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Portuguese
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PORTUGUESE COAT OF ARMS & SURNAMES
HISTORIES
The #1 Portuguese
Coat of Arms Website offers you a
---SPECIAL
2 FOR 1---
on Portuguese & Spanish surnames
family coat of arms
(if both
surnames chosen are available)
Did you know that there may be
family crests & coat of arms for
your Portuguese surnames?
Find your roots! A family
crest / coat of arms is a
very important part of your family's
heritage. Proudly display your own in your
home by ordering today!
• Where did your surnames
and coat of arms originate? •
Were they taken
from a village name?
• Is your surname derived from an
occupation, or an ancient
landmark? • What were your
family titles? • Where in
history are your surnames
first recorded? • Who were
the
namesakes in history
who proudly bore your family surname?
We have coat of arms available for the
following Portuguese surnames:
Abarca coat of arms Abarca, Abasto
coat of arms Abasto, Abelha coat of arms Abelha, Abelho coat of arms
Abelho, Aboim coat of arms Aboim, Abranches coat of arms Abranches,
Abreu coat of arms Abreu, Aça coat of arms Aça, Adarga
coat of arms Adarga, Adorno coat of arms Adorno, Afonso coat of arms
Afonso, Agra coat of arms Agra, Aguiã coat of arms Aguiã,
Aguiar coat of arms Aguiar, Aguilar coat of arms Aguilar, Aires coat of
arms Aires, Alagoa coat of arms Alagoa, Alão coat of arms
Alão, Alarcão coat of arms Alarcão,
Albergaria coat of arms Albergaria,Albernás coat of arms
Albernás, Albornoz coat of arms Albornoz, Albuquerque coat of
arms Albuquerque, Alcácova coat of arms Alcácova,
Alcoforado coat of arms Alcoforado, Aldana coat of arms Aldana,
Alderete coat of arms Alderete, Alfaro coat of arms Alfaro, Alma coat
of arms Alma, Almada coat of arms Almada,
Almansa coat of arms Almansa, Amaral coat of arms Amaral, Ambia coat of
arms Ambia, Amorim coat of arms Amorim, Anaia coat of arms Anaia,
Andrade coat of arms Andrade,
Angulo coat of arms Angulo, Antas coat of arms Antas, Antunes coat of
arms Antunes, Aragão coat of arms Aragão, Aranha coat of
arms Aranha, Arantes coat of arms Arantes,
Arca coat of arms Arca, Arco coat of arms Arco, Arelhano coat of arms
Arelhano, Arrais coat of arms Arrais, Arriaga coat of arms Arriaga,
Arroio coat of arms Arroio,
Ataide coat of arms Ataide, Atunes coat of arms Atunes, Araujo coat of
arms Araujo, Arruda coat of arms Arruda, Avalos coat of arms Avalos,
Avelar coat of arms Avelar,
Avila coat of arms Avila, Avilez coat of arms Avilez, Azambuja coat of
arms Azambuja, Azeredo coat of arms Azeredo, Azevedo coat of arms
Azevedo, Baião coat of armsBaião,
Bairros coat of arms Bairros, Bandeira coat of arms Bandeira, Baracho
coat of arms Baracho, Barata coat of arms Barata, Barba coat of arms
Barba, Barbedo coat of arms Barbedo,
Barbosa coat of arms Barbosa, Barbuda coat of arms Barbuda, Barradas
coat of arms Barradas, Barreira coat of arms Barreira, Barreiros coat
of arms Barreiros, Barreto coat of arms Barreto,
Barriga coat of arms Barriga, Barroso coat of arms Barroso, Bastos coat
of arms Bastos, Batalha coat of arms Batalha, Batista coat of arms
Batista, Beça coat of arms Beça,
Belém coat of arms Belém, Beleza coat of arms Beleza,
Beltrão coat of arms Beltrão, Bem coat of arms Bem,
Benavides coat of arms Benavides, Bento coat of arms Bento,
Bermudes coat of arms Bermudes, Bernardes coat of arms Bernardes,
Berredo coat of arms Berredo, Bettencourt coat of arms Bettencourt,
Bezzera coat of arms Bezzera,
