P

How much do you know about Portuguese?

Did you know that it is the language of the
world’s foremost maritime power and some of history’s prominent explorers like
Vasco De Gama and Ferdinand Magellan?

Portuguese is the seventh most spoken language
globally, with native speakers across the continents, which explains why it has
so many speakers. In this article, we take a closer look at this romantic
language and state some fun facts everyone should know about Portuguese, along
with some of its history.

Interesting facts about the Portuguese language

1.    Large
amount of native speakers

The most common fact about Portuguese is probably its 220
million native speakers. This makes it a useful language to learn and, of
course, a valuable target audience for any business. 

With this amount of native speakers, it is apparent that many
countries speak the language. Therefore, localization becomes a crucial factor
when translating texts and documents to Portuguese. 

2.    Y,
K, and W are new letters in Portuguese:

It is no news that languages evolve because human beings mix and
get influenced by each other. What makes this fact interesting is that it
happened in 2009 (not so long ago) due to the influence of tech advancement.
With things like Wi-Fi becoming more popular, one could say it was inevitable
not to add these letters to the Portuguese alphabets. It explains why you will
not find many Portuguese words using any of these letters, except words from
other languages. 

3.   Latin
origins

Portuguese is an old language that came from an even older
language – Latin. Today, Latin is obsolete, but you hear derivatives like
Portuguese and Spanish still waxing strong. The Latin origin is the answer to the
question concerning the similarities between these languages. It is worth
noting that the proliferation of Portuguese came about by the fall of the Roman
Empire and the large scale migration that happened later.

4.    It
has some words from Arabic: 

Portuguese has a lot of influence from Arabic because of the
history of the Arab conquest. Look at it this way; Many Latin speakers back
then had to live with Arab speakers, and naturally, their languages mixed. Up
to this day, certain words in Portuguese still mean the same in Arabic.
Examples of such words are; azeitona which comes from the Arabic word, Zaytoon
meaning olive in English.

5.    Portuguese
speakers will understand Spanish:

The similarity between Portuguese and Spanish works so that Portuguese
speakers will easily understand Spanish. However, Spanish speakers may not
understand Portuguese, and it is because Portuguese originated from Vulgar
Latin while Spanish was from a cleaner Latin. 

6.    Spoken
in 4 continents, official to 9 countries:

Portuguese is the official language of nine countries; however,
it is spoken natively in countries across four continents. These include South
America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. 

7.    Different
in Europe and South America

A language spoken as widely as Portuguese is expected to have
different localization and contextual meanings. Therefore, it is not strange
that the Portuguese spoken in America and Europe vary from one another.

8.    Vocabulary

Portuguese has an estimated 25000 words, including those adopted
from other languages. In addition, it has a unique verb and tense structure
that can make it challenging for native English speakers to pick up.

Why you may need to translate your business to Portuguese

In the modern world, globalization is essential for any business
to thrive and outlive its competitors. That means that you must consider an
audience with a different language and a different culture.

If part of your business objectives includes capturing
additional market share, especially during these changing times. It makes sense
to overcome language barriers through translation and localization. You may
want to consider adapting your Portuguese platform for (let’s say; your Angolan
audience). Doing so brings you closer to another section of the 220 million
people who speak the language. 

Luckily, language service providers can bridge the gap by
providing specific translation, localization, SEO, and a vast range of
services. Therefore, your business can be found by the right group of people.
The question becomes how to pick out the right translators or LSP for the
job. 

The right translation company is one with the experience and
understanding of the technical lingua of your field. That means you need
translators with a proven track record. Exactly why TranslationsInLondon is ideal for
your translation services to Portuguese.