do Ceará |trans-title=Phonetic-phonological studies in the states of Paraíba and Ceará |url=http://www.abralin.org/site/data/uploads/revistas/2009-vol-8-n-1/mariasocorro.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Revista da ABRALIN |language=pt |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=163–184 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011052325/http://www.abralin.org/site/data/uploads/revistas/2009-vol-8-n-1/mariasocorro.pdf |archive-date=11 October 2017 |access-date=10 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nascimento |first1=Katiene |last2=Guimarães |first2=Daniela |last3=Barboza |first3=Clerton |last4=Silva |first4=Thaïs Cristófaro |display-authors=3 |year=2012 |title=Revisitando a palatalização no português brasileiro |trans-title=Revisiting palatalization in Brazilian Portuguese |url=http://www.periodicos.letras.ufmg.br/index.php/relin/article/view/2744/2699 |journal=Revista de Estudos da Linguagem |language=pt |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=59–89 |doi=10.17851/2237-2083.20.2.59-89 |access-date=18 April 2013 |archive-date=3 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203130207/http://www.periodicos.letras.ufmg.br/index.php/relin/article/view/2744/2699 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |doi-access=free }}</ref>
# ''Baiano''&nbsp;– Found in [[Bahia]] and border regions with [[Goiás]] and [[Tocantins]]. Similar to ''nordestino'', it has a very characteristic [[Stress timing|syllable-timed rhythm]] and the greatest tendency to pronounce unstressed vowels as open-mid {{IPAblink|ɛ}} and {{IPAblink|ɔ}}.[[File:Br.pt.png|thumb|[[Variety (linguistics)|Variants]] and [[sociolect]]s of Brazilian Portuguese]]
# [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som90.html ''Fluminense'']&nbsp;– A broad dialect with many variants spoken in the states of [[Rio de Janeiro (state)|Rio de Janeiro]], [[Espírito Santo]] and neighboring eastern regions of [[Minas Gerais]]. ''Fluminense'' formed in these previously ''caipira''-speaking areas due to the gradual influence of European migrants, causing many people to distance their speech from their original dialect and incorporate new terms.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sibila.com.br/english/learn-about-portuguese-language-2/2721|title=Learn about Portuguese language|newspaper=Sibila - Revista de Poesia e Crítica Literária |date=25 April 2009|publisher=Sibila|access-date=27 November 2012|archive-date=22 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121222082929/http://sibila.com.br/english/learn-about-portuguese-language-2/2721|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Fluminense'' is sometimes referred to as ''carioca'', however ''carioca'' is a more specific term referring to the accent of the [[Greater Rio de Janeiro]] area by speakers with a ''fluminense'' dialect.
# ''[[Gaúcho dialect|Gaúcho]]''&nbsp;– in [[Rio Grande do Sul]], similar to ''sulista''. There are many distinct accents in Rio Grande do Sul, mainly due to the heavy influx of European immigrants of diverse origins who have settled in colonies throughout the state, and to the proximity to [[Hispanosphere|Spanish-speaking nations]]. The word ''gaúcho'' itself is a Spanish [[loanword]] into Portuguese, of obscure [[Indigenous languages of the Americas|Indigenous Amerindian]] origins.
# ''[[Mineiro]]''&nbsp;– [[Minas Gerais]] (but not prevalent in the [[Triângulo Mineiro]]). As with the ''fluminense'' area, its associated region was formerly a sparsely populated land where ''caipira'' was spoken, but [[Minas Gerais#History|the discovery of gold and gems made it the most prosperous Brazilian region]], attracting Portuguese colonists, commoners from other parts of Brazil, and their African slaves. The south-southwestern, [[Zona da Mata (Minas Gerais)|southeastern]], and northern areas of the state each have fairly distinctive speech, actually approximating to ''caipira'', ''fluminense'' (popularly and often pejoratively called ''carioca do brejo'', "marsh carioca"), and ''baiano'' respectively. [[Belo Horizonte]] and the area surrounding it have a distinctive accent.
# [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som91.html ''Nordestino'']<ref name="ReferenceB">Note: the speaker of this sound file is from Rio de Janeiro, and he is talking about his experience with ''nordestino'' and ''nortista'' accents.</ref>&nbsp;– more marked in the [[Sertão]] (7), where, in the 19th and 20th centuries and especially in the area including and surrounding the ''sertão'' (the dry land after [[Agreste]]) of Pernambuco and southern Ceará, it could sound less comprehensible to speakers of other Portuguese dialects than Galician or [[Rioplatense Spanish]], and nowadays less distinctive from other variants in the metropolitan cities [[Zona da Mata|along the coasts]]. It can be divided in two regional variants, one that includes the northern [[Maranhão]] and southern of [[Piauí]], and other that goes from [[Ceará]] to [[Alagoas]].