Bicudo coat of arms Bicudo, Borges coat of arms Borges, Borgonha coat
of arms Borgonha, Borja coat of arms Borja, Borralho coat of arms
Borralho, Botafogo coat of arms Botafogo,
Botelho coat of arms Botelho, Brochado coat of arms Brochado, Braga
coat of arms Braga, Bragança coat of arms Bragança,
Brandão coat of arms Brandão, Bravo coat of arms Bravo,
Breves coat of arms Breves, Brito coat of arms Brito, Brum coat of arms
Brum, Bulhões coat of arms Bulhões, Cabedo coat of arms
Cabedo, Cabral coat of arms Cabral,
Cabrita coat of arms Cabrita, Cáceres coat of arms
Cáceres, Caiado coat of arms Caiado, Calaça coat of arms
Calaça, Calado coat of arms Calado, Caldas coat of arms Caldas,
Caldeira coat of arms Caldeira, Caldeirão coat of arms
Caldeirão, Calheiros coat of arms Calheiros, Calvo coat of arms
Calvo, Camacho coat of arms Camacho, Camanho coat of arms Camanho,
Camara coat of arms Camara, Camargo coat of arms Camargo, Camelo coat
of arms Camelo, Caminha coat of arms Caminha, Camisão coat of
arms Camisão, Camões coat of arms Camões,
Campelo coat of arms Campelo, Campo coat of arms Campo, Campos coat of
arms Campos, Canelas coat of arms Canelas, Canto coat of arms Canto,
Cão coat of arms Cão,
Cardim coat of arms Cardim, Cardoso coat of arms Cardoso, Carmona coat
of arms Carmona, Carneiro coat of arms Carneiro, Carrasco coat of arms
Carrasco, Carreira coat of arms Carreira,
Carreiro coat of arms Carreiro, Carriço coat of arms
Carriço, Carrilho coat of arms Carrilho, Carvalhal coat of arms
Carvalhal, Carvalho coat of arms Carvalho, Casado coat of arms Casado,
Casal coat of arms Casal, Castanho coat of arms Castanho, Castela coat
of arms Castela, Castelo coat of arms Castelo, Castelo Branco coat of
arms Castelo Branco, Castilho coat of arms Castilho,
Castro coat of arms Castro, Cavaleiro coat of arms Cavaleiro, Cerqueira
coat of arms Cerqueira, Cerveira coat of arms Cerveira, Coca coat of
arms Coca, Coelho coat of arms Coelho,
Cordeiro coat of arms Cordeiro, Cordes coat of arms Cordes, Cordovil
coat of arms Cordovil, Correia coat of arms Correira, Corte-Real coat
of arms Corte-Real, Costa coat of arms Costa,
Coutinho coat of arms Coutinho, Couto coat of arms Couto, Cunha coat of
arms Cunha, Dias coat of arms Dias, Eça coat of arms Eça,
Escudeiro coat of arms Escudeiro, Esmeraldo coat of arms Esmeraldo,
Espargosa coat of arms Espargosa, Espínola coat of arms
Espínola, Espinosa coat of arms Espinosa, Esteves coat of arms
Esteves, Faria coat of arms Faria, Feijo coat of arms Feijo,
Felgueiras coat of arms Felgueiras, Fernandes coat of arms Fernandes,
Ferreira coat of arms Ferreira, Figueiredo coat of arms Figueiredo,
Fonseca coat of arms Fonseca,
Forjaz coat of arms Forjaz, Fraga coat of arms Fraga,
França coat of arms França, Freire coat of arms Freire,
Freitas coat of arms Freitas, Furtado coat of arms Furtado,
Furtuoso coat of arms Furtuoso, Galego coat of arms Galego, Galhardo
coat of arms Galhardo, Gama coat of arms Gama, Garcia coat of arms
Garcia, Garrido coat of arms Garrido,
Gil coat of arms Gil, Girão coat of arms Girão, Gois coat
of arms Gois, Gomes coat of arms Gomes, Gonçalves coat of arms
Gonçalves, Gouveia coat of arms Gouveia,
Guardia coat of arms Guardia, Guedes coat of arms Guedes, Guerreiro
coat of arms Guerreiro, Guindo coat of arms Guindo, Gusmão coat
of arms Gusmão, Henriques coat of arms Henriques,
Herédia coat of arms Herédia, Homem coat of arms Homem,
Horta coat of arms Horta, Lança coat of arms Lança,
Lapenha coat of arms Lapenha, Leão coat of arms Leão,
