Schucha d ’s
a chi e
and he 'los '
Asian-Po uguese
c eoles
Hugo C. Ca doso
Uni e sidade de Lisboa
hca [email protected]
Resea ch suppo ed by:
- A 1708 memo ial by he p o es an p ies s Op den
Akke and Tho n on o he Po uguese chu ch o
Ba a ia (quo ed in Lopes 1936: 67-68):
“The po uguese language is used daily and p i a ely by he
sla es o he amilies who come om Ceylon and he
[Co omandel] Coas ; by all he owne s o he sla es and hei
child en in hei daily in e ac ion wi h he sla es and he
indigenous ch is ians; by he amilies and people who come om
Siam, Malacca, Bengal, he Co omandel Coas , he island o
Ceylon, he Malaba coas , Su a and e en Pe sia; and e en he
hea hens who li e in his ci y and ade wi h he ch is ians o hei
sla es lea n o speak po uguese.”
Po uguese in Asia
Hugo Schucha d (1842-1927)
-1882: K eolische S udien II. Übe
das Indopo ugiesische on Cochim.
-1883: K eolische S udien III. Übe
das Indopo ugiesische on Diu.
-1883: K eolische S udien VI. Übe
das Indopo ugiesische on
Mangalo e.
-1889: Bei äge zu Kenn nis des
k eolischen Romanisch: VI. Zum
Indopo ugiesischen on Mahé und
Cannano e.
-1889: Bei äge zu Kenn nis des
c eolischen Romanisch. V.
Allgemeine es übe das Indopo u-
giesische (Asiopo ugiesische).
-1890: K eolische S udien IX. Übe
das Malaiopo ugiesische on
Ba a ia und Tugu.
-ms.: Zum Indopo ugiesischen
on Ceylon [ed. by de Sil a
Jayasu iya 1999]
Hugo Schucha d (1842-1927)
-30 co esponden s w i e abou Luso-Asian c eoles:
a) P ies s and missiona ies (e.g. Louis S . Cy , Angelus
Ma ei, Paul-Amb oise Bigande ,…);
b) Colonial adminis a o s (e.g. Pe y da Câma a,
Ge man Consula e in Ba a ia, D . Bos,…);
c) Philologis s/linguis s (e.g. Adol o Coelho, Sebas ião
Rodol o Dalgado, Robe Caldwell, Julien Vinson,
William Goone illeke,…);
d) O he s (e.g. M . d’C uz,…).
The epis ola y co pus

Loca ions
Loca ions
Loca ions
Loca ions
S . Cy (Jul 17 h, 1883)
[…] 1o. Dans la Mission du Madu é, […]
l’élémen Po ugais es insensible e
p esque nul. Les Hollandais, dès la
p emiè e moi ié du 17 siècle, s’é an
empa és de Négapa am, Tu ucu in e
au es illes du li o al, les Po ugais
qui s’y é aien é ablis, qui è en en
g and nomb e le pays, e ceux qui y
es è en ini en pou laplupa , pa
ê e abso bés dans l’élémen
Hollandais e puis dans l’élémen
Anglais. A Négapa am l’on ou e
enco e une ing aine de amilles de
Po ugais mélangés, quelques unes
po an de beaux noms, comme
d’A aide, d’Albuque que, de Ba e o e c
e c; mais elles son ès pau es e ne
jouissen d’acucune considé a ion.
1s . In he Madu ai Mission, he
Po uguese elemen is unno iceable
and almos absen . Wi h he Du ch,
since he mid 17 h cen u y, ha ing
aken con ol o Nagapa inam,
Tu ico in and o he coas al owns, he
Po uguese who had se led he e le
he a ea in la ge numbe s, and hose
who s ayed mos ly ended up being
abso bed in o he Du ch elemen and,
la e on, in o he English elemen . In
Nagapa inam, we s ill ind some
wen y amilies o mixed Po uguese,
some wi h beau i ul names such as
d’A aide, d’Albuque que, de Ba e o e c
e c; bu hey a e e y poo and enjoy
no conside a ion.