# ''Nortista'' or ''[[amazofonia]]''&nbsp;– Most of [[Amazon Basin]] states, i.e. [[North Region, Brazil|Northern Brazil]]. Before the 20th century, most people from the ''nordestino'' area fleeing the droughts and their associated poverty settled here, so it has some similarities with the Portuguese dialect there spoken. The speech in and around the cities of [[Belém]] and [[Manaus]] has a more European flavor in phonology, prosody and grammar.
# ''[[Paulistano dialect|Paulistano]]''&nbsp;– Variants spoken around [[Greater São Paulo]] in its maximum definition and more easterly areas of São Paulo state, as well as perhaps "educated speech" from anywhere in [[São Paulo (state)|the state of São Paulo]] (where it coexists with ''caipira''). ''Caipira'' is the hinterland sociolect of much of the [[Centro-Sul|Central-Southern half]] of Brazil, nowadays conservative only in the rural areas and associated with them, that has a historically [[prestige (sociolinguistics)|low prestige]] in cities as Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, and until some years ago, in São Paulo itself. [[Sociolinguistics]], or what by times is described as "[[linguistic discrimination|linguistic prejudice]]", often correlated with [[Class discrimination|classism]],<ref>{{cite web |title=O MEC, o "português errado" e a linguistica... |url=http://www.imprenca.com/2011/05/mec-portugues-errado-e-linguistica.html |date=2011-05-17 |website=Imprenca.com |language=pt |trans-title=MEC, "wrong Portuguese" and linguistics…  |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419090139/http://www.imprenca.com/2011/05/mec-portugues-errado-e-linguistica.html |archive-date=19 April 2012 |access-date=23 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Cartilha do MEC ensina erro de Português |url=http://www.saindodamatrix.com.br/archives/2011/05/cartilha_do_mec.html |date=18 May 2011 |website=Saindo da Matrix |language=pt |trans-title=MEC primer teaches Portuguese error |access-date=23 July 2012 |archive-date=12 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612030228/http://www.saindodamatrix.com.br/archives/2011/05/cartilha_do_mec.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.jornaldebeltrao.com.br/noticia/63414/livro-do-mec-ensina-o-portugues-errado-ou-apenas-valoriza-as-formas-linguisticas |title=Livro do MEC ensina o português errado ou apenas valoriza as formas linguísticas? |work=Jornal de Beltrão |language=pt |date=26 May 2011 |access-date=23 July 2012 |archive-date=11 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171111080402/http://www.jornaldebeltrao.com.br/noticia/63414/livro-do-mec-ensina-o-portugues-errado-ou-apenas-valoriza-as-formas-linguisticas |url-status=dead }}</ref> is a polemic topic in the entirety of the country since the times of [[Adoniran Barbosa#Musical production|Adoniran Barbosa]]. Also, the "Paulistano" accent was heavily influenced by the presence of immigrants in the city of São Paulo, especially the Italians.
# ''Sertanejo''&nbsp;– [[Center-West Region, Brazil|Center-Western states]], and also much of [[Tocantins]] and [[Rondônia]]. It is closer to ''mineiro'', ''caipira'', ''nordestino'' or ''nortista'' depending on the location.
# ''Sulista''&nbsp;– The variants spoken in the areas between the northern regions of [[Rio Grande do Sul]] and southern regions of São Paulo state, encompassing most of [[South Region, Brazil|southern Brazil]]. The city of [[Curitiba]] does have a fairly distinct accent as well, and a relative majority of speakers around and in [[Florianópolis]] also speak this variant (many speak ''florianopolitano'' or ''manezinho da ilha'' instead, related to the European Portuguese dialects spoken in [[Azores]] and [[Madeira]]). Speech of northern Paraná is closer to that of inland São Paulo.
# ''[[Florianopolitan dialect|Florianopolitano]]''&nbsp;– Variants heavily influenced by European Portuguese spoken in [[Florianópolis]] city (due to a heavy immigration movement from Portugal, mainly its [[Autonomous regions of Portugal|insular regions]]) and much of its metropolitan area, [[Grande Florianópolis]], said to be a continuum between those whose speech most resemble ''sulista'' dialects and those whose speech most resemble ''fluminense'' and European ones, called ''manezinho da ilha''.