Leite coat of arms Leite, Lencastre coat of arms Lencastre, Leote coat
of arms Leote, Lima coat of arms Lima, Limpo coat of arms Limpo, Lobato
coat of arms Lobato,
Lobo coat of arms Lobo, Lopes coat of arms Lopes, Loureiro coat of arms
Loureiro, Lourenço coat of arms Lourenço, Lucena coat of
arms Lucena, Macedo coat of arms Macedo,
Machado coat of arms Machado, Magalhães coat of arms
Magalhães, Maldonado coat of arms Maldonado, Malfaia coat of
arms Malfaia, Manuel coat of arms Manuel,
Marques coat of arms Marques, Martins coat of arms Martins, Mascarenhas
coat of arms Mascarenhas, Mata coat of arms Mata, Matos coat of arms
Matos, Medeiros coat of arms Medeiros,
Medrano coat of arms Medrano, Meira coat of arms Meira, Melo coat of
arms Melo, Mendes coat of arms Mendes, Mendonça coat of arms
Mendonça, Mendoça coat of arms Mendoça,
Meneses coat of arms Meneses, Menezes coat of arms Menezes,
Mesquita coat of arms Mesquita, Mexia coat of arms Mexia, Miranda coat
of arms Miranda, Moniz coat of arms Moniz,
Monte coat of arms Monte, Monteiro coat of arms Monteiro, Morães
coat of arms Morães, Morais coat of arms Morais, Moscoso coat of
arms Moscoso, Mota coat of arms Mota,
Mourão coat of arms Mourão, Mouzinho coat of arms
Mouzinho, Nápoles coat of arms Nápoles, Narvais coat of
arms Narvais, Negrão coat of arms Negrão, Nogueira coat
of arms Nogueira,
Noronha coat of arms Noronha, Oliva coat of arms Oliva, Oliveira
coat of arms Oliveira, Pacheco coat of arms Pacheco, Padrão coat
of arms Padrão, Paiva coat of arms Paiva,
Passanha coat of arms Passanha, Pastor coat of arms Pastor,
Peçanha coat of arms Peçanha, Pereira coat of arms
Perreira, Pimenta coat of arms Pimenta, Pimental coat of arms Pimental,
Pimentel coat of arms Pimentel, Pinheiro coat of arms Pinheiro, Pinto
coat of arms Pinto, Porto coat of arms Porto, Portocarreiro coat of
arms Portocarreiro, Prado coat of arms Prado,
Proença coat of arms Proença, Queiróz coat of arms
Queiróz, Quintanilha coat of arms Quintanilha, Ramalho coat of
arms Ramalho, Ramos coat of arms Ramos, Raposo coat of arms Raposo,
Rebelo coat of arms Rebelo, Refóios coat of arms Refóios,
Reis coat of arms Reis, Resendes coat of arms Resendes, Ribeiro coat of
arms Ribeiro, Riscado coat of arms Riscado,
Rocha coat of arms Rocha, Rodrigues coat of arms Rodrigues, Rosa coat
of arms Rosa, Rua coat of arms Rua, Sá coat of arms Sá,
Sacadura coat of arms Sacadura, Saldanha coat of arms Saldanha,
Salgado coat of arms Salgado, Sampaio coat of arms Sampaio, Sande coat
of arms Sande, Sandoval coat of arms Sandoval, Santana coat of arms
Santana, Santos coat of arms Santos,
Seabra coat of arms Seabra, Seixas coat of arms Seixas, Sequeira coat
of arms Sequeira, Serpa coat of arms Serpa, Silva coat of arms Silva,
Silveira coat of arms Silveira, Soares coat of arms Soares,
Sodré coat of arms Sodré, Soromenho coat of arms
Soromenho, Sotomaior coat of arms Sotomaior, Sotomayor coat of arms
Sotomayor, Sousa coat of arms Sousa, Souza coat of arms Souza,
Spínola coat of arms Spínola, Tavora coat of arms
Tavora, Teixeira coat of arms Teixeira, Torres coat of arms Torres,
Tourinho coat of arms Tourinho, Urrea coat of arms Urrea,
Valente coat of arms Valente, Vargas coat of arms Vargas, Vasconcellos
coat of arms Vasconcellos, Vaz coat of arms Vaz, Veiga coat of arms
Veiga, Veloso coat of arms Veloso,
Vianna coat of arms Vianna, Vilhena coat of arms Vilhena, Vidal coat of
arms Vidal, Vieira coat of arms Vieira, Viveiros coat of arms Viveiros,
Xavier coat of arms Xavier.
