Principense

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A language of São Tomé e Príncipe

ISO 639-3
pre
Alternate Names
Dialeto, Lun’gwiye
Autonym
Lung’Ie
User Population

200 (Agostinho and Araujo 2021). No monolinguals (Agostinho and Araujo 2021). Ethnic population: Estimates of ethnic population unreliable due to high degree of mixed marriages and increased awareness of national identity (2020 M. Bouchard).

Location

Príncipe province.

Language Maps
Language Status

8b (Nearly extinct).

Classification
Creole, Portuguese based
Dialects

None known. Substratum largely Kwa [kwb] and Western Bantu; quite distinct from creoles of Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Gambia, and Cape Verde. Lexical similarity: 77% with Sãotomense [cri], 67% with Angolar [aoa], 62% with Fa d’Ambu [fab].

Language Use

Most L1 users are over the age of 60, and have varying levels of competency (Agostinho and Araujo 2021). Elderly only. Shifted to Portuguese [por]. Some also use Kabuverdianu [kea]. Some also use Sãotomense [cri].

Language Development

Grammar.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Principense
Writing

Latin script [Latn], no longer in use, unified alphabet (ALUSTP) developed for use by all native languages of São Tomé e Principe officially recognized by government in 2010 (2020 M. Bouchard). No published literature.

Other Comments

Christian.