# ''[[Carioca]]''&nbsp;– Not a dialect, but [[sociolect]]s of the ''fluminense'' variant spoken in an area roughly corresponding to [[Greater Rio de Janeiro]]. It appeared after locals came in contact with the Portuguese aristocracy amidst the [[Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil|Portuguese royal family fled]] in the early 19th century. There is actually a continuum between Vernacular countryside accents and the ''carioca'' sociolect, and the educated speech (in Portuguese ''norma culta'', which most closely resembles other Brazilian Portuguese standards but with marked recent Portuguese influences, the nearest ones among the country's dialects along ''florianopolitano''), so that not all people native to the state of Rio de Janeiro speak the said sociolect, but most ''carioca'' speakers will use the standard variant not influenced by it that is rather uniform around Brazil depending on context (emphasis or formality, for example).
# ''Brasiliense''&nbsp;– used in [[Brasília]] and its metropolitan area.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sotaque branco |url=http://www.meiamaratonadebrasilia.com.br/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73&Itemid=71 |publisher=Meia Maratona Internacional CAIXA de Brasília |language=pt |trans-title=White accent |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160517200320/http://www.meiamaratonadebrasilia.com.br/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73&Itemid=71 |archive-date=17 May 2016 |access-date=25 September 2012}}</ref> It is not considered a dialect, but more of a regional variant&nbsp;– often deemed to be closer to ''fluminense'' than the dialect commonly spoken in most of Goiás, ''sertanejo''.
# ''Arco do desflorestamento'' or ''[[:pt:Dialeto da serra amazônica|serra amazônica]]''&nbsp;– Known in its region as the "accent of the migrants", it has similarities with ''caipira'', ''sertanejo'' and often ''sulista'' that make it differing from ''amazofonia'' (in the opposite group of Brazilian dialects, in which it is placed along ''nordestino'', ''baiano'', ''mineiro'' and ''fluminense''). It is the most recent dialect, which appeared by the settlement of families from various other Brazilian regions attracted by the cheap land offer in recently [[Deforestation|deforested]] areas.<ref>{{cite web |title=O Que É? Amazônia |url=http://amarnatureza.org.br/site/amazonia-2,9399/ |date=1 September 2009  |website=Amarnatureza.org.br |publisher=Associação de Defesa do Meio Ambiente Araucária (AMAR) |language=pt |trans-title=What is? Amazon |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121222084453/https://amarnatureza.org.br/site/amazonia-2%2C9399/ |archive-date=22 December 2012 |access-date=25 September 2012}}</ref>
# ''Recifense''&nbsp;– used in [[Recife]] and its metropolitan area.
# ''Amazônico Ocidental'' — used in the extreme [[Amazônia Legal|Western Amazon]] region, namely: Southwestern [[Amazonas (Brazilian state)|Amazonas]], including the region of [[Boca do Acre]] and throughout the State of [[Acre (state)|Acre]], which share important historical-cultural aspects, such as, once belonging to [[Peru-Bolivian Confederation]], the First [[Amazon rubber cycle]] and [[Time in Brazil|Acre Time Zone]], sociologically, is considered a homogenous region. Differing from the traditional Northern dialect, in which the phonetic realization of the "s" always has the sound of ''ch'', in the Brazilian Western Amazon region, there will only be the sound of ''ch'' whose words the "s" are in the middle of the word, as examples; ''costa'', ''festa'' or ''destino'', as well as the one observed in [[North coast Portuguese|dialect of the north coast]]. Within the [[:pt:Interior do Brasil|Brazilian countryside]], it is one of the few areas where the phonetic realization of "r" resembles those observed in the Carioca dialect (open), other examples where this phenomenon is observed: Brasília dialect and [[Mineiro|Belo Horizonte dialect]].<ref>[https://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/8/8136/tde-07052002-130429/publico/tese04b. pdf] - Seringueiros da Amazônia, University of São Paulo (USP), Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Human Sciences, Department of Geography</ref>
[[File:Mapa produzido com base no Esboço de um Atlas Linguístico de Minas Gerais (EALMG), Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (MG), 1977. Com legenda-2.webp|thumb|Linguistic map of the state of [[Minas Gerais]], according to the scientific study ''Esboço de um Atlas Linguístico de Minas Gerais'' (EALMG), "Draft of a Linguistic Atlas for Minas Gerais". [[Federal University of Juiz de Fora]], 1977. The blue zone speaks [[mineiro]], the green zone [[Caipira dialect|caipira]], the yellow zone [[geraizeiro]].]]
{{lang|pt|Você}}, a pronoun meaning "you", is used for educated, formal, and colloquial respectful speech in most Portuguese-speaking regions. In a few Brazilian states such as [[Rio Grande do Sul]], Pará, among others, {{lang|pt|você}} is virtually absent from the spoken language. Riograndense and European Portuguese normally distinguishes formal from informal speech by verbal conjugation. Informal speech employs {{lang|pt|tu}} followed by second person verbs, formal language retains the formal {{lang|pt|você}}, followed by the third person conjugation.