To place your order, please click on the
link below.
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PORTUGUESE
DISCOVERIES
From the late 1400's until the late 1600's Portugal ruled the
seas. At one time, Portugal possessed the farthest flung empire in the
world; a credit to the brave Portuguese captains and sailors who set
out in their caravels and ended up discovering 2/3 of the known world -
they even established trading posts on the southern coast of Japan!
Colonies were established all across the globe and by the middle of the
18th century, the Portuguese language, religion and culture was firmly
entrenched in places far and wide. In effect, Portugal was the first
European nation to set the stage for further European colonialist and
expansionist aspirations. Click on this link to order a great book on
this subject: The Portuguese Empire, 1415-1808. From the
outset, Portugal's destiny was the sea; constantly undermined by Spain,
Portugal looked toward the sea in search of its fate and never looked
back. Competition from other European nations, namely, England and
Holland, ultimately ended Portugal's monopoly in the East Indies as
Portugal became too far extended and lacked the manpower to maintain
its strongholds in the far east. One by one, its trading posts fell to
the other stronger, better equiped maritime powers. Yet, Portugal still
managed to hold on to Macau in China until 1999. The colonies of
Goa-Daman-Diu in India, were Portuguese possessions until 1962, as was
East Timor in Indonesia until 1975. Remarkably, up until 1975,
Portugal still had its larger, richer colonies in Africa -
Angola, Mozambique (Moçambique) and the smaller colonies of,
Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde islands (Cabo Verde) and the islands of
São Tomé & Príncipe). Brazil was Portuguese
colony until 1822. The subject of colonialism and its dark legacy has
been hotly debated by historians and scholars. We cannot, and should
not minimize the long lasting negative effects of colonialism - we know
all too well of the cruelties and injustices that were committed
against human beings as a result. However, Portugal's colonialist
policies were generally less
oppressive than their European counterparts, namely England &
Spain, to name a few. One thing is for sure....the Portuguese
discoveries certainly shaped and changed
Portugal, and the world, forever! BACK
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PORTUGUESE PEOPLE
The Portuguese people are of mixed ancestry. This a direct result of
the intermingling of races and cultures on the Iberian Peninsula
(Portugal, Spain) throughout the ages, such as the early: Iberians,
Celts in the north, Phonecians, Carthaginians, Greeks,
Visigoths/Suevians (Germanic tribes), Romans, Jews, Moors and other
Africans. Today, one readily sees the legacy of the Roman, Moorish and
Jewish presence in Portugal; it is visible in the Portuguese people,
architecture, music and cuisine. The Portuguese are a mix of all, or
some of these groups of people that settled in Portugal. Generally
speaking, in terms of appearance and physical stature, the Portuguese
have circum Mediterranean, dark features. But in the northern part of
Portugal where the Celtic/Germanic presence was the strongest, it is
not uncommon to see tall, blond and blue or green eyed Portuguese. The
Portuguese are devoutly Roman Catholic, family oriented, mild mannered
and friendly. People often comment that the Portuguese are always ready
and willing to help others.
Many Portuguese and Spaniards have Sephardic Jewish ancestry, but the
sad reality is that many are still in denial of this, although this is
changing. Most modern day
Iberians are not even aware of their Jewish roots, but the ones who do
know proudly acknowledge and embrace their Jewish heritage. Moreover,
it is quite conceivable that up to 70% of all modern Portuguese and
Spaniards have at least a drop or two of Jewish blood - many old
Christian and Jewish bloodlines became mixed as a result of
miscegenation between the two races. Portuguese Jews have lived in
Portugal since Roman times, but it was only after their expulsion from
Spain during the inquisition that they began to arrive in Portugal en
masse. In 1497, the population of Portugal was approximately 1,000,000
of which perhaps 1/8 were comprised of ancient Portuguese Jews - Jews
have lived in Portugal since the Roman occupation. It is estimated that
in 1492, approx. 100,000 Spanish Jews - possibly more - sought refuge
in Portugal upon their expulsion from Spain, and the influx
significantly added to the Jewish population that was already there.
