Angola and Mozambique Still Resist Portuguese Spelling Reform
More than three decades after its inception, the 1990 Portuguese Language Spelling Agreement (AO90) remains a fragmented reality across the Lusophone world. Angola and Mozambique now stand as the final two members of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) yet to ratify the treaty, highlighting deep-seated concerns over national identity and the costs of linguistic reform.
The Resistance in Luanda and Maputo
Despite being original signatories in 1990, Angola has yet to see the agreement clear its Council of Ministers or Parliament. Both the government and the Angolan Academy of Letters argue that the current text overlooks the unique evolution of Portuguese in Angola, specifically its rich interaction with indigenous Bantu languages. Critics also point to the lack of a “Common Orthographic Vocabulary” as a major hurdle.
In Mozambique, the narrative is similar. While the Council of Ministers approved the document in 2012, parliamentary ratification has stalled. Officials cite the high financial burden of overhauling textbooks and the need to respect the country’s diverse regional languages as primary reasons for the delay.
Progress and Stagnation in West Africa
The situation in Guinea-Bissau remains a paradox. Although the country ratified the agreement in 2009, implementation on the ground is non-existent. In a nation where less than 5% of the population speaks Portuguese as a primary language—favoring Creole and over 30 regional dialects—the spelling reform has failed to take root in daily life.
Conversely, São Tomé and Príncipe is moving full speed ahead. The Ministry of Education recently announced that the upcoming school year will mark the official integration of AO90 into the national curriculum. New textbooks for basic education are already printed, a move the ministry describes as an “essential step” for modernizing the country and strengthening ties with the broader Lusophone community.
Cape Verde has already completed this journey. After making the new spelling mandatory in 2015, the country uses it in all official state documents and media. However, former Minister of Culture Mário Lúcio Sousa remains skeptical of the “imposed” nature of the change. “The global failure to comply is because there was no real need,” Sousa told Lusa, suggesting that without natural synergy, such reforms face long-term friction.
The Pioneers: Portugal and Brazil
Portugal and Brazil, the giants of the Portuguese-speaking world, have fully transitioned. Portugal ended the legal validity of the previous 1945 agreement in 2015, making the new spelling mandatory for all state exams and official publications. Brazil followed suit in 2016.
Linguistics professor Sírio Possenti of Unicamp notes that while the transition in Brazil was met with early criticism, the predicted “linguistic catastrophe” never materialized. He argues that the agreement was driven by “political and commercial” interests rather than pure linguistics, aimed at unifying the market for books and official documents across borders.
Tailor-Made Solutions for Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste successfully navigated the reform by securing specific exceptions. When it ratified the treaty in 2009, it ensured it could maintain the hyphenation of its official name. Furthermore, the nation integrated 600 words unique to Timorese Portuguese into the Common Orthographic Vocabulary, ensuring its local linguistic heritage was preserved within the international framework.
The Spelling Agreement remains an ambitious attempt to unify a language spoken by over 260 million people. However, as long as Angola and Mozambique remain on the sidelines, the goal of a truly unified Lusophone orthography remains just out of reach.
Image: Pexels – feyza ebrar
