Nonconvergence toward the standard: the maintenance of a distinctive use of rhotics among the Santomean diaspora in Portugal

Abstract

The variable use of rhotics is a salient linguistic feature in the variety of Portuguese spoken on São Tomé Island. In this study, we employ ethnographic and variationist sociolinguistic methods to report on the use of rhotics by 40 Santomeans living in Portugal. The objective is to determine whether Santomeans who are in closer proximity with European Portuguese, which is the variety perceived as standard and more prestigious in Portugal, tend to use rhotics in a more standard way or if they maintain the distinctive use of rhotics from their island. The results indicate that Santomeans do not converge toward a more European standard use of rhotics. We argue that the distinctive use of rhotics is available for identity-driven use to express a connection to São Tomé and Príncipe.

“We have that strong R, you know”: the enregisterment of a distinctive use of rhotics in Santomean Portuguese

“…That being said, the process of enregisterment of the rhotic feature in Santomean Portuguese is not straightforward; on one hand, it takes time for the ideological process that links the rhotic feature and social values to become visible and recognizable, and on the other hand, some group members resist the change in the use of rhotics in Santomean Portuguese by adopting the European standard. Even so, the present study and previous work on rhoticity in Santomean Portuguese ( Bouchard 2019a ; Bouchard and Desmeules-Trudel 2022 ) indicate that the distinctive use of rhotics is becoming a marker of Santomean identity in the diasporic context of Portugal.…”

“…The results in Bouchard and Desmeules-Trudel (2022) suggest that Santomeans in Portugal are not converging towards European Portuguese in their use of rhotics. Indeed, based on an apparent-time construct, we showed that young Santomeans living in Portugal also favor the use of a strong-R over the weak-r in all word positions, and that the use of rhotics points towards an ongoing language change in Santomean Portuguese.…”

“…This might not seem like a lot, but São Tomé and Príncipe is a small country and this number corresponds to one-third of the total population of 197,700 ( Instituto Nacional de Estatística 2020 ). With such a high percentage of Santomeans living in the diaspora, Bouchard and Desmeules-Trudel (2022) decided to investigate the use of rhotics among Santomeans living in Portugal, as it is the country with the highest number of Santomean immigrants (approximately 25,000, according to Fórum da Diaspora Santomense ‘Forum of the Santomean Diaspora’). We asked the following question: does migration to Portugal and closer contact with European Portuguese have an impact on the use of rhotics among Santomeans?…”