Editing General Language (section)

{{Short description|South American lingua francas}}

The term '''General Language''' ({{langx|pt|língua geral}}) refers to [[lingua franca]]s that emerged in [[South America]] during the 16th and 17th centuries,<ref>Rodrigues, Aryon (1996). [https://etnolinguistica.wdfiles.com/local--files/artigo%3Arodrigues-1996/rodrigues_1996_linguas_gerais.pdf "As línguas gerais sul-americanas"]</ref> the two most prominent being the [[Paulista General Language]], which was spoken in the region of [[Paulistania (region)|Paulistania]] but is now [[Extinct language|extinct]], and the [[Amazonian General Language]], whose modern descendant is [[Nheengatu language|Nheengatu]].

Both were simplified versions of the [[Tupi language]], the native language of the [[Tupi people]]. [[Portugal|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 the [[Jesuit Reductions]], the Jesuit missions in Brazil and by early colonists; and came to be used by enslaved Africans and other Indian groups.