Global Portuguese - between the reality of a pluricentric language and the desire for a singular, internationalised language

Professor Soares da Silva’s chapter highlights the reality of Portuguese as a pluricentric language, emphasising the need for a comprehensive pluricentric standardisation. Portuguese, notably a bicentric language divided between European and Brazilian Portuguese, is now seeing the emergence of additional national centres, particularly Mozambican and Angolan Portuguese. Demographic and linguistic indicators suggest a significant shift toward greater pluricentricity in the Portuguese language during the second half of the 21st century, accompanied by strong population growth and an increase in Portuguese speakers, especially in Angola and Mozambique, alongside a decrease in population in Portugal and Brazil. Soares da Silva presents the findings of an extensive sociolectometric study on lexical, constructional, and attitudinal indicators of bicentricity diverging between European and Brazilian Portuguese over the past 70 years. He then analyses the possibilities of a more international management of the Portuguese language and the development of a common international standard. Finally, he advocates for a pluricentric codification, addressing not only spelling but, above all, the grammar and dictionaries of Portuguese.