+

S . Cy (Jul 17 h, 1883)
2e. Quan à la langue Po ugaise, elle
es , on peu di e, main enan inconnue
dans ces pa ages du Madu é, e elle ne
s’enseigne nulle pa . Les quelques
amilles don j’ai ai men ion plus hau
pa len enco e dans leu s maisons une
so e de Po ugais; mais l’Anglais e le
Tamoul, langue du pays, y son plus
communémen employés.
Ces ema ques s’appliquen
uniquemen à no e Mission du Madu é,
ca nous sa ons qu’en d’au es
pa ies de l’Inde, comme Mad as,
Cochin, Bombay, Calcu a e c.,
l’élémen Po ugais s’es mieux
conse é e es plus ma qué. […]
2nd. Wi h espec o he Po uguese
language, we can say ha i is
cu en ly unknown in hese pa s o
Madu ai, and i is no augh anywhe e.
The ew amilies I ha e men ioned
abo e s ill speak a kind o Po uguese
in hei homes; bu English and Tamil,
he local language, a e used mo e
o en he e.
These obse a ions apply only o ou
Madu ai Mission, because we know
ha , in o he pa s o India, such as
Mad as, Cochin, Bombay, Calcu a e c.,
he Po uguese elemen has esis ed
be e and is mo e e iden .
Lei ão e Cas o (Jan 30 h, 1884)
+
[…] Pe co endo a cos a de
Co omandel e esidindo algum empo
em Meliapo , nada encon ei esc ip o
em po uguez-c eoulo e não c eio que
haja.
Em Meliapo e Mad as poucas
pessoas exis em já que o allem, mas
ao con a io em Cuddalo e, em
Pondiche y, em T anqueba e em
Ka ical, é essa a língua de que se se e
o po o Es -Indio ch is ão, ou homens
de chapeu. Di e e po em an o do
nosso po uguez, que não é possí el
aze a mais pequena idea do que
aquelles indios nos que em signi ica ,
allando-a, nem nós conseguimos que
elles comp ehendam o nosso
po uguez.
Ha ing a elled he Co omandel Coas
and ha ing esided o a while in
Mylapo e, I ha e ound no hing w i en
in C eole Po uguese, and I do no
hink he e is any hing.
In Mylapo e and Mad as, he e a e
now ew people who speak i , bu , on
he con a y, in Cuddalo e,
Pondiche y, T anqueba , and Ka ical,
ha is he language used by he
ch is ian Eas Indian people, o ha ed
men. Howe e , i di e s so much om
ou Po uguese ha i is impossible o
ha e he sligh es idea o wha hose
Indians wan o say o us, no a e we
able o make hem unde s and ou
Po uguese.
Lei ão e Cas o (Jan 30 h, 1884)
+
A lingua po ugueza mis u ada ali com
o amul, com o ancez, com o inglez,
que é hoje a lingua o icial em oda a
cos a, se excep ua mos os pequenos
e i o ios de Pondiche y e Ka ikal,
co ompeu-se me pa ece, pe dendo as
pala as po ugu ezas a sua
e minação, com a apidez da
p onuncia; seguindo-se na declinação
dos nomes, na conjugação dos e bos
e na collocação anspos a das
pala as, a indole de linguas es anhas,
como o inglez e o amul; designando-
se uns objec os pelo seu nome amul,
ou os pelo que em em po uguez, ou
inglez, e admi indo-se dessas
di e en es linguas uma ou ou a pa e
da o ação.
The Po uguese language, mixed he e
wi h Tamil, F ench, and English, which
is nowadays he o icial language o
he en i e coas , wi h he excep ion o
he small e i o ies o Pondiche y and
Ka ikal, has become co up ed, i
seems o me, wi h he Po uguese
wo ds losing hei endings wi h he
speed o p onuncia ion; ollowing he
ways o o eign languages, such as
English and Tamil, in he declension o
nouns, he conjuga ion o e bs, and
he ansposed placemen o wo ds;
designa ing some objec s by hei
Tamil name, o he s by he name hey
ha e in Po uguese o English, and
admi ing om hose languages one
pa o he clause o ano he .