Conjugation of verbs in {{lang|pt|tu}} has three different forms in Brazil (verb "to see": {{lang|pt|tu viste?}}, in the traditional second person; {{lang|pt|tu viu?}}, in the third person; and {{lang|pt|tu visse?}}, in the innovative second person), the conjugation used in the Brazilian states of Pará, Santa Catarina and Maranhão being generally traditional second person, the kind that is used in other Portuguese-speaking countries and learned in Brazilian schools.

The predominance of Southeastern-based media products has established {{lang|pt|você}} as the pronoun of choice for the second person singular in both writing and multimedia communications. However, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the country's main cultural center, the usage of {{lang|pt|tu}} has been expanding ever since the end of the 20th century,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.celsul.org.br/Encontros/09/artigos/Viviane%20dos%20Santos.pdf |title=A Constituição de Corpora Orais Para a Análise das Formas de Tratamento |last=Viviane Maia dos Santos |publisher=Anais do IX Encontro do CELSUL Palhoça, SC, out. 2010 Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304034721/http://www.celsul.org.br/Encontros/09/artigos/Viviane%20dos%20Santos.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead |access-date=10 August 2017}}</ref> being most frequent among youngsters, and a number of studies have also shown an increase in its use in a number of other Brazilian dialects.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/signum/article/view/11776/11181 |title='Por onde tá "o tu"?' no português falado no Maranhão |last=Béliche Alves |first=Cibelle Corrêa |journal=Signum: Estudos da Linguagem |volume=15 |number=1 |pages=13–31 |year=2012 |doi=10.5433/2237-4876.2012v15n1p13 |access-date=10 August 2017 |doi-access=free |archive-date=30 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630172240/http://www.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/signum/article/view/11776/11181 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Loregian-Penkal |first=Loremi |date=2005 |title=Alternância tu/você em Santa Catarina: uma abordagem variacionista |url=http://www.gel.org.br/estudoslinguisticos/edicoesanteriores/4publica-estudos-2005/4publica-estudos-2005-pdfs/alternancia-tu-voce-411.pdf |journal=Estudos Lingüísticos |language=pt |volume=XXXIV |pages=362–367 |access-date=10 August 2017 |via=Tu/você alternation in Santa Catarina: a variationist approach |archive-date=11 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011052320/http://www.gel.org.br/estudoslinguisticos/edicoesanteriores/4publica-estudos-2005/4publica-estudos-2005-pdfs/alternancia-tu-voce-411.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Other countries and dependencies ===
* {{flag|Angola}}&nbsp;– [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://www.cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som85.html ''Angolano''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806102044/http://www.cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som85.html |date=6 August 2020 }} ([[Angolan Portuguese]])
* {{flag|Cape Verde}}&nbsp;– [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som87.html ''Cabo-verdiano''] ([[Cape Verdean Portuguese]])
* {{flag|East Timor}}&nbsp;– [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som84.html ''Timorense''] ([[East Timorese Portuguese]])
* {{flag|India}}&nbsp;– ''Damaense'' (Damanese Portuguese) and ''Goês'' ([[Goan Portuguese]])
* {{flag|Guinea-Bissau}}&nbsp;– [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som88.html ''Guineense''] ([[Guinean Portuguese]])
* {{flag|Macau}}&nbsp;– [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som92.html ''Macaense''] ([[Macanese Portuguese]])
* {{flag|Mozambique}}&nbsp;– [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som89.html ''Moçambicano''] ([[Mozambican Portuguese]])
* {{flag|São Tomé and Príncipe}}&nbsp;– [[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/som83.html ''Santomense''] ([[São Tomean Portuguese]])
* {{flag|Uruguay}}&nbsp;– [[Riverense Portuñol language|''Dialetos Portugueses do Uruguai (DPU)'']]

