Upper Guinea Creole: Evidence in favor of a Santiago birth

This paper addresses the debate on the place of origin of the Upper Guinea branch of Portuguese Creole (UGPC) as spoken in Guinea-Bissau and Casamance (GBC) and on the Santiago Island of Cape Verde (SCV). The hypothesis that UGPC emerged on Santiago rather than on the mainland is underpinned both historically and linguistically. First, a historical framework is presented that accounts for the linguistic transfer from Santiago to Cacheu. Secondly, Parkvall’s (2000) lexical evidence in favor of a Santiago birth will be analyzed and corroborated. Thirdly, a phonological trait that separates GBC from SCV is highlighted and shown to favor a Santiago origin. Finally, lexical and phonological features typical of 15th–16th century Portuguese shared by GBC and SCV are combined with historical data to further strengthen the Santiago birth hypothesis.