Lei ão e Cas o (Jan 30 h, 1884)
+
Assim o in ini o impessoal dos e bos,
ou qualque empo ou pessoa delles,
passa am a designa odos os empos
e pessoas. Mim papia dizem elles po
exemplo em ez de “eu allo” Vóç Pad
ên bom? po “Você, Pad e, es á bom?”
Mim za á ai po “Vou-me embo a, ou
e i o-me já” Bê ig (ba iga) óóm ( ome)
comê (come ) po “ enho ome; que o
come ”. […]
O po uguez c eoulo di e e pois do
nosso
1º na en oação da oz imi ada
d’ou as linguas
2º no modo apido de p onuncia po
alli as pala as jun ando o im d’umas
com o p incipio das ou as de modo
que nada se pe cebe
So, he impe sonal in ini i e o e bs,
o any o he ense o pe son, came o
designa e all enses and pe sons. Fo
example, Mim papia is wha hey say
o “I speak” Vóç Pad ên bom? o
“Fa he , a e you well?” Mim za á ai
o “I am lea ing igh away” Bê ig
(belly) óóm (hunge ) comê (ea ) o “I
am hung y, I wan o ea ”.
C eole Po uguese he e o e di e s
om ou s
1s in he in ona ion o he oice,
immi a ed om o he languages
2nd in he apid p onuncia ion o
wo ds he e, using he end o one wi h
he beginning o ano he in such a way
ha you canno unde s and any hing
Lei ão e Cas o (Jan 30 h, 1884)
+
3º nas pala as po uguezas
adul e adas po omissão de syllabas,
an o no im como no p incipio, e.g. a
pala a es a que ica eduzida a á,
supp imindo-se lhe a p imei a syllaba e
o da ul ima
4º na signi icação de mui as dessas
pala as como ê , signi icando es a
5º na in oducção de pala as
es angei as egualmen e, como as
nossas, es opiadas.
3 d in he adul e a ion o Po uguese
wo ds h ough he ommission o
syllables as much a he end as a he
beginning, e.g. he wo d es a , which is
educed o á by supp essing he i s
syllable and he o he las one
4 h in he meaning o many o hose
wo ds, such as e meaning es a
5 h in he in oduc ion o o eign
wo ds, jus as adul e a ed as ou s.

Lei ão e Cas o (Jan 30 h, 1884)
6º em não se declina em os nomes
nem se conjuga em os e bos, nem se
dis ingui o gene o e nume o dos
adjec i os, se indo um caso qualque
da declinação, um empo e uma
pessoa qualque do e bo, um gene o,
ou um nume o qualque do nome
subs an i o ou adjec i o, pa a udo
quan o que em exp imi .
7º Na al a do cump imen o das nossas
eg as de syn axe, de modo que não
p eside uma ideia, um pensamen o
ge al, que no emp ego e collocação
das pala as pa a o ma em o ações,
que no des as pa a compo em o
discu so
6 h in no declining nouns no
conjuga ing e bs, no dis inguishing
he gende and numbe o adjec i es,
wi h one case o he declension, one
ense and one pe son o he e b, one
gende o numbe o he noun o
adjec i e o all ha hey wish o
exp ess.