Differences between dialects are mostly of [[Accent (dialect)|accent]] and [[vocabulary]], but between the Brazilian dialects and other dialects, especially in their most colloquial forms, there can also be some grammatical differences. The [[Portuguese creole|Portuguese-based creoles]] spoken in various parts of Africa, Asia, and the Americas are independent languages.

=== Characterization and peculiarities ===
Portuguese, like [[Catalan language|Catalan]], preserves the stressed vowels of [[Vulgar Latin]] which became diphthongs in most other Romance languages; cf. Port., Cat., Sard. ''[[wikt:pedra|pedra]]''; Fr. ''{{Wikt-lang|fr|pierre}}'', Sp. ''{{Wikt-lang|es|piedra}}'', It. ''{{Wikt-lang|it|pietra}}'', Ro. ''{{Wikt-lang|ro|piatră}}'', from Lat. ''{{Wikt-lang|la|petra}}'' ("stone"); or Port. ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|fogo}}'', Cat. ''{{Wikt-lang|ca|foc}}'', Sard. ''{{Wikt-lang|sc|fogu}}''; Sp. ''{{Wikt-lang|es|fuego}}'', It. ''{{Wikt-lang|it|fuoco}}'', Fr. ''{{Wikt-lang|fr|feu}}'', Ro. ''{{Wikt-lang|ro|foc}}'', from Lat. ''{{Wikt-lang|la|focus}}'' ("fire"). Another characteristic of early Portuguese was the loss of [[:wiktionary:intervocalic|intervocalic]] ''l'' and ''n'', sometimes followed by the merger of the two surrounding vowels, or by the insertion of an [[epenthesis|epenthetic vowel]] between them: cf. Lat. ''{{Wikt-lang|la|salire}}'' ("to exit"), ''{{Wikt-lang|la|tenere}}'' ("to have"), ''{{Wikt-lang|la|catena}}'' ("jail"), Port. ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|sair}}'', ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|ter}}'', ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|cadeia}}''.