In other words, after 1492, roughly 1/5 of all Portuguese citizens was
Jewish! This
subject is dealt with in detail in the following excellent book: Click
on this link to order: Secrecy and Deceit, The Religion of
the Crypto Jews by: David M. Gitlitz. Some Portuguese Jews
were also expelled from Portugal, but the vast majority remained, and
were forcibly baptised and converted to Christianity. Portuguese Jews
excelled in all spheres of Portuguese economic, intellectual and
cultural life. Unbeknownst to many, Portuguese Jews were a significant
driving
force of Portugal's economy before, and during the period of the
Portuguese discoveries - many of the Portuguese maritime expeditions
were actually financed by them! The decline of the Portuguese colonial
empire can be directly attributed to the Portuguese inquisition, which
was only officially abolished in 1822. Many Portuguese Jews -
especially those who were connected to the Portuguese nobility - were
granted Portuguese family coat of arms (see: coat of arms section of
the Jewish Encyclopaedia). And as a clever way of protecting themselves
against Christian anti-semitism, they adopted many common Portuguese
surnames such as: Rodrigues, Cardoso, Nunes, Sousa, Carvalho, Teixeira,
Henriques, Costa, Mendes, Alavares, Dias, Furtado, Almeida, Ribeiro,
Silveira, Medeiros, Ferreira, Gomes, Lopes, Franco, Castro, Machado,
Medina, Garcia, Fernandes and Pacheco. During the forced conversions,
for obvious practical reasons, many Portuguese Jews also adopted very
Catholic sounding surnames such as: Santos, Cruz, Espírito
Santo, de Jesus, Conceição, dos Anjos, etc. It should be
noted however, that the possession of a Sephardic surname (adopted
surnames of Jews from Spain & Portugal) does not in and of itself
prove Jewish ancestry. Conversely, one can have Jewish ancestry and not
necessarily possess a typical Sephardic surname. However, it is
believed that certain Portuguese, nature derived surnames are actually
of Jewish origin - not Christian. Historically, Portuguese Jews
typically chose names for themselves that derived from nature, i.e.,
names of: trees, vegetables, fruits, plants and animals. Portuguese
Jewish physicians, scientists and merchants were already in possession
of these kinds of surnames which are confirmed as having existed much
earlier than the forced conversions which began in 1496. Examples of
nature derived surnames believed to have been introduced to Portugal by
the ancient Portuguese Jews are: Pereira (pear tree), Oliveira (olive
tree), Pimentel (small pepper, or a field of peppers), Figueira (fig
tree), Silva (berry bush), Lima (lime), Cordeiro (lamb), Pinto (chick),
Leão (lion) and Pinheiro (pine tree). It can be said with a high
degree of certainty that virtually all persons with nature derived
surnames invariably had ancestors somewhere in their family tree that
were New Christians (or) Conversos, the terms used to identify Jews who
were forcibly baptised/converted. Over time, the Conversos lost much of
their Jewish heritage, but in Some families, some Crypto Jewish rituals
and traditions survived and were passed down from generation to
generation. The descendants/children of Conversos are generally
referred to in Hebrew as 'B'nai Anusim'. BACK TO SITE MAP
To
order a copy of the video: Memory
and Expulsion: Descendants of the
Hidden Jews, please send me an e-mail:
geoles@sympatico.ca The cost
is $50 Usd. plus shipping & handling. This film is a riveting
account of modern day descendants of the Jews who were forcibly
converted during the Spanish Inquisition. In 1492, with the stroke of a
pen, fifteen hundred years of Jewish Life in Spain came to an abrupt
end. In a Medieval example of "ethnic cleansing", the Jews of Spain
were given a choice: expulsion or conversion. Half the community left
(mostly to Portugal), half converted. Many of the converted, known as
"Conversos" continued to practice Judaism in secret, establishing a way
of life that has, remarkably survived to the present day. Shot on
location in Spain, Portugal, Israel, Canada and the United States,
Expulsion and Memory
tells the story of the "Conversos" and the
memories that still haunt their descendants. In New Mexico, we witness
a faith so strong, that it led Hispanic-Americans to etch secret Judaic
symbols into the tombstones of their Ancestors. In Spain, an elderly
woman confides that Jews are known for their horns and tails. In todays
world, a Portuguese Catholic woman lights candles on Friday night and
recites the Jewish prayer. In Belmonte, Portugal, townspeople who have
practiced Judaism in complete secrecy for five centuries now pray
openly for the first time. The film, characterized by an emotional and
spiritual resonance features a lyrical Sephardic/Spanish soundtrack and
performances by some of the worlds leading artisits including Placido
Domingo, Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Produced
against the greatest challenges, this film was to represent the beauty
and the triumph of the Jewish Spirit and be a homage to the "Sephardim"
who kept their faith against incredible odds.
