How could language constitute as a challenge when reading records created in Portugal, Brazil, and other Portuguese native speaking countries? Most researchers might assume that fluency in speaking or reading Portuguese would be enough to interpret records of genealogical value. However, as people start reading older records, they quickly find out that the records are not written in a pure standard form of Portuguese, but in a variety of Portuguese influenced by local dialects and other languages, particularly by Latin, which was the main literary language used by Catholic priests.
Because rules regulating the spelling and grammar of Portuguese did not become more available and widespread until approximately the 19th century and because most people write the way they speak, spelling will prove a real challenge when reading old Portuguese documents. Adding to this challenge are factors such as the influence of Latin on the spelling of Portuguese words, and the several variations of Portuguese and the differences among them, such as differences in pronunciation resulting in different spellings. For example the interchangeable use of "i" and "y", and "s" and "z":
Portuguese is the official language of at least seven different countries worldwide. It is the national language of Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola, and Guinea-Bissau, while sharing a co-official title in many other countries. Because of the distance between each region, variations of the language occured and occur still today.
Ventura e Sabina Aos seis de
Novembro de mil oitocentos setenta e cinco, na
Cathedral ante mim, as cinco horas e meia da
tarde se receberam em matrimonio por pala-
vras de presente Ventura Ferreira dos Santos, e
Sabina Maria da Roza, elle viuvo por falleci-
mento de Antonia Maria da Conceição; e ella
filha natural de Josepha Maria da Concei-
ção E logo receberam as bençaos nupciaes na
forma do Ritual Romano, sendo de tudo testemu-
nhas Raymundo Ferreira Chaves, e Manuel Ri-
beiro da Roza. Onubente é natural d’este Cura-
to, e a nubente de Russas, d’onde veio de terna
idade para este, onde são moradores. Para cons-
tar se fez este assento, em que m assigno
Lomrenço da Costa IgniarAos dezoito de Abril de mil oito cento settenta
e quatro na Capella da Misericordia que
ao presente esta servindo de Egreja Parochial
perante mim comparecendo Donato josé
de Pina e Marcellina da Veija amaceba-
dos, e por ordem de sua Excellencia Reverendissi-
ma o Senhor Bispo desta diocese sem
mais formalidades, depois de os ouvir de con-
fição receberem a sagrada comunhão, as recibi
em matrimonio em facie ecclesiae, confirma
determina o sagrado Concilio de Orento(?) Elle
filho legitimo de Manoel Socorro e Maria
de Pina naturaes desta ilha, ella filha
natural de Maria da Boa Vista, natural
da ilha da Boa Vista, Epara constar
mandei foi este termo que assyno com
as testemunhas presentes Higgeiro josé Barbados
e José Joaquim Vieira Nas concellos