Portuguese language expansion in São Tomé and Príncipe: an overview

Abstract

This paper describes how the Portuguese language came to be widely spoken in the Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe and demonstrates how the spread of Portuguese language can be associated with the endangerment of other languages in the archipelago. A country that has been multilingual since its formation has moved towards monolingualism, marginalizing native languages or pushing them into obsolescence in the process. Based on a literature review, we suggest that the spread of Portuguese and its consolidation as the dominant language are associated with a complex socio-historical process, including urbanization, mass schooling, media and the desire of local elites to remain connected to an imperial language and the benefits of such a connection. The choice of the ruling elite to adopt Portuguese as the official language in the young republic in 1975 effectively created the mechanisms for the diffusion of Portuguese and set the stage for the endangerment of other local languages.