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Hunsrik
Hunsrik (Portuguese Hunsrik or Hunsrückisch, locally [hunsɾɪk]), also called Riograndenser Hunsrückisch, is a Moselle Franconian language derived primarily from the Hunsrückisch dialect of West Central German. The language has some recognition mainly in Brazil. It is an integral part of the historical and cultural heritage of Rio Grande do Sul since 2012, and is considered an immaterial cultural heritage of Santa Catarina since 2016. It is also a co-official language in the municipalities of Antônio Carlos, Santa Maria do Herval and São João do Oeste. In Brazil, Hunsrik is spoken in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná. The language is also spoken in some regions of the Northeast of Argentina and Southeast of Paraguay. Native speakers: circa 3,000,000.
Hunsrik developed from the Hunsrückisch dialect when immigrants from the Hunsrück region of Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate) settled in southern regions such as Rio Grande do Sul, starting by imperial designs in 1824 (these later became projects controlled by states and finally by private European investment enterprises).
While primarily based on the Hunsrückisch branch of the German language, it has also been greatly influenced by other German dialects such as East Pomeranian and Plautdietsch, and by Portuguese, the national language of Brazil. It has been influenced to a lesser extent by indigenous languages such as Kaingang and Guarani and by immigrant languages such as Italian and Talian.
Portuguese expressions and words are commonly imported into Hunsrik, particularly in reference to fauna and flora (which are different from those of Germany) and to technological innovations that did not exist when the original immigrants came to Brazil, leading to words like Aviong for airplane (Portuguese avião) instead of Flugzeug, Kamiong (Pt. caminhão, truck) instead of Lastwagen, Tëlevisong (Pt. televisão) instead of Fernseher, etc. Daily expressions are often calques (literal translations) of Portuguese, for example alles gut ("how are you", literally "all good") is from Portuguese tudo bem.
Also common are the use of German suffixes attached to Portuguese words, such as Canecache, "little mug", from Portuguese caneca, "mug", and German diminutive suffix chen (-che in Hunsrik); hybrid forms such as Schuhloja, "shoe shop", from German Schuh and Portuguese loja, and Germanized forms of Portuguese verbs: lembreere, "to remember"; namoreere "to flirt"; respondeere, "to answer" (Portuguese lembrar, namorar, and responder). However, regardless of these borrowings, its grammar and vocabulary are still largely German. |