Sãotomense Language (cri)

Also Known As: São Tomense Description: Forro is a Portuguese-based creole language spoken in São Tomé and Príncipe. The name means "freed slave" in Portuguese. The language is also called crioulo santomense. It should not be confused with the dialect of Portuguese spoken in São Tomé and Príncipe. São Tomé is an island of the Gulf of Guinea, discovered by the Portuguese in the 15th century. It was uninhabited at the time, but Portuguese settlers used the island as a center of the slave trade, and there was a need for slaves in the island. Since both parties needed to communicate, a pidgin was formed. The substrate languages were from the Bantu and Kwa groups. This pidgin then became fixed (creolized) as it became the mother language of children born from Portuguese men and African women slaves. (Mixed marriages were then encouraged by the Portuguese Crown, for the sake of settlement.) Later because of Dutch and French pressure to gain the island, many Portuguese settlers left. It must be remembered that children of Portuguese and black women were, eventually, not considered as African or slaves, some were considered as full right Portuguese citizens. Those mixed-raced that did not have the status of Portuguese, darker..... full article at Wikipedia Location of Sãotomense Language Speakers http://llmap.org/languages/cri/static_map.png?width=400&height=300&kilroywashere=.png

Overview Main Country: São Tomé and Príncipe Spoken In: Regions: Africa ISO 639-3 Code: cri Classification Taxonomy All Languages   Creole Group     Portuguese based Group       Sãotomense Language