Things To Know
The Land
Portuguese Empire
The People
Society and Language
Changing Portugal
Prince Henry the Navigator
|
Society and Language
Being polite and friendly will smooth your path as you travel through Portugal. The Portuguese tend to be welcoming and unhurried,
so be prepared for things to take a long time. There are traditional ideas and attitudes toward women, and the farther away
from major towns you travel the more obvious this becomes. It's considered disrespectful to wear skimpy clothing, and it is
customary to speak formally and politely until you get to know the people you are talking to.
One of the major hurdles in getting to know the Portuguese is the language barrier. Don't try your Spanish in Portugal. Despite
- or because of - proximity to Spain, the Portuguese don't appreciate being addressed in Spanish. However, if you can read
Spanish you'll have no problem reading Portuguese. It's a romance language with Latin roots, similar to Spanish and Italian.
Pronunciation is a different matter altogether, however, and spoken Portuguese, with its sibilants, nasal vowels and guttural
consonants, reminds some people of Russian and Slavic languages.
The Portuguese are very aware that they speak a difficult language and are excellent linguists; you'll find English spoken
in major tourist areas, although rarely in the deep countryside. Do try and tackle one or two words; your efforts will be
appreciated and faces will light up when you try to communicate.
|
|
