I recently visited the Eurasian Heritage Gallery in Singapore, a museum at the Eurasian Association that commemorates the complex history of Singaporeans of mixed European and Asian heritage. The Eurasian community with the longest history is, naturally, the Portuguese one. There was an exhibit on their language, Kristang, that will catch the attention of any Portuguese-speaker.
The name 'Kristang' comes from the Portuguese word for Christian, 'cristão'. Speakers of Kristang apparently call it simply 'Portugis'. A "severely endangered" language, it is spoken today by less than 800 people in Malacca and 100 in Singapore. The exhibit featured a few passages in Kristang translated into English, and I've extracted some parts to show the clear, direct links to modern Portuguese.
Kristang | Portuguese roots | English |
Eh Marie, tantempu ungka inkontrah. Ondi bos ta fikah? | tantempu = tanto tempo ungka = nunca? inkontrah = encontrar ondi = onde bos = vós ta = está fikah = ficar | Oh Marie! It's been a long time since I last met up with you. Where are you living? |
Pertu na mas, beng bai yo sa kaza, bebeh chah. Ozi yo sa anu, dos ka, trez kambradu, logu beng. Yo jah fazeh, kukis sugee kon buboh kachang. | pertu = perto beng = vem bai = vai yo = eu kaza = casa bebeh = beber chah = chá ozi = hoje anu = ano dos, trez = dois, três kambradu = camarada? logu = logo jah = já fazeh = fazer kon = com | Nearby. Come over and have a cup of tea. Today is my birthday. Two or three of my friends will also be coming. I've made sugee cake and green bean porridge. |
Oh, Marie bos sa kaza bunitu! Ki anu bos jah komprah isti kaza? | bunitu = bonito/a ki = que komprah = comprar isti = este/esta | Oh, Marie your house is so beautiful! When did you buy your home? |
Oh, tantempu, impodi lembrah. Ki foi? | impodi = não pode/posso? lembrah = lembrar foi = foi | Oh, a long time ago, I can't remember. Why? |
Kauzu kaloh na fora, inteh chuwa na, ungua mes. | kaloh = calor na fora = na fora inteh = não tem? chuwa = chuva ungua = um +? mes = mês | It's so hot outside. There has been no rain for a whole month. |
(Unrelated extract) Seng. Yo sa roupa jah fikah sopa-muladu di sor. | seng = sim roupa = roupa sopa = sopa muladu = molhado/a di = de sor = suor | Yes. My clothes are soaked with perspiration. |
Given that the Dutch seized Malacca from the Portuguese in 1641 (before ceding it in 1824 to the British), it is fascinating that almost 400 years later, a creole is still spoken that preserves so much of the Portuguese language. If anyone has more accurate information on the Portuguese origins of the Kristang words above, please do share!