Language

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The Portuguese language arrived in Brazil in the 17th century aboard the Portuguese ships, to join the tupi-guarani linguistic family, in particular Tupinambá, one of the Tupi dialects. The native indians, subdued or uncultured, taught the dialect to the Europeans, who later started communicating by means of this common vernacular - Tupinamb.

In 1694, the general vernacular predominated in the then Portuguese colony, with literary language characteristics; for the missionaries, in their catechism of the native Indians, were in the habit of translating religious plays, hymns and prayers.

With the arrival of the iorub language (Nigeria) and quimbundo (Angola), through slaves brought from Africa, and with new Portuguese colonizers arriving in Brazil, the Portuguese Court was keen to guarantee a greater political presence. One of the steps it took, therefore, was to impose Portuguese Language teaching to the native Indians.

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