7 h In he lack o compliance wi h ou
ules o syn ax, in such a way ha no
ideia o a gene al hough p esides
o e ei he he use o he placemen o
wo ds o o m clauses, o he
placemen o hese o compose speech
Main cha ac e is ics:
-Code-swi ching;
-Bo owings ( om English and Tamil);
-Pe cei ed di e ences in in ona ion and a e o
speech (in ela ion o Po uguese);
-Reduc ion/Elision o pos -s ess syllables (o he
e ymon): e.g. Pad (>P . Pad e), Bê ig (>P . ba iga);
-In a ian nouns and adjec i es;
-In a ian e bs, no mally based on P g. in ini i e
(e.g. papia ); bu see ên (>P . em) and ai (>P . ai);
Co omandel - Summa y
Main cha ac e is ics:
-Pe sonal p onouns: 1s = mim (> P . o m used wi h
p eposi ions); 2s = óç (<P . ós o ocê);
-Func ional con la ion o P . possessi e e b e and
s age-le el copula es a (e.g. Vóç Pad ên bom?);
-Ve bal ope a o á om P . es a , e.g. Mim za á ai
(con inuous/impe ec i e?);
-Peculia wo d o de (in ela ion o Po uguese);
-Ex eme ellipsis (?): Bê ig óóm comê.
Co omandel - Summa y
Bengal
-Paul-Amb oise Bigande , F ench missiona y, Vica -
Apos olic o Sou he n Bu ma and schola o
Buddhism.
Sou ce

Bigande (Ma 21s , 1882)
[…] j’ai le eg e de ous ai e sa oi
que la langue po ugaise, je eux di e
le Pa ois hono é de ce i e, a
comple emen dispa u de Rangoon,
Maulmain, Ta oy e Me gui, c’es à un
el poin , que je peux à peine ou e
une pe sonne dans ces qua e locali és
qui puisse con e se en Po ugais.
Lo sque j’a i ai en 1837 su la cô e
Tenasse im, j’ai dus me me e a
app end e le Pa ois Po ugais pou me
ai e comp end e des Ch é iens. Mais
je ne a dais pas a me [?] que ce e
langue, a peine comp ise de ceux qui
la pa laien , ne pou ai ê e le moyen
pou communique l’ins uc ion
éligieuse aux pau es […]
I eg e o in o m you ha he
Po uguese language, ha is he Pa ois
honou ed wi h ha i le, has
comple ely disappea ed om Rangoon,
Maulmain, Ta oy and Me gui, and o
such an ex en ha I can only ind one
pe son in hese ou loca ions who can
con e se in Po uguese. When I a i ed,
in 1837, on he Coas o Tenasse im, I
had o s a lea ning he Po uguese
Pa ois o make mysel unde s ood by
he Ch is ians. Bu I soon [ ealised?]
ha his language, unde s ood only by
hose who spoke i , could no be he
means o impa eligious ins uc ion
o he poo
+
Bigande (Ma 21s , 1882)
[…] Dans l’espace de 40 e quelques
années, le pa ois po ugais a
absolumen dispa u. A mon a i ée à
Ta oy, en 1837, on chan ai à le Noël, a
l’Epiphanie des can iques en Po ugais,
mais ils on aussi dispa u. Plusieu s
ieilla ds e ieilles que j’ai in e ogés
au suje de ces can iques m’on di
qu’é an en an s, ils se sou iennen
d’en a oi en endu pa le . […]
Les poin s saillan s du pa ois
Po ugais el que je l’ai ou é, ces
son 1eomission p esqu’en iè e de
l’a icle.
2eBien sou en le plu iel du
subs an i es inusi é.
3eP esque ou es modi ica ions des
noms, e p onoms, son mises de co ê.
Wi hin 40 some hing yea s, he
Po uguese pa ois comple ely
disappea ed. When I a i ed in Ta oy,
in 1837, hey used o sing Po uguese
hymns du ing Ch is mas, o Epiphany,
bu hese ha e also disappea ed.
Se e al old men and women ha I ha e
inqui ed om wi h ega d o hese
hymns old me ha hey emembe
hea ing i being spoken when hey
we e child en.
The salien cha a e is ics o he
Po uguese pa ois, as I ound i , a e 1s
nea o al ommission o he a icle.
2nd O en, he plu al o he noun is
unusual.
