"Hello, mister", "Obrigadu barak" and "boa tarde": challenges of the linguistic expression in East-Timor

Abstract

From 1975 to 1999, East Timor lived a political period of "destimorization" carried out by the Indonesian dominator. In linguistic terms, it represented the inclusion of a new arrangement marked by the imposition of the Bahasa Indonesia (a variety of Malasian), in order to minimize the use of the national language, Tetum; it also introduced the discrimination of the Portuguese language. In 1999, the United Nations disembarked in the territory with the purpose of maintaining peace and initiating the reconstruction of the country; their officials took the English language with them, the language of work (English had previously been present there due to the proximity of Australia). After the Independence and the constitution of the Democratic Republic of East-Timor, in May 2002, Portuguese undertook an official language status, side-by-side with Tetum; not counting that in addition to this panel, dozens of other local languages went on being spoken there. This brief explanation allows us to outline the multilingualism found in East-Timor: we are greeted with "Hello, mister/miss!" as well as "Bom(n) dia!" (Good morning!); they apologize saying "Perdua" (Perdão), (I am sorry); they smile at us stating "Obrigadu barak" (Thank you); and murmur "Koitadu" (What a pity!) when we have to leave. Introducing different aspects of the present situation of the Portuguese language, its relation with the other languages and the future perspective for its activation in East-Timor is the aim of this presentation