Contact, Variation and Change in-Angolan Portuguese: The Case of Existential-Constructions in Cabinda

This article investigates the role of language contact in the use of the possessive verb ter 'to have' in existential constructions in Cabinda Portuguese, rather than the existential haver 'to exist', which is the standard form in Portugal. The analysis is based on data from 40 interviews with 20 male and 20 female high school students between 18 and 30 years old. Social factors related to multilingualism are also analysed to discuss how social and linguistic constraints interact in shaping new varieties. The conclusion is that the use of existential ter in Cabinda may be an effect from the confluence of two linguistic factors: (i) changes linked to the pro-drop parameter in Portuguese emerging in Angola, and (ii) the transference of a grammatical property from Bantu languages to Portuguese. Moreover, the only registered social influence on the presence of existential ter constructions is the level of use of Bantu.