Page Type: languageAngolar | Ethnologue

AOA ISO 639-3

Angolar

A language of São Tomé e Príncipe

ISO 639
aoa
Alternate Names
Ngola
Population
7,900 (2019 D. Eberhard). , based on survey of Angolar communities in Caué and Lembá districts. Ethnic population: 12,000 (2019 D. Eberhard). , based on extrapolations of 2012 census for 2019, plus estimates from community leaders for each district.
Location:
São Tomé province: most spoken in Caué district, in particular São João dos Angolares. Also spoken in Santa Catarina, Lembá district (2020 M. Bouchard).
Language Status
6b (Threatened).
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. The 33% of the Angolar lexicon not shared with Sãotomense [cri] is largely of Bantu origin, apparently Kimbundu [kmb] of Angola, with some from Koongo [kng] and Bini [bin]. Angolar speakers tend to understand much of Sãotomense, but the opposite does not hold. The version of Angolar spoken in Santa Catarina has more influence from Sãotomense than the version spoken in Caué district (2019 D. Eberhard). Lexical similarity: 70% with São Tomense [cri], 67% with Principense [pre], 53% with Fa d’Ambu [fab].
Language Use
Some Angolar youth and young adults have learned Angolar as L2. Increasing language shift to Portuguese [por], particularly among those who migrate to the capital (2019 D. Eberhard). Home, traditional economy, music. Some of all ages. All also use Portuguese [por]. Many also use Sãotomense [cri].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 40% in Portuguese [por]. Dictionary. Grammar.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Angolar
Writing
Latin script [Latn], unified alphabet (ALUSTP) developed for use by all native languages of São Tomé e Principe officially recognized by government in 2010 (2020 M. Bouchard). Writing only used for unpublished church music. No published literature (2019 D. Eberhard).
Other Comments
Distinct ethnolinguistic group from the Forros, the emancipated. Mixed marriages with Forro or Kabuverdianos are common (2019 D. Eberhard). Christian.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: São Tomé province: most spoken in Caué district, in particular São João dos Angolares. Also spoken in Santa Catarina, Lembá district (2020 M. Bouchard).