Kabuverdianu
Cape Verdean Creole
Portuguese-based creole
Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu, Kriol) is the Portuguese-based creole of the Cabo Verde archipelago in the Atlantic, with ~1M L1 speakers in the islands and a substantial diaspora (~500K in USA Boston/Brockton, Portugal, Netherlands, Senegal). Two main dialect groups: Sotavento (leeward — Santiago, Maio, Fogo, Brava) and Barlavento (windward — Santo Antão, São Vicente, São Nicolau, Sal, Boa Vista). Despite being the L1 of virtually all Cape Verdeans and serving as national language, Portuguese remains sole official and dominates schooling. The 1998 ALUPEC (Alfabeto Unificado para a Escrita do Caboverdiano) created a unified orthography, formally adopted in 2009.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Cape Verdean Creole
Water
agu
/aɡu/
Fire
fogu
/foɡu/
Sun
sol
/sɔl/
Moon
lua
/lua/
Mother
mãi
/mɐ̃j/
Father
pai
/paj/
Eat
kume
/kume/
Drink
bebe
/bebe/
Love
amor
/amor/
Heart
korason
/korasɔ̃/
Tree
arvi
/arvi/
House
kaza
/kaza/
Dog
katxor
/katʃɔr/
Cat
gatu
/ɡatu/
Hand
mon
/mɔ̃/
Eye
odju
/odʒu/
Hello
ola
/ɔla/
Thank you
obrigadu
/obriɡadu/
One
un
/un/
Good
bon
/bɔ̃/
Sources
- Ethnologue 27: Cape Verdean Creole
- Lang (2002) Dicionário do Crioulo da Ilha de Santiago
- Veiga (2000) Le créole du Cap-Vert
Words compared
Compared with related Portuguese-based creole languages
| Meaning | Cape Verdean Creole | Portuguese (Europe) | Portuguese (Brazil) | Galician | Ladino | Corsican | Interlingua |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | agu /aɡu/ | água /ˈaɡwɐ/ | água /ˈaɡwɐ/ | auga /awɣa/ | agua /aɣwa/ | acqua /akwa/ | aqua /akwa/ |
| Fire | fogu /foɡu/ | fogo /ˈfoɡu/ | fogo /foɡu/ | lume /lume/ | fuego /fweɣo/ | focu /fɔku/ | foco /fɔko/ |
| Sun | sol /sɔl/ | sol /sɔɫ/ | sol /sɔw/ | sol /sɔl/ | sol /sol/ | sole /sɔle/ | sol /sɔl/ |
| Moon | lua /lua/ | lua /luɐ/ | lua /luɐ/ | lúa /lua/ | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ |
| Mother | mãi /mɐ̃j/ | mãe /mɐ̃j/ | mãe /mãj/ | nai /naj/ | madre /madɾe/ | mamma /mamma/ | matre /matre/ |
| Father | pai /paj/ | pai /paj/ | pai /paj/ | pai /paj/ | padre /padɾe/ | babbu /babːu/ | patre /patre/ |
| Eat | kume /kume/ | comer /kuˈmeɾ/ | comer /komeɾ/ | comer /komeɾ/ | komer /komeɾ/ | manghjà /manɟa/ | manducar /mandukar/ |
| Drink | bebe /bebe/ | beber /bɨˈbeɾ/ | beber /bebeɾ/ | beber /beβeɾ/ | bever /beveɾ/ | beie /beje/ | biber /biber/ |
| Love | amor /amor/ | amor /ɐˈmoɾ/ | amor /amoɾ/ | amor /amoɾ/ | amor /amoɾ/ | amore /amɔre/ | amor /amor/ |
| Heart | korason /korasɔ̃/ | coração /kuɾɐˈsɐ̃w/ | coração /koɾasãw/ | corazón /koɾasoŋ/ | korasón /koɾason/ | core /kɔre/ | corde /kɔrde/ |
| Tree | arvi /arvi/ | árvore /ˈaɾvuɾɨ/ | árvore /ˈaɾvoɾi/ | árbore /aɾβoɾe/ | árvol /aɾvol/ | arburu /arburu/ | arbore /arbore/ |
| House | kaza /kaza/ | casa /kazɐ/ | casa /kazɐ/ | casa /kasa/ | kaza /kaza/ | casa /kaza/ | casa /kasa/ |
| Dog | katxor /katʃɔr/ | cão /kɐ̃w/ | cachorro /kaʃohu/ | can /kaŋ/ | pero /pero/ | cane /kane/ | can /kan/ |
| Cat | gatu /ɡatu/ | gato /ɡatu/ | gato /ɡatu/ | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ | ghjattu /ɟattu/ | catto /katto/ |
| Hand | mon /mɔ̃/ | mão /mɐ̃w/ | mão /mãw/ | man /maŋ/ | mano /mano/ | manu /manu/ | mano /mano/ |
| Eye | odju /odʒu/ | olho /oʎu/ | olho /oʎu/ | ollo /oʎo/ | ojo /oʒo/ | ochju /ɔcu/ | oculo /okulo/ |
| Hello | ola /ɔla/ | olá /ɔˈla/ | oi /oj/ | ola /ɔla/ | shalom /ʃalom/ | salute /salute/ | salute /salute/ |
| Thank you | obrigadu /obriɡadu/ | obrigado /obɾiˈɡadu/ | obrigado /obɾiɡadu/ | grazas /ɡɾasas/ | grasias /ɡɾasjas/ | grazie /ɡratsje/ | gratias /ɡratias/ |
| One | un /un/ | um /ũ/ | um /ũ/ | un /uŋ/ | uno /uno/ | unu /unu/ | un /un/ |
| Good | bon /bɔ̃/ | bom /bõ/ | bom /bõ/ | bo /bɔ/ | bueno /bweno/ | bonu /bɔnu/ | bon /bon/ |
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