Tetum

[Waruno Mahdi]

> For some reason ;-), I've become curious about Tetum. I can't seem to find a
> grammatical description of it on the net. Would any of you know? And just
>how
> much Portuguese is in it?

Chris,

there's expectably a considerable Portuguese stratum in the vocabulary,
particularly in technical terms (including political, economic, etc).
But whether that's also the case in the grammer I think is still rather
doubtful, although, should it advance to chief official language, it
will indoubtedly also go through massive calquing of various expressions
together with the "grammar" of those expressions.

This is the only online Tetum (mini)grammar I found:

- http://www.massey.ac.nz/~wwlingui/Tetun/
     particularly: http://www.massey.ac.nz/~wwlingui/Tetun/grammar.html

also interesting:

  http://www.abc.net.au/rn/arts/ling/stories/s476770.htm

Here a short typical modern political text in Tetum (note the profusion
of lusitanisms):

  http://www.easttimor-reconciliation.org/National%20Commissioners-T.htm

Aloha,  Waruno