Portuguese Settlement of the Chaul/Korlai area and the Formation of Korlai Creole Portuguese

A perspective is offered on the social and historical developments surrounding the formation of Korlai Creole Portuguese (KCP), a creole language spoken in the village of Korlai, located around 150 kms south of Mumbai. I argue that lower-caste Hindus who were enslaved by the Portuguese in the Chaul-Korlai area were instrumental in the creation of KCP. I claim that KCP formed by 1530 and that it has been maintained up to the present day due in large part to the isolation of its speakers because of their religion, their caste and their occupation.