Kabuverdianu
A language of Cape Verde Islands
| Population | 394,000 in Cape Verde Islands (1998 S. Graham). 255,101 in Sotavento or 65%; 138,842 in Barlavento or 35%. Population total all countries: 954,000. |
| Region | Sotavento is on Santiago, Maio, Fogo, and Brava islands; Barlavento is on Santo Antão, São Vicente, São Nicolau, Sal, and Boa Vista islands. Also in France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Mozambique, Netherlands, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, United States. |
| Alternate names | “Badiu” , Caboverdiano, Criol, Crioulo, Kriol, Krioulo, “Sampadjudu” |
| Dialects | Sotavento, Barlavento. There is a creole continuum and some decreolization. Lexical similarity: 59% with the Gulf of Guinea creoles. |
| Classification | Creole, Portuguese based |
| Language use | National language. 29% are comfortable in Portuguese, 36% uncomfortable, 34% not functional. Since independence in 1975, the domains of spoken Portuguese have receded in favor of Kabuverdianu. |
| Language development | Literacy rate in L2: 29% Portuguese. Radio programs. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible portions: 1936. |
| Comments | “Badiu” (lit. ‘idle’) and “Sampadjudu” (lit. ‘always covered with grass’) were originally applied by the Portuguese to speakers on the islands of Santiago and Santo Antão, respectively; both terms are now considered pejorative. Christian. |
Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:
Academic Publications
GRAHAM, Steve; GRAHAM, Trina, authors. 2004. "West Africa lusolexed creoles word list file documentation."
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Vernacular Publications
Kartidja Kabuverdianu pa nu inxina lê traduson di Bíblia na nos lingua; Libru di prufesor pa primeru libru di alunu 1. 2009.
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Kartidja Kabuverdianu pa nu prende lê midjor na traduson di Bíblia na nos lingua; Sugundu libru di alunu 2. 2009.
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Kartidja Kabuverdianu pa nu prende lê traduson di Bíblia na nos lingua: primeru libru di Alunu 1. 2009.
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Kartidja Kabuverdianu prontuáriu prugresivu pa nu skrebe na traduson di Bíblia na lingua Kabuverdianu di Santiagu; Tirseru libru di alunu 3. 2009.
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