English versus French? Inglês versus Francês?

In the 1500's the native people of Brazil (many different Indian tribes) dealt with their first foreign language -- the Portuguese language brought in by the Jesuits.  Over three centuries (beginning in the 19th century) later the Portuguese royal court promoted French as the second language to be taught in schools.  French had the sound of royalty; it had class and snob appeal -- it was also considered "the language of diplomacy".  French as a second language flourished until the fifities.  

English as a second language became popular during world war two as the United States grew economically and politically, both at home and abroad. Industrialization, international tourism, multinational corporations, international law and treaties, aviation, medicine, wars and occupations, along with many other factors contributed to the proliferation of English, especially American English.  With the beginning of the INTERNET age and the passing into the 21st. century English established even more its stronghold as the world language.

Português:

Inglês versus Francês?

Por volta de 1500 os povos nativos do Brasil (várias tribos de índios) se depararam com sua primeira língua estranjeira – a língua portuguesa trazida pelos jesuítas.  Depois de mais de três céculos (começo do século 19) a Corte Real Portuguesa promoveu o francês como a segunda língua a ser ensinada nas escolas.  A língua francesa tinha aspectos real, de classe, e de esnobismo.  Além disso era considerada “a língua da diplomacía”.  O francês como segunda língua teve seu apogeu até a década de cinquenta. 

O inglês como segunda língua ficou popular durante a segunda guerra mundial, com o crescimento econômico e político dos Estdos Unidos, tanto internamente como no exterior.  A industrialização, o turismo internacional, empresas multinacionais, o direito e tratados internacionais, aviação, medicina, guerras e ocupações, entre muitos outros fatores, contribuiram para a proliferação do inglês, sobretudo o inglês americano.  Com o início da era da INTERNET e a passagem ao século 21 o inglês arraigou-se ainda mais como a língua mundial.

English word borrowing is fragmented in Brazil

It’s interesting to see how hundreds and probably thousands of English words become part of life in Brazil, occurring within everyday speech and in written Portuguese as well.  The problem is that these words are not assimilated fully, as far as meaning and usage.  These partially borrowed and partially assimilated words have some function, but they are dissociated and fragmented, as they don’t have the rest of English words either preceding them or following them within sentences.  For example, the word okay is used in its abbreviated form only – “ok”.

In typical collocation, when one is speaking English it would be “it’s okay”, “Would that be okay?” etc.  When used in Brazil it is uasually “Tá ok?” (Is it okay?) and the miss-pronunciation in “Portenglish” is “[ɔkay] (aw-kay) and not pronounced [ou-kay].  Notice that in this case the word okay has common usage in Portuguese, but only in a fragmented way; the verb (be) has never been borrowed in Brazil, so it cannot go along with it in a sentence.    

The verb check is used all the time, in a “Portunglish” and fragmented way.  The infinitive form (to check) is made to conform to a “Portunglish” verb form ending in ar. It becomes “checar” [∫ekar] (shecar).  This partially borrowed “verb” can actually be conjugated in Portuguese, with added Portuguese endings to conform to the personal pronouns: Eu checo (I check), você/tu/ele/ela checa (you,she, it check[s]), nós checamos (we check), eles/elas/vocês checam (they/you check).

Português:

O empréstimo de palavras inglesas no Brasil é fragmentado

É interessante ver como centenas e provavelmente milhares de palavras inglesas se tornam parte da vida brasileira fazendo parte do português falado e escrito.  O problema é que essas palavras não são assimiladas de maneira completa no sentido de uso e significado.  Essas palavras parcialmente emprestadas e parcialmente assimiladas têm uma certa função, mas são dissociadas e fragmentadas – elas não contém as outras palavras inglesas prescedentes ou seguintes dentro das sentenças.    Por exemplo, a palavra okay (pronunciada “óquei” em português) é usada somente (na escrita) de forma abreviada “ok”.

Em colocações  típicas, ao falar inglês seria “it’s okay”, “would it be okay”? etc.  Quando usado no Brasil normalmente fica “tá ok?” (Is it okay?) e a pronunciação imprópria em “Portunglês” é [ɔkei] (óquei).  Note que nesse caso a palavra “okay”  tem o mesmo uso em português, mas somente de maneira fragmentada; o verbo be (ser/estar) nunca tem sido emprestado no Brasil, assim ele não pode aparecer colocado (em sintaxe) junto com a palavra “okay” em português.

O verbo “check” é usado frequentemente de maneira aportuguesada e fragmentada.  A forma infinitiva (to check)  é adaptada para conformar com a terminação ar do infinitivo.  Ele se torna “checar” [∫ekar] (na realidade pronunciado “checá”).  Esse verbo parcialmente emprestdao pode até ser conjugado em poruguês, com a adição das terminações portuguesas para conformar com os pronomes pessoais: Eu checo, você/tu/ele/ela checa, nós checamos, eles/elas/vocês checam.

Why do other languages borrow from English?

Years ago I frowned when I first heard someone say that English was the most efficient language in the world.  I remember when I heard my Junior College English teacher say that English had the largest vocabulary in the world.  "How could that be?"  I thought.  Well, one reason is that English has borrowed from other languages, especially from Old French.  The other is that English has been an avenue of delivery of ideas, concepts, science, research in many areas, aviation, international affairs, international law, international commerce and business, etc.  The driving force behind the success of the English language was not a result of any superiority of terms of its grammar or beauty, nor was it ever a result of any superiority of the people who spoke it as their native language.  It had nothing to do with any false concept such as "language of the King".  For that matter, Portuguese, Spanish, French, for example, were at some point all "language of the king" as well.  In fact, the English grammar was developed by people who did not speak English as their native language.  These were Latin people who developed a grammar so that they could better learn and use English.  This is the main reason that English grammar is full of Latin rules.

As all languages, English is also a peasant language -- it's full of terms used by everyday simple people.  For example, "goose bumps", "cowlick", "cherry pick", "to be put on the back burner", etc.  English, like any other language is a living, real people's language; it's simple, real, and extremely efficient.  Contrary to all Latin-derivative languages,  English does not have an Academy.  English is driven by its own merits and success -- Typically a word enters the lexicon by usage -- plain and simple.  Words usually find their way into the dictionaries by writers, and not by some group of "academicians" deciding what words are real and how they have to be spelled in order to become a legitimate word.  Evidenced and testament to this is the fact the basically the whole world is willing to adopt English words into the vocabulary of their own languages.  I will use as an example the Portuguese and the Spanish languages.  Brazil is a huge nation with almost 200 Million inhabitants -- As mentioned previously Brazilian Portuguese is full of English words, adapted and assimilated linguistically to one degree or another.  Mexico is the largest Spanish speaking country in the world, with a population of more than 113 million people as of 2010.  Mexican Spanish is also full of English words.  The northern states of Mexico is famous for the so called "Espangles".

Evidently the success of the English language is a phenomenon -- in the same way that it has been humble enough to borrow from other languages, it has been kind enough to lend and to enrich other languages.  Language is a tool, an avenue of delivery of ideas.  Part of the success of English has been the tremendous success and generosity of the United States in the global arena and the willingness to share ideas, research, inventions, innovation, and business.  One single example is the phenomenon of the Internet, which originally started as the Intranet and was a tool developed and used for national defense.  As we all know, the Internet has changed the world in an unprecedented way.  The fact that other countries, such as Brazil and Mexico, are willing to accept English words into their everyday language is testament to the influence of English.

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