CHAMUÇA: Towards a Linked Data Language Resource of Portuguese Borrowings in Asian Languages

This paper presents the development of CHAMUÇA, a novel lexical resource designed to document the influence of the Portuguese language on various Asian languages, with an initial focus on the languages of South Asia. Through the utilization of linked open data and the OntoLex vocabulary, CHAMUÇA offers structured insights into the linguistic characteristics, and cultural ramifications of Portuguese borrowings across multiple languages. The article outlines CHAMUÇA’s potential contributions to the linguistic linked data community, emphasising its role in addressing the scarcity of resources for lesser-resourced languages and serving as a test case for organising etymological data in a queryable format. CHAMUÇA emerges as an initiative towards the comprehensive catalogization and analysis of Portuguese borrowings, offering valuable insights into language contact dynamics, historical evolution, and cultural exchange in Asia, one that is based on linked data technology.