Large numbers of expelled
Portuguese Jews re-settled in Holland, England, Italy, Turkey, Morocco,
Gibraltar and in all of the Portuguese colonies especially Brazil, the
CapeVerde Islands and the Azores. It is believed that the Azores were
30% Jewish during the early stages of settlement. The Cape Verde
islands of Santo Antonio and Brava to this day still bear vestiges of
Judaism. Brazil by far, received the greatest number of Portuguese
Jews, who were responsible in large measure for developing the early
economic infrastructure of Portuguese colonial Brazil. It should also
be noted, that the early whaling and import/export economies of New
England U.S.A., were developed primarily by the Portuguese Jews. They
had escaped the inquisitorial pressures of Portuguese colonial Brazil
and subsequently re-settled in Guyana, Jamaica, Curação
and other islands in the Carribean before eventually making their way
north to parts of New England. Nowadays, vestiges of Portugal's Jewish
past can still be seen in the remote towns and villages of Portugal.
Several Crypto-Jewish communities still exist in the
Trás-os-Montes region and there are many very old synagogues in
Portugal as well. For over 400 years, Crypto-Jews had to rely on
extreme secrecy and deception to avoid the inquisitors. However,
despite the great obstacles and adversities of the Portuguese
inquisition, the Crypto-Jews of Portugal persevered and secretly kept
their religion alive. In the town of Belmonte, among others in Portugal
for example, efforts are being made to re-approximate the Crypto Jewish
religion with the orthodoxy of Israel. BACK
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PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE
The Portuguese language has been the subject of much interest and
intrigue. Portuguese has its roots and foundation in Latin, the
language of the Romans who for centuries occupied the Iberian
Peninsula. The Portuguese language is also commonly referred to as
Lusitanian or Luso, named after the Lusitanians who occupied the lands
between the Tagus and Minho rivers. They are considered to be the true
ancestors of the Portuguese. The vulgar Latin that was spoken
throughout the peninsula eventually evolved into the present day
languages of Catalan, Galician, Castilian and Portuguese. During the
Moorish occupation of Portugal - which lasted 500 years or so -
approximately 1200 Arabic words entered into the Portuguese
language. Some examples of those words are: azeite (olive oil),
azeituna (olive), Arroz (Rice), Alicate (Pliers), Refém
(Hostage), Algarve (Al-Gharb) - in Arabic this means the far west, the
name given to the southern part of Portugal, and oxalá (Inshala)
in Arabic, which means God-Willing. The Portuguese language contains
many Italian, French and Greek words as well. Depending on whom you
speak to, you'll get different opinions of Portuguese pronunciation,
vocabulary, etc. Click on this link to order a Continental
Portuguese course: Colloquial Portuguese. The Portuguese are
notorious for slurring syllables and chewing up word endings. In fact,
people often comment that the Portuguese language sometimes sounds more
Slavic than Latin. Nevertheless, educated Portuguese tend to enunciate
their words more clearly and speak more melodically. And due to the
variations of the Portuguese language spoken in many parts of the
world, it is difficult to make generalizations one way or the other
about the intonation of the Portuguese language per se, but Continental
Portuguese is the classical standard. Brazilian Portuguese is an exotic
variety of the mother tongue which has been enriched by African and
Native Indian influences both in terms of vocabulary and accent.
Brazil's many different immigrant groups have also exerted some
influence on the language as well. Brazilian Portuguese bears the same
relationship to the Portuguese spoken in Portugal, that American
English has to British English. Not surprisingly, Brazilian
Portuguese is gaining worldwide popularity as the preferred variety of
spoken Portuguese. Galego, which is spoken in the N.W. region of Spain
is identical to Portuguese, save for some differences in orthography.
In terms of vocabulary, syntax and sentence structure, Portuguese
resembles Spanish more so than any other major Romance language.
According to the Ethnologue, Portuguese is approx. 89% similar to
Spanish. The following example sentences illustrate perfectly the close
relationship that the two languages have with one another:
English - Please read and keep.
Toy not suitable for children under three years of age. Small parts
might be swallowed or inhaled.
Portuguese - Por favor leia e
guarde. Brinquedo não apto para menores de três anos de
idade. As peças pequenas poderiam ser ingeridas ou aspiradas.
Spanish - Por favor lea y
guarde. Jugete no apto para menores de tres años de edad. Las
piezas pequeñas podrían ser ingeridas o aspiradas.
Insofar as pronunciation is concerned, Portuguese sounds somewhat like
a cross between Spanish & French. Despite marked differences in
pronunciation, Portuguese and Spanish are
mutually intelligible among educated speakers of both. Portuguese is
the official language of Portugal (including Azores and Madeira),
Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde Islands,
São Tomé & Príncipe islands.Up until 1999 it
was also the official language of the longtime Portuguese territory of
Macau, China - although Cantonese was always the lingua franca for the
Macanese. The Portuguese language is still spoken by many in the
former colonial territories of Goa-Daman-Diu in India, and Portuguese
has been reinstated as the official language of East Timor. A
Portuguese creole is used alongside standard Portuguese in the
countries of Cape Verde Islands, Guine-Bissau and on the islands of
São Tomé and Príncipe. In Malacca, Malaysia, a
Portuguese creole can still be heard. The Portuguese language ranks 5th
in the world with an estimated 200 million speakers worldwide. BACK TO SITE
MAP
PORTUGUESE CHURCHES,
CASTLES, PALACES & AZULEJOS
Left to right: Roman Temple of
Diana ruins, Moorish Silves Castle, Gothic Batalha Cathedral, Estoi
Palace, Santa Maria Monastery
PORTUGUESE CUISINE
Seafood reigns supreme in Portugal, and the Portuguese are quite
masterful at cooking a wide variety of: meat, game and poultry dishes.
Almost all of the dishes are prepared with olive oil, garlic, chili
peppers, white/red wine and many different herbs and spices including:
saffron, rosemary, parsley, fennel, corriander, cloves, paprika,
white/black pepper and bay leaves. A popular seafood dish is a
succulent fish stew called Caldeirada de Peixe, that is made with
shrimp, clams, mussels, squid, octopus, cod or Bacalhau and plenty of
potatoes. This dish has often been compared to a Louisiana style
jumbalaya or bouillabaise. Cod fish is King in Portugal and the
Portuguese can prepare it 101 different ways! Sardines are also another
fish favourite in Portugal. Another popular dish is the Cozido à
Portuguesa, which is essentially a melange of boiled vegetables
(carrots, potatoes, cabbage, onions) and meats (chouriço
sausage, blood sausage, beef) topped with olive oil. The spicy
Chouriço sausages are very popular all over Portugal and many
Portuguese make their own at home. Soups are also a Portuguese
specialty and one of the best known is the Caldo Verde meaning green
broth. It is made from stock, shredded spinach or cabbage, pureed
potato, olive oil and parsley. Click on this link to order a fantastic
Portuguese cookbook: What's Cooking in Portugal. The
Portuguese inherited their penchant and flair for sweets and desserts
from the Moors. Some of the sweets include tarts Queijadas de
Amêndoa, which are made from an almond, lemon, sugar and egg
mixture and of course, the Pasteis de Nata (or) Queijadas de Nata,
which are made from eggs and heavy cream. Wine is blessed in Portugal
and no meal is complete without a nice Vinho Tinto red wine or a Vinho
Branco white wine. Portuguese wines are world renowned for their
exquisite bouquets and abundant varieties: The Wines and Vineyards of
Portugal. In general, Portuguese cooking is typically mediterranean but
it has been fused with elements from the cuisines of the far east and
Africa, this having resulted from Portuguese contact with those parts
of the world during Portugal's Golden Age of discoveries. Portuguese
cuisine is quite similar to that of Spain and Louisiana. BACK TO SITE MAP
PORTUGUESE
ARCHITECTURE
Some very diverse and beautiful architecture can be found in Portugal.
