The termGeneral Language (Portuguese:língua geral) refers tolingua francas that emerged inSouth America during the 16th and 17th centuries,[1] the two most prominent being thePaulista General Language, which was spoken in the region ofPaulistania but is nowextinct, and theAmazonian General Language, whose modern descendant isNheengatu.
Both were simplified versions of theTupi language, the native language of theTupi people.Portuguese colonizers arrived in Brazil in the 16th century, and faced with an indigenous population that spoke many languages, they sought a means to establish effective communication among the many groups. The two languages were used in theJesuit Reductions, the Jesuit missions in Brazil and by early colonists; and came to be used by enslaved Africans and other Indian groups.
 | ThisTupian languages–related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |