Hi everyone...I'm posting some info I found through an eminent Scholar Mr. Joseph Clancy Clements on the History of the Chaul-Korlai region. Im posting the same here. Cheers!!!
The map on the left is Bellini's Map (AD 1740).PS: The info is copyrighted. Please cite the author when you post the information anywhere. Thanks!!!
(From: Clements, J. Clancy. 1996. The Genesis of a Language: The Formation and Development of Korlai Portuguese. John Benjamins: Amsterdam and Philadelphia)
Chapter 1
Sociohistorical and linguistic background of the Chaul-Korlai area1
In their colonization of Africa, Asia, and the New World, the Portuguese followed a practice of cohabitation and intermarriage with indigenous women. One result of this still apparent today is a long string of Portuguese-based creole languages, stretching from the west coast of Africa to Macao in the Far East. In India this practice was even made official in 1510, when Alfonso de Albuquerque decreed that his soldiers attempt to marry light-skinned women of Aryan (as opposed to Dravidian) origin (cf. Boxer 1963:64-65, 76-77).
Based on the geographical distribution of the Portuguese-based creoles, one typically distinguishes an African set and an Asian set. Both groups are further divisible according to linguistic criteria. Within the first group Ivens-Ferraz (1987:339) makes the following division:
Upper Guinea subgroup (cf. map 1)
Cape Verdian Creole Portuguese (CP)
Senegal CP
Guinea-Bissau CP
Gulf of Guinea subgroup
Principense
Angolar
São Tomense
Pagalu (Annobonese)
For CP in Asia, four subgroups can be differentiated, following Schuchardt (1889a:476, in Ivens-Ferraz [1987:338]):2
Gauro-Portuguese
*Diu CP
Daman CP
Norteiro CP (i.e. +Bombay-area CP and Korlai CP)
Dravido-Portuguese
+Mangalore CP
+Cannanore CP
+Mahê CP
*Cochin CP
+Nagappattinam CP
Sri Lanka CP
Malayo-Portuguese
Malacca CP (Kristang)
East Timor CP (in Bidau; cf. Baxter 1990)
+Singapore CP
+Batavia and Tugu CP
Sino-Portuguese (Macanese and +Hong Kong CP)
For any of these subgroups, further subdivisions are again possible. In Gauro-Portuguese two different varieties of Daman CP are found today, CP of Small Daman and CP of Big Daman (Dalgado 1903).3 Moreover, numerous varieties of "Norteiro" Portuguese, all extinct today, existed in the Bombay area at the beginning of the century; they were spoken in Bombay city proper as well as in suburbs such as Manori, Mahim, Bandra, Bassein (Vasai), Kurla, Thana, Andheri, and Talasri, among others (cf. map 3).4
For its part, Dravido-Portuguese has various subdivisions, the only living one of which is Sri Lanka CP. As of 1977, this was still heard in at least least three varieties, spoken in Colombo, Batticaloa, and Tricomalee respectively (Smith 1977).5
Until around 1930, the Chaul area had CP speakers in the towns of Chaul and Korlai (cf. maps 3 and 4). Today the CP speakers in Chaul have died or moved away, but all inhabitants of Korlai still maintain their variety of Norteiro Portuguese_Korlai CP, or simply Korlai Portuguese (KP). Because of its peculiar history, during which it remained in relative isolation for hundreds of years, KP displays a number of differences along with the many similarities it has with its other Gauro-Portuguese neighbors. This is best appreciated by contrasting a number of diverging characteristics.. The table below (Table 1.1) shows how specific traits of KP diverge from those of Daman Creole Portuguese (DCP) and even from those of a sister such as Mahim Creole Portuguese (MCP), which was spoken in the Bombay suburb of Mahim up to the beginning of this century.
+Mangalore CP
+Cannanore CP
+Mahê CP
*Cochin CP
+Nagappattinam CP
Sri Lanka CP
Malayo-Portuguese
Malacca CP (Kristang)
East Timor CP (in Bidau; cf. Baxter 1990)
+Singapore CP
+Batavia and Tugu CP
Sino-Portuguese (Macanese and +Hong Kong CP)
For any of these subgroups, further subdivisions are again possible. In Gauro-Portuguese two different varieties of Daman CP are found today, CP of Small Daman and CP of Big Daman (Dalgado 1903).3 Moreover, numerous varieties of "Norteiro" Portuguese, all extinct today, existed in the Bombay area at the beginning of the century; they were spoken in Bombay city proper as well as in suburbs such as Manori, Mahim, Bandra, Bassein (Vasai), Kurla, Thana, Andheri, and Talasri, among others (cf. map 3).4
For its part, Dravido-Portuguese has various subdivisions, the only living one of which is Sri Lanka CP. As of 1977, this was still heard in at least least three varieties, spoken in Colombo, Batticaloa, and Tricomalee respectively (Smith 1977).5
Until around 1930, the Chaul area had CP speakers in the towns of Chaul and Korlai (cf. maps 3 and 4). Today the CP speakers in Chaul have died or moved away, but all inhabitants of Korlai still maintain their variety of Norteiro Portuguese_Korlai CP, or simply Korlai Portuguese (KP). Because of its peculiar history, during which it remained in relative isolation for hundreds of years, KP displays a number of differences along with the many similarities it has with its other Gauro-Portuguese neighbors. This is best appreciated by contrasting a number of diverging characteristics.. The table below (Table 1.1) shows how specific traits of KP diverge from those of Daman Creole Portuguese (DCP) and even from those of a sister such as Mahim Creole Portuguese (MCP), which was spoken in the Bombay suburb of Mahim up to the beginning of this century.
