Yeah - I love Portugal but the language always gets me. You are right about it sounding Russian sometimes. Apparently, though Portuguese people struggle to understand Brazilians so who knows what they get
Printable View
I think they do it on purpose so they don't sound Spanish. It's basically Glaswegian Iberico. When you listen to the Latin accent in France, Italy and Spain, how come that little bit suddenly sounds like Vladivostok in comparison?
As I say, I reckon they spoke the same until 1640 when they became independent again, and just wanted to sound as different as possible. NB This is pure speculation. I haven't read or studied anything even suggesting this.
Let's face it, if your national language isn't even along the lines of your country name then you shouldn't exist. I'm looking at you America and Australia. Scotland and Ireland too.
I hope this helps
"Gabon's first confirmed European visitors were Portuguese explorers and traders who arrived in the late 15th century. The Portuguese settled on the offshore islands of São Tomé, Príncipe, and Fernando Pó, but were regular visitors to the coast"
Just like they were swapping bronze for slaves in Benin for centuries. {cf the stunning artefacts in the British Museum.}
But they weren't the colonial power at the time when mass education would have started in the late C19th or early C20th and as such, they wouldn't have left a lasting linguistic impression on the country.
{1st in Imperial history, init?}
Funny, I was speaking to a Brazilian chap just yesterday who assured me the Spanish and Portuguese were very similar.
Yet when I asked some of the locals in Lisbon they assured me they were completely different. :sherlock: