Languages in Goa

Zuikis   Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:43 pm GMT
I am thinking of going on holiday to Goa. Can anyone tell me what are the main languages spoken there? It was a portugese colony so is portugese or english more popular as a second language? Is it very portugalized are or does it retain indian authenticity?
Babel   Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:12 pm GMT
The official language of Goa is Konkani, an Indoeuropean language spoken there by 7-8 million people.

Marathi and English are also very important used for official documents. Portuguese and Hindi are minority languages, not very spoken.
Zuikis   Thu Aug 16, 2007 7:26 pm GMT
Is Portugese influence still strongly felt in Goa? Is it still very much portugalized or did it regain the mainstream Indian atmosphere?
Guest   Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:23 am GMT
''Is Portugese influence still strongly felt in Goa''

there's nothing left from Portuguese in Goa, aside from architecture and Portuguese last names...and of course religion (33% of Goans are Catholics) .Even Konkani which was written in Latin script during the Portuguese colonial rule is now spelled in Devanagari (a requirement made by Indian government).
Guest   Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:28 am GMT
''the Sahitya Akademi (a prominent literary organization in India) recognized it as an independent language in 1975, and subsequently Konkani (in Devanagari script) was made the official language of Goa in 1987.''

/wikipedia/
Guest   Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:32 am GMT
here's a song in Konkani:

http://www.ojustme.com/2007/awesome-nike-commercial-simple-lingua-osmosis/

There was a guitar, trumpet and Ella Castellino, the singer. I had to capture the energy of the video.”

The song is Konkani, a reinvention of old Goan music.

The Konkani version of the song

Rav patrao rav
Khedong maka di mhunta aao
Khedong maka di na zhalya
Tuzho kortelem patlanv

Khedoch amche oslen
Kednanch ravonk nosle
Undir matracho khed yo kosle
Maka bhogta oslen
Arre maaroon, dhoroon, phodoon
Saiba noshib mozhe phoslen

English Translation

Wait, partner, wait
First let me play
If you don’t play, I’ll keep chasing you all day

Our game is like this only
Where we have no time to think
It is the game of cat and mouse
That I have begun to love
And in the falling running breaking
My destiny is entwined

;)
Guest   Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:37 am GMT
this song in Konkani is nice too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcuS4wjL5Ck
Guest   Fri Aug 17, 2007 1:42 am GMT
Is there a country called Goa? where is it?
Milton   Fri Aug 17, 2007 4:34 am GMT
it's a state of India in the same way California is a state of America.
Zuikis   Fri Aug 17, 2007 8:38 am GMT
Is konkani related to sanskrit? Is it mutually intelligible with other sanskrit-related indian languages? Where can I find basic phrases?
Goan   Sat Aug 25, 2007 6:22 pm GMT
^^there's nothing left from Portuguese in Goa, aside from architecture and Portuguese last names...and of course religion ^^

Something you should realize is that, contrary to other colonial people, the Portuguese intermarried with local people, and there are many Goans of Portuguese decent. Not only that, any Goan that lived in Portuguese Goa, including their children and grand children, is entitled to a EU Portuguese passport.

««Portuguese television programming, newly available by cable television, is reviving Portuguese language skills among older Goans. From Lisbon and a Portuguese Consulate here, an increasing number of exchanges, scholarships and seminars link ''Goa and Lisboa."

In addition, there is a brisk business in Portuguese passports, available to anyone living here in 1961 -- when Goans were considered Portuguese citizens -- or to their children and grandchildren. »»
««'We want to put in very big headlines: Hindus and Christians never fought in Goa in the last 500 years,'' ''We are saying this is a unique blend of East and West.'' »»http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9507E4DA1330F930A35755C0A9659C8B63
Lisbon   Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:12 am GMT
There's still a Portuguese influence in Goa:

Architecture, Religion (catholicism), families (intermarriage, surnames), loan words and the Portuguese language is still spoken by older people, especially as many worked for the Portuguese Administration. Having said that, of course English will help you much more.
Guest   Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:47 am GMT
In Pondicherry, India, French is still spoken as part of the norm there.
Zuikis   Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:45 pm GMT
What is the main native language in Pondicherry? What religion?
Guest   Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:12 am GMT
Tamil is the most spoken language in Pondicherry.