When the [[elision|elided]] consonant was ''n'', it often [[nasalization|nasalized]] the preceding vowel: cf. Lat. ''{{Wikt-lang|la|manum}}'' ("hand"), ''{{Wikt-lang|la|ranam}}'' ("frog"), ''{{Wikt-lang|la|bonum}}'' ("good"), Old Portuguese ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|mão}}'', ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|rãa}}'', ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|bõo}}'' (Portuguese: ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|mão}}'', ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|rã}}'', ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|bom}}''). This process was the source of most of the language's distinctive nasal diphthongs. In particular, the Latin endings ''-anem'', ''{{Wikt-lang|la|-anum}}'' and ''{{Wikt-lang|la|-onem}}'' became ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|-ão}}'' in most cases, cf. Lat. ''{{Wikt-lang|la|canis}}'' ("dog"), ''{{Wikt-lang|la|germanus}}'' ("brother"), ''{{Wikt-lang|la|ratio}}'' ("reason") with Modern Port. ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|cão}}'', ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|irmão}}'', ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|razão}}'', and their plurals ''-anes'', ''-anos'', ''-ones'' normally became ''-ães'', ''-ãos'', ''-ões'', cf. ''cães'', ''irmãos'', ''razões''. This also occurs in the minority Swiss [[Romansh language|Romansh]] language in many equivalent words such as ''maun'' ("hand"), ''bun'' ("good"), or ''chaun'' ("dog").<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://romansh.romanche.free.fr/|title=Apprendre la langue romanche et le vocabulaire, dictionnaire Rumantsch|website=romansh.romanche.free.fr|access-date=10 May 2023|archive-date=10 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510203459/http://romansh.romanche.free.fr/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Portuguese language is the only [[Romance language]] that preserves the clitic case [[mesoclisis]]: cf. {{lang|pt|dar-te-ei}} (I'll give thee), {{lang|pt|amar-te-ei}} (I'll love you), {{lang|pt|contactá-los-ei}} (I'll contact them). Like [[Galician language|Galician]], it also retains the Latin synthetic [[pluperfect]] tense: {{lang|pt|eu estivera}} (I had been), {{lang|pt|eu vivera}} (I had lived), {{lang|pt|vós vivêreis}} (you had lived).<ref>{{Cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GILmCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA49 |chapter=On the Italian, Latin, and Portuguese Temporal Systems |title=Tense and Aspect: From Semantics to Morphosyntax |isbn=978-0-19-509193-9|last1=Giorgi|first1=Alessandra|last2=Pianesi|first2=Fabio|year=1997|publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref> [[Romanian language|Romanian]] also has this tense, but uses the -s- form.

== Sample text ==
Article 1 of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]] in Portuguese:<ref>{{cite web |title=Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Portuguese (Portugal) |website=Unicode |url=https://unicode.org/udhr/d/udhr_por_PT.html |access-date=9 January 2022 |archive-date=9 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109134209/https://unicode.org/udhr/d/udhr_por_PT.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
:{{lang|pt|Todos os seres humanos nascem livres e iguais em dignidade e em direitos. Dotados de razão e de consciência, devem agir uns para com os outros em espírito de fraternidade.}}

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in English:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights|title=Universal Declaration of Human Rights|publisher=United Nations|access-date=9 January 2022|archive-date=16 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316050452/https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights|url-status=live}}</ref>
:''All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.''

Phonetic transcription ([[Brazilian Portuguese]]):
:[ˈtoduz uʃ ˈseɾiz uˈmɐnuz ˈnasɐ̃j ˈɫivɾiz i‿iˈgwajz ɐ̃j d͡ʒigniˈdad͡ʒi‿i‿ɐ̃j d͡ʒiˈɾɐjtuʃ {{!}} duˈtaduz d͡ʒi ʁɐˈzɐ̃w i d͡ʒi kõsiˈẽsjɐ {{!}} ˈdevɐ̃j ɐˈʒiʁ ũs ˈpaɾɐ kõ‿uz ˈotɾuz ɐ̃j‿sˈpiɾitu d͡ʒi fɾɐteʁniˈdad͡ʒi ‖]

