Portuguese, the most successfull language in the world!

I really do understand why this dutch guy is always showing that holland is above Portugal, because they all think they are better than us in everything. I lived there for two years and I've never seen so many racism against us (Portuguese) and of course, when I see a dutch person talking about my country................
You should shut up and think that you are not better than us in anything. We had a glorious past, and I think the base of all the Racism we all suffered in your country is because of that. You all whish to have had a past like us. When we where the rulers of the world, you were only pirates, stealingfrom the englis, portuguese, spanish and french.
we have a beautiful weather, nice people, good food, a glorious past and above all we are not racist with you or anybody.
Instead of being racist with us, you should look at us and try to learn something.

LAA

(This does not take into considertaion the size of the populations of Britain at the time of the English language's growth. The poster is acting as if Portugal started off with 10 million people and its language spread from that baseline figure. At the time of colonial expansion, and when Britain founded its major English speaking colonies (Canada, U.S., Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and to some extent India), England's population was not much bigger than Portugal's, if it even was bigger. Prior to the industrial revolution of the 19th century, Britain's population was only a fraction of that of France, or Spain, or Portugal, etc. It is one of the great marvels of history that Britain was able to come out on top, despite its great numerical disadvantage. It was successful because of its superior financial system, and the ability to utilze the national debt during time of war, and because of its fortunate geographical position as an island, which afforded it the opportunity to divert less resources to a standing army, and more to a powerful navy, which was able to control the seas, and thus trade routes for commerce and access to overseas colonies.)

The time line is off, Portugals modern expantion started much earlier then well everyone. For this thread to be valid you have to campare the population as it was when the countries started there expantion. Don't forget that Portugal lost half it's population with the 1755 earthquake and the huge tsunami that was generated by it. the second biggest ever recorded after this more recent one.

When the Europeans started there expantion in South Africa the population of
Paris was 3 000 000
London was 2 000 000
Lisbon was 700 000
The biggest Zulu city 2 000 000
Read into this as you wish.

Portuguese people like saying:
1. our language is spoken by 200 millions of people, it's one of the most spoken in the world
2. Brazilians speak in an incorrect way, if you want to learn real Portuguese, stick to Continental Portuguese


that means, Portuguese language is the most incorrectly spoken language in the world since 90% of its speakers are Brazilians

-Do North Americans or Australians use "London-wanna be" English?-


Australians might, but we don't.

I'm Portuguese and i've never heard anyone saying that thing you've just said it

''I'm Portuguese and i've never heard anyone saying that thing you've just said it ''

Well, your name doesn't sound Portuguese, seu babaca feioso

Well, your name doesnt sound Brazilian, sua ranhosa

Lolly Sat Aug 12, 2006 4:11 pm GMT
««Portuguese people like saying:
1. our language is spoken by 200 millions of people, it's one of the most spoken in the world
2. Brazilians speak in an incorrect way, if you want to learn real Portuguese, stick to Continental Portuguese


that means, Portuguese language is the most incorrectly spoken language in the world since 90% of its speakers are Brazilians »»

How well Lolly knows what Portuguese like saying. Lolly you are back? And still writing nonsense?


Lolly
««Well, your name doesn't sound Portuguese, seu babaca feioso»»
That is where you are wrong. It is a Portuguese name.

And your name: Lolly... well... you must know in Portuguese is a name only given to Poodles, Chihuahuas... you know that even in Brazil Lolly is not a very nice name.

Lolly is nicer name than Gringo which means ''redneck foreigner'' (including Portuguese)

wikipedia says that gringo means:

In Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, the word most often just means generally a foreigner (when used as a noun) or foreign (as an adjective); it may refer more specifically to the typical foreigner that visits the country as a tourist, being very light-skinned and/or speaking a foreign language. In Argentina, a country of large European immigration, all European immigrants other than Spaniards, particularly Italians, are colloquially called gringos. It is most often not pejorative and may even carry positive connotations, especially when used as an adjective. It is often used as an endearing nickname for any fair-skinned or fair-haired person of whatever origin.


The Spanish etymologist Joan Corominas states that gringo is derived from griego.

Here in Brazil we call any stranger ''a gringo'' even Spanish and Portuguese tourists (Portuguese are called ''galego'' as well)

gringo, visitando sua city,
esta vndo euzinha ai
lá detraz da arvore olha bem
to cummmeno pipoca e cantando
UAI sou mineira sim senhor,
U unida
A amorosa
i importaaante estar com o Antonio,,,
falamos errado pois nois gosta
mas o dia que nois que mesmo um trem bom corremos pra São Paulo terra da garoa e de gente boa...angelica

Is Portuguese the Most Successful Language in the World?

Could be...

For several simple reasons.

1- Portugal was the first Global Nation, being the Nation that "gave new worlds to the World, over 500 plus years ago".
2- We reached ALL the continents, implementing our culture, architecture and language amongst the natives.
3- Portuguese is still spoken in ALL continents, over 500 plus years.
4- Many other and diverse languages included Portuguese vocables to their own languages. This includes but is not limited to languages such as Japanese, Chinese (language that does only exist in the written form, still it's there in pictographical typing), Mandarin and Cantonese (when in the written form, these 2 languages become Chinese), Swahili, Hindi, Maori, Hawaiian, Arabic.
5- Many territories where the Portuguese language was spoken and that were later stolen, conquered, occupied by other nations (including but not limited to Hawaii, Indonesia, Malaysia, Zanzibar, Kenia, South Africa, Namibia, India, Canada - New Foundland, etc, still today have descendents who speak Portuguese, hundreds of years later.

One of the criteria for a language to be successful is also its "endurance" throughout the course of History.

Portuguese, therefore, obviously classifies as one of the Most Successful Languages in the World.

Could the Most Successful language, also could not be.

I'm not a philology inclined person, on the scientific level, therefore I wont develope any "weird theories", as some love to do, so they're spoken of, talked about, be famous and all other idiotic behaviours (in my view), but that what I've just stated above are clear, objective, proven and undeniable facts, it's the most absolute Truth.

Cheers everyone!

I suppose the same could be said for Spanish and English. The three are certainly close in their success, although English is clearly in the lead for the moment. It's still somewhat unclear if it can keep that after the U.S.'s superpower status is gone, like Spanish and Portuguese did. But we will see.

One thing relating to Spanish, that hardly anyone knows...

Spanish is only a Nationality, not a language.

The language mistaken for Spanish is actually Castillian.

For those of you who do not know, in Spain you speak several languages:
1- Castillian
2- Catalan
3- Gallician
4- Basque
5- Lionese (pretty much a dead language, though still spoken in small villages, just like Mirandese in Portugal). Mirandese and Lionese both have the same root, as Mirandese is a language originating in Lionese.

Due to the fascist dictatorship in Spain, where Franco was "God", upon the attempt to eliminate and erradicate all traces of different cultural identities that threatened the Castillian Empire and immense power, Franco instituted the word Spanish to refer to Castillian as a language as well.

He wasn't obviously successful in erradicating all other cultural identities, but his erroneous designation of Spanish when referring to Castillian, persisted till this day.

Scientificly, you cannot speak a language that does not exist, nor can you speak a Nationality instead of speaking a Language.

I hope this helps clarify the "Spanish" issue, and be one more effort to correct this mistake on a global level.