There are numerous remnants of Roman temples, pillars, baths,
aquaducts, bridges, roads and countless Moorish castles dispersed
throughout the country as well. The peninsula's best single Roman site
is the temple at Evora, built during the 2nd or 3rd century BC. Almost
every church and palace in Portugal is decorated with Azulejos, derived
from the Arabic word Al-Zuleiq, meaning polished stone. Click
on this link to
order an excellent book on Portuguese Azulejos: Portuguese Decorative
Tiles. Azulejos are decorative,
hand-painted Arabesque looking wall and floor tiles that were
introduced to Portugal by the Moors. Many of the churches are ornate
with the gold that was imported into Portugal from Brazil. Gothic
architectural influences can be found throughout Portugal as well,
particularly in the central and northern areas, where the Visigoths and
Suevi excercised control. An outstanding example of the Gothic style is
the monastery Church of Santa Maria da Vitória in Batalha.
Moorish architectural influence dominate in the Algarve. During the
reign of King Manuel I, from 1495 to 1521, a very distinctive and
decorative Portuguese style of architecture began to emerge called
Manueline, named after the King. The style was essentially a fusion of
Gothic, Romanesque and Moorish architectural designs, but elements from
Africa, India and China were also incorporated into mix. Certain
characteristics of the Manueline church facades allude to Portugal's
obsession with the sea; waves, coiled ropes, anchors and seashells
cavort with symbols such as the Prince Henry theNavigator, Order of the
Garter and the King's Cross of Christ. Renaissance/Neo-Classicism
architecture didn't arrive in Portugal until 1541 or so. The best
examples are the Sé Velha (Old Cathedral) and São Pedro
Chapel, found in the northern university town of Coimbra. The Baroque
influence is visible in the numerous churches decorated in gilded wood
called Talha Dourada. The architectural appearance of the manor houses
and country estates called Solares and Quintas were also influenced by
Baroque but the royal palace at Queluz perhaps best exemplifies the
style. The earthquake of 1755 destroyed much of Lisbon's original
architecture, but under Marquês de Pombal, Lisbon was re-modelled
in the Rococo style that came to be known as Pombaline. Rebuilding
continued but in a more Neo-Classicism genre. The 19th century saw a
revival of historical styles such as the neo-Moorish Campo Pequeno
bullfighting arena in Lisbon and the neo-ManuelinePalace hotel in
Buçaco. Since the revolution of 1974, the style
méditerranéen has pervaded in the Algarve due to an
outbreak of intense tourism in that region. The hills and countryside
of Portugal are dotted with whitewashed, red tiled roof houses and in
the south (Algarve), the homes and villas have beautiful arched
courtyards Pátios, abundant with many varieites of fruit trees. BACK TO SITE MAP
PORTUGUESE
FADO
The soul music of Portugal is Fado, which means fate. Fado is
essentially a sad and melancholy musical style sung in syncopated 2/4
time. The lyrics are usually sung by a female and the music is provided
by a 12 stringed lead guitar called a Guitarra, and a 6 stringed
Spanish guitar called a Viola for the accompaniment. Click
on this link for
a fabulous Amália Rodrigues cd: Best of Fado.
The Portuguese are a fatalistic people as is reflected by the mournful
lyrics and haunting melodies of the fado. The traditional themes of the
fado focus on Saudade, a poignant yearning for the impossible. Most
fado songs reflect on nostalgia, strife of life, lost love, tragedy,
missed opportunity and dark destiny. The female vocalist always wears
black and she sings in a throaty, passionate, emotional manner that
evokes anguish and despair from deep within her soul. The guitarra
embellishes the vocal melody and the viola provides the bass and
chordal accompaniment. The fado is less spirited but more melodic than
the Spanish Flamenco. In the Ribatejo, the bull-raising region of
Portugal, the Fado Corrido is livelier but in the northern university
town of Coimbra, the Fado de Coimbra is more polished and lyrical and
it is actually a romantic serenade that has little in common with the
sad Fado Castiço from Lisbon. When listening to fado music one
hears the pervasive middle eastern tonalities especially in the trills
of the guitarra and falsetto vocal. This the Portuguese inherited from
the Moors. One of Portugal's most popular fadista's was Maria Severa,
an attractive, temperamental young prostitute whose mother was a gypsy.
Maria died at the age of 26 prompting all fado singers to don black to
mourn her premature passing. As Amália Rodrigues, the most
famous fadista of all time once sang so eloquently, 'All this exists,
all this is sad, all this is fado.' BACK
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