The German Element in Brazil

German-speaking settlements across Brazil provide the starting point for Benjamin Franklin Schappelle's study of immigrant language and community life. Published in 1917, the work first surveys the history and location of colonies, moving through states from Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul. Schappelle distinguishes private, provincial and state foundations and explains the movement of settlers between countries, states and existing colonies. This geographical account prepares the reader for the book's main subject: the German dialect that developed in Brazil.

The linguistic sections turn to word forms, surnames, given names and family terms, supported by samples of written and spoken language. A cattle trader's story and advertisements for shops, transport and farm goods show Portuguese vocabulary entering German sentences through daily business. A glossary and an appendix on the German-language press extend the study. Readers interested in migration history or language contact can examine how local institutions and ordinary transactions left their mark on speech.