Tupi language
| Tupí | |
|---|---|
| Tupinambá | |
| Native to | Brazil |
| Ethnicity | Tupinambá, Tupiniquim |
| Era | 16th century (survives as Nheengatu) |
Tupian
| |
| Latin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | tpn |
| Glottolog | tupi1273 |
The Tupí language was the language spoken by the indigenous Tupí people of Brazil. It was related to Guarani in the Tupian language family. When Portuguese colonizers first came to Brazil, many of the first people they met spoke Tupí. The Portuguese learned the language so that they could talk to the Tupí and convert them to Christianity. Tupí became a lingua franca of Brazil for many years. Its use was encouraged by Jesuit missionaries.
In 1759, the Prime Minister of Portugal, the Marquis of Pombal, forced the Jesuits to leave. More Portuguese settlers that did not speak Tupí moved to Brazil around the same time. These made most Brazilians want to speak Portuguese instead of Tupí. While the original Old Tupí is no longer spoken, the Nheengatu language is descended from it.
