Paper short abstract:

The patterns of language change found in African varieties of Portuguese (AVP) may be influence of creoles and Bantu languages in contact with Portuguese, but some of their non-standard properties are internal to grammar and in addition creoles and Bantu languages also undergo a process of attrition.

Paper long abstract:

Especially since the independence of the former Portuguese colonies in Africa, there has been a growing body of descriptive and theoretical linguistic studies on the (emerging) African varieties of Portuguese (AVP), Portuguese-related creoles (Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, S. Tomé and Príncipe) and Bantu languages (Angola, Mozambique), often in a perspective of language contact. In particular, creole and Bantu languages, which are generally at the low end of the diglossia, are often held responsible for the patterns of language change and variation found in Portuguese. This, however, is only part of the story. It will be shown that, contrary to some beliefs, the AVP more often follow the standard than not and that some non-standard properties in these varieties are also found in the European and Brazilian varieties. Moreover, since the spectrum of variation in AVP is much wider due to its combined L1 and L2 status, sociolinguistic variables, such as level of education, are considered crucial to the outcomes. Despite some claims that AVP are pidgnizing or creolizing, it should instead be concluded that Portuguese enjoys good health, which is corroborated by the steadily growing number of L1 and L2 speakers. The non-official languages, on the other hand, may undergo a process of attrition and are, in some cases, at the brink of extinction. Therefore, we belief, the definition of languages should take this changing reality into account and more measures should be adopted to correct the existing imbalance.