Phonetic transcription ([[European Portuguese]]):
:[ˈtoðuz uʃ ˈseɾɨz uˈmɐnuʒ ˈnaʃsɐ̃j ˈɫivɾɨz i‿iˈɣwajz ɐ̃j diɣniˈðaðɨ‿i‿ɐ̃j diˈɾɐjtuʃ {{!}} duˈtaðuʒ dɨ ʁɐˈzɐ̃w i dɨ kõʃsiˈẽsjɐ {{!}} ˈdevɐ̃j ɐˈʒiɾ ũʃ ˈpɐɾɐ kõ‿uz ˈotɾuz ɐ̃j‿ʃˈpiɾɨtu dɨ fɾɐtɨɾniˈðaðɨ ‖]

== See also ==
{{Portal|Portugal|Language}}
* [[Portuguese literature]]
* [[Portuguese Africans]]
* [[Angolan literature]]
* [[Brazilian literature]]
* [[Gallaecian language]]
*[[Indo-Portuguese]]
* [[Reintegrationism|Galician Reintegrationism]]
* [[International Portuguese Language Institute]]
* [[List of countries and territories where Portuguese is an official language]]
* [[List of international organizations which have Portuguese as an official language]]
* [[List of Portuguese-language poets]]
* [[Lusitanian language]]
* [[Mozambican Portuguese]]
* [[Portuguese language in Asia]]
* [[Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement of 1990]]
* [[Portuguese poetry]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* ''História da Lingua Portuguesa'' – [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/conhecer/bases-tematicas/historia-da-lingua-portuguesa.html/ Instituto Camões website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206190639/http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/conhecer/bases-tematicas/historia-da-lingua-portuguesa.html |date=6 February 2016 }}
* ''A Língua Portuguesa'' in [https://web.archive.org/web/20020526102021/http://linguaportuguesa.ufrn.br/ Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil]
* ''Carta de dotação e fundação da Igreja de S. Miguel de Lardosa, a.D. 882 (o mais antigo documento latino-português original conhecido)'' [http://www.fcsh.unl.pt/philologia/CARTA882.html ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910141848/http://www.fcsh.unl.pt/philologia/CARTA882.html |date=10 September 2019 }}
{{refend}}

; Literature
{{refbegin}}
* ''Poesia e Prosa Medievais'', by Maria Ema Tarracha Ferreira, Ulisseia 1998, 3rd ed., {{ISBN|978-972-568-124-4}}.
* ''Bases Temáticas&nbsp;– Língua, Literatura e Cultura Portuguesa'' in [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/area-conhecer-bases-tematicas Instituto Camões] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605122734/http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/area-conhecer-bases-tematicas |date=5 June 2014 }}
* ''[[Portuguese literature]]'' in [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12307a.htm The Catholic Encyclopedia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050426015652/http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12307a.htm |date=26 April 2005 }}
{{refend}}

