Língua Geral (, ''General Language'') is the name of two distinct

lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...

s, spoken in Brazil: the '' Língua Geral Paulista'' (''Tupi Austral'', or Southern Tupi), which was spoken in the region of Paulistania but is now dead, and the ''

Língua Geral Amazônica The Nheengatu language (Tupi: , nheengatu rionegrino: ''yẽgatu'', nheengatu tradicional: ''nhẽẽgatú'' e nheengatu tapajoawara: ''nheẽgatu''), often written Nhengatu, is an indigenous language of the Tupi-Guarani family, being then deri ...

'' ( Tupinambá) of the Amazon whose modern descendant is

Nheengatu The Nheengatu language (Tupi: , nheengatu rionegrino: ''yẽgatu'', nheengatu tradicional: ''nhẽẽgatú'' e nheengatu tapajoawara: ''nheẽgatu''), often written Nhengatu, is an indigenous language of the Tupi-Guarani family, being then deri ...

. Both were simplified versions of the Tupi language, the native language of the

Tupi people A subdivision of the Tupi-Guarani linguistic families, the Tupi people were one of the largest groups of indigenous Brazilians before its colonization. Scholars believe that while they first settled in the Amazon rainforest, from about 2,900 ...

. Portuguese colonizers arrived in Brazil in the 16th century, and faced with an indigenous population that spoke many languages, they sought a means to establish effective communication among the many groups. The two languages were used in the Jesuit Reductions, the Jesuit missions in Brazil and by early colonists; and came to be used by black slaves and other Indian groups.

References

*Campbell, Lyle (1997). ''American Indian Languages: The historical linguistics of Native America''. New York: Oxford University Press.
Rohter, Larry. "Language Born of Colonialism Thrives Again in Amazon."
'' New York Times''. August 28, 2005.

External links

*Report o
Nheengatú
in the Catalogue of South American Languages *Rodrigues, Aryon. 1996
As línguas gerais sul-americanas
''Papia'', 4(2), p. 6-18.
Etnolinguistica.Org, a discussion list on native South American languages
Colonial Brazil Tupi–Guarani languages Portuguese colonization of the Americas South America Native-based pidgins and creoles Extinct languages of South America Languages attested from the 16th century International auxiliary languages {{tupian-lang-stub