Language Matters | Languages spoken in Macau, from Portuguese and Cantonese through Macanese patois and pidgin English … and now back to Portuguese
- Macau has a colourful linguistic history. A Macanese patois developed as descendants of Portuguese settlers took brides from other Portuguese colonies in Asia
- Pidgin English, a mix of Portuguese, Cantonese, Malay, Hindi and Scandinavian languages, was used for trade. Now a revival in use of Portuguese may come
The draw of contemporary Macau may lie in riding a gondola at The Venetian Macao. Already in the 5th century, however, merchant ships travelling between Southeast Asia and Guangzhou would stop at Macau for refuge and supplies.
It was during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) that Guangdong and Fujian fisherfolk migrated there, and developed it as a trading centre for the southern provinces. It was only with the arrival of Portuguese in the 16th century that Macau became established as a major settlement and trading post – and cross-cultural hotspot.
With authorities limiting exchanges to commercial transactions and discouraging foreigners from learning Chinese, however, language contact outcomes were particular.
Early communication between Chinese and Portuguese traders in the Pearl River Delta relied on the latter’s language – phrase books from Macau have Portuguese phrases represented in Chinese characters.