; Phonology, orthography and grammar
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Barbosa |first1=Plínio A. |last2=Albano |first2=Eleonora C. |year=2004 |title=Brazilian Portuguese |journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=227–232 |doi=10.1017/S0025100304001756 |doi-access=free}}
* Bergström, Magnus & Reis, Neves ''Prontuário Ortográfico'' Editorial Notícias, 2004.
* {{Cite book |last=Bisol |first=Leda |year=2005 |title=Introdução a estudos de fonologia do português brasileiro |location=Porto Alegre – Rio Grande do Sul |publisher=EDIPUCRS |language=pt |isbn=978-85-7430-529-5 |author-link=Leda Bisol |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TFzWAq-S7I0C&pg=PA215 |access-date=4 May 2020 |archive-date=27 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427105113/https://books.google.com/books?id=TFzWAq-S7I0C&pg=PA215#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live}}
* {{cite journal |last=Cruz-Ferreira |first=Madalena |year=1995 |title=European Portuguese |journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=90–94 |doi=10.1017/S0025100300005223 |s2cid=249414876}}
* {{Cite book |last=Grønnum |first=Nina |author-link=Nina Grønnum |year=2005 |title=Fonetik og fonologi, Almen og Dansk |edition=3rd |publisher=Akademisk Forlag |location=Copenhagen |isbn=978-87-500-3865-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9RtCAgAAQBAJ |access-date=25 December 2015 |archive-date=12 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112193003/https://books.google.com/books?id=9RtCAgAAQBAJ |url-status=live}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Mateus |first1=Maria Helena |last2=d'Andrade |first2=Ernesto |year=2000 |title=The Phonology of Portuguese |publisher=Oxford University Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Onr9OFylajYC&pg=PP1 |isbn=978-0-19-823581-1 |access-date=4 May 2020 |archive-date=27 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427105242/https://books.google.com/books?id=Onr9OFylajYC&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live}}
* {{Cite thesis |last=Rodrigues |first=Marisandra Costa |date=2012 |title=Encontros Vocálicos Finais em Português: Descrição e Análise Otimalista |publisher=Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro |url=http://www.letras.ufrj.br/posverna/doutorado/GomesMCR.pdf |access-date=25 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011052326/http://www.letras.ufrj.br/posverna/doutorado/GomesMCR.pdf |archive-date=11 October 2017 |url-status=dead}}
* {{Cite book |first=Earl W. |last=Thomas |title=A Grammar of Spoken Brazilian Portuguese |publisher=Vanderbilt University Press |location=Nashville, TN |year=1974 |isbn=978-0-8265-1197-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gm8yS1ZKJ5gC |access-date=8 January 2016 |archive-date=27 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427105116/https://books.google.co.in/books?id=Gm8yS1ZKJ5gC&redir_esc=y |url-status=live}}
* [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/cpp2/index.html A pronúncia do português europeu&nbsp;– European Portuguese Pronunciation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710051842/http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/cpp2/index.html |date=10 July 2014 }} - Instituto Camões website
* [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/mapa02.html Dialects of Portuguese] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204211046/http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/mapa02.html |date=4 February 2012 }} – Instituto Camões website
* [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/mapa06.html Audio samples of the dialects of Portugal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418071536/http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/mapa06.html |date=18 April 2017 }} – Instituto Camões website
* [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/mapa07.html Audio samples of the dialects from outside Europe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427031743/http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/geografia/mapa07.html |date=27 April 2015 }} – Instituto Camões website
* [http://learn101.org/portuguese.php Portuguese Grammar] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321030809/http://www.learn101.org/portuguese.php |date=21 March 2012 }} – Learn101.org
{{refend}}

; Reference dictionaries
{{refbegin}}
* [[Antônio Houaiss]] (2000), ''[[Dicionário Houaiss da Língua Portuguesa]]'' (228,500 entries).
* [[Aurélio Buarque de Holanda Ferreira]], ''[[Novo Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa]]'' (1809 pp.)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110707050228/http://www.italian.org.cn/web/epcd/ English–Portuguese–Chinese Dictionary (Freeware for Windows/Linux/Mac)]
{{refend}}

; Linguistic studies
{{refbegin}}
* Cook, Manuela. Portuguese Pronouns and Other Forms of Address, from the Past into the Future – Structural, Semantic and Pragmatic Reflections, Ellipsis, vol. 11, APSA, www.portuguese-apsa.com/ellipsis, 2013
* {{cite journal |last=Cook |first=Manuela |title=Uma Teoria de Interpretação das Formas de Tratamento na Língua Portuguesa |journal=Hispania |volume=80|issue=3|year=1997|pages=451–464|doi=10.2307/345821|jstor=345821}}
* Cook, Manuela. On the Portuguese Forms of Address: From ''Vossa Mercê'' to ''Você'', Portuguese Studies Review 3.2, Durham: University of New Hampshire, 1995
* Lindley Cintra, Luís F. [http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/biblioteca/novaproposta.pdf ''Nova Proposta de Classificação dos Dialectos Galego- Portugueses''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109125936/http://cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/hlp/biblioteca/novaproposta.pdf |date=9 November 2013 }} (PDF) Boletim de Filologia, Lisboa, Centro de Estudos Filológicos, 1971.
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* [http://crandall.altervista.org/p/phonetic-portuguese-portugues-fonetico.html ''Automatic Transcription of Phonemic and Phonetic Portuguese'']

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