3 d Almos all modi ica ions o nouns
and p onouns a e neglec ed.
+
Bigande (Ma 21s , 1882)
4eLes adjec i s quali ian un nom au
plu iel on la o me du singulie
5eCe qui désigne le passé e le u u
es exp imé pa deux simples mo s: ja,
e lo, ajou és au p esen . La consonne
inale de l’in ini i es oujou s laisée
de co é. […]
Je eg è e qu’il ne soi pas en mon
pou oi de ous donne de plus
amples enseignemen s, ni de ou e
quelqu’un qui puisse le ai e. Ca ce
pa ois, ou e qu’il n’es plus pa lé,
excep é à Malacca, n’a jamais é é éc i
ni é udié, e n’a é é qu’une lingua
anca des igno an s, e su ou des
ma ins. […]
4 h The adjec i es ha quali y a plu al
noun ha e he singula o m.
5 h Wha designa es pas and u u e is
exp essed by wo simple wo ds: ja,
and lo, added o he p esen . The inal
consonan o he in ini i e is always
le aside.
I eg e ha i is no in my powe o
gi e you mo e comple e in o ma ion
no ind someone who can do so. Fo
his pa ois, in addi ion o no longe
being spoken, excep in Malacca, was
ne e w i en no s udied, and was no
mo e han a lingua anca o he
igno an , and especially o he seamen.
Main cha ac e is ics:
-Apocope o – ( om he e ymon) in e bs;
-(Nea - o al?) absence o nominal and p onominal
mo phology;
-Unusual plu al o ms (supple ion? eduplica ion?);
-No numbe ag eemen be ween adjec i e and noun;
-(Nea - o al?) absence o a icle;
-Ve bal ope a o s ja (pas ) and lo ( u u e).
Bu ma - Summa y
Flo es island

Loca ion
Flo es La an uka Dilli
Sa u
-Geo ge Ka el Niemann, Du ch na u alis (Sousa
2014b);
-Timon Hen icus de Kinde en, sec e a y o he
Koninklijk Ba a iaasch Genoo schap an Kuns en en
We enschappen [Royal Ba a ian Socie y o A s and
Sciences]; (Ahlg imm-Siess 2014);
-José dos San os Vaquinhas, Po uguese mili a y man
and colonial adminis a o who se ed in Timo ;
-Johan Hend ik Ke n, Du ch philologis , bo n in Ja a
(Sousa 2014c).
Sou ces
Niemann (Jul 20 h, 1883)
[…] He Humme, de meh e e Jah e
esiden au Timo wa , ha mi
bes imm gesag dass wede au dem
holländisches Timo noch bei den
schwa zen Po ugiesen au Flo es ein
po ugiesisches Ja gon gesp ochen
wi d; nu inden sich in dem au Timo
& Flo es gesp ochenes Malaiischen
meh e e Po ugiesische Wö e und
Ausd ücke.
Mis e Humme, who esided in Timo
o se e al yea s, has assu ed me ha
nei he in Du ch Timo no among he
black Po uguese o Flo es is a
Po uguese ja gon spoken; one only
inds in he Malay spoken in Timo and
Flo es se e al Po uguese wo ds and
exp essions.
de Kinde en (No 6 h, 1884)
[…] Auch e hiel en wi einen B ie on
He n Heslinga, R. K. P a e zu
La an uka au de Insel Flo es, wo in e
melde dasz in den Kampung’s and
dem Sees and Malaiisch ge ede wi d,
welches zwa iele po ugiesische
Wö e en hal en ein Ja gon abe , wie
is in Ih en C eolischen S udien
angegeben, daselbs nich zu inden
is .
We also ecei ed a le e om M .
Heslinga, Roman Ca holic minis e o
La an uka on Flo es island, in which he
epo s ha in he own and he along
he coas Malay is used, and al hough
i con ains many Po uguese wo ds, no
ja gon can be ound he e as indica ed
in you C eole S udies.