Angolan Portuguese: The Colonisation of a Language

A joint Portuguese and Angolan flag. (Photo: Zorglub, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Language is more than a communicative tool - it establishes who we are, how we identify and the groups that we align with. Given this, it might strike you as odd that Angola continues to use the language of its colonial oppressors. Whilst the Portuguese heard in Angola is peppered with African expressions and influences, it still overwhelmingly resembles standardised European Portuguese. Moreover, Angola has titled all native languages its ‘national’ languages, yet Portuguese remains the only ‘official’ one. Why is this? 

Firstly, some context. Angola suffered centuries of oppression under Portuguese rule. Beginning with their arrival in the late 15th century, native Angolans were expected to assimilate to the Portuguese way of life - including their language. It was first taught to the nobles, making Portuguese the language of Angolan bureaucracy and, as such, a language of prestige. It was then taught to those in urban areas and, much later, to those in rural areas. Towards the end of their occupation, native Angolans were considered to be Portuguese citizens; Portuguese then became a tool of social mobility, as many families chose to use it as their sole language believing that they would then be perceived as equals to the white occupants. When Angola achieved liberation in 1975, they were perhaps physically emancipated, but the linguistic entanglement between the two communities remained. 

Its usage is no longer enforced, however Portuguese remains the most commonly spoken language in Angola. Whilst a census showed that the most used African language is only spoken by 23% of Angolans, Portuguese is spoken by over 71% of the population - and counting. Although we use the umbrella term of ‘Portuguese’, the native Bantu languages of each region have led to the formation of several varieties. Most resemble European Portuguese, in both phonology and vocabulary, and whilst they do each vary from Standard Portuguese, such differences are too few and far between to generally consider the varieties as creoles. Although Standard Portuguese still dominates the speech of Angola, native languages make an appearance in the form of slang with words such as moleque (kid) and bunda (backside), both of Bantu origin, integrating into the speech of other lusophone communities. 

This is far from the first example of such appropriation - we see it every day with the increasing popularity of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE). This dialect, innovated by working and middle-class African Americans, has now been integrated into the informal language of many English speakers, and it is not uncommon to hear words such as ‘woke’ or ‘lit’ used by people that have absolutely nothing to do with these communities. 

Such borrowings toe the line of flattery and theft. To some, it represents an embrace of the innovations of others, a willingness to share and create a fusion of languages. To others, such an exchange represents a commodification - the oppressor yet again taking from the oppressed. When such innovations are used as a way to unite a community or represent a continued resistance, infringing on this should not be taken as mere flattery. Moreover, giving such language the dubious title of ‘slang’ can indicate a lack of respect for the language it borrows from. 

In part, this lack of respect is due to the role of standardisation. Before the arrival of the Portuguese, Angola consisted of multiple isolated peoples, each with their own language, meaning that whilst there were many languages with millions of speakers, there was no one standardised language with established conventions and uniformity. Portuguese, however, came to be used as a lingua franca - a bridging language between people of different native tongues, and one which is standardised. Multiple studies, including the BBC’s ‘Voices’ Project, have shown how the existence of a standard language negatively influences the perception of regional variations, and as such the Angolan varieties are often viewed as less ‘legitimate’. 

And herein lies the problem with an official language. An official language is given a higher legal status, meaning it can be used in legislation and official communication. On the surface, it may seem like a bureaucratic necessity, or a neutral tool, when in reality it represents a symbolic power. Whilst linguists have long done away with the idea of any language being ‘superior’, the appointment of an official language can reinforce such ideas. Notably, many countries do have multiple official languages, so Angola’s choice to only have one seems to be a conscious removal of the native voice at the top of society. The national languages, which I must stress are important in their own right for their cultural and historical significance, are simply not granted the same prestige. 

Given this, we might want to question the fate of Angola’s native languages. Despite the government’s aim to “protect, value and dignify Angolan languages of African origin” and “promote their development”, such efforts seem to be failing as these languages are on the decline. Young Angolans are increasingly interested in using standardised Portuguese as their sole language, as its status grants them a higher level of social mobility. Another upcoming challenge is that of our own language, as UNICEF reports that the use of English is ever-increasing and may be “gradually usurping the privileged position that Portuguese used to have in Angola”. 

This, however, does not signal the end of native languages in Angola. Whilst they are not greatly represented in professional domains, they remain important as heritage languages and as a means to identify with their culture. The endurance of these languages through centuries of oppression proves their resilience, and the influence of new languages will not change this - we should celebrate the perseverance of the Bantu languages, whilst acknowledging that linguistic imperialism has stifled them. Just as Max Weinreich famously stated that a “language is a dialect with an army and a navy”, it would seem that an official language is merely a national language with prestige.