At first, languages within the Tupi-Guarani family of South American native languages were spoken by Brazilians before colonization by Portugal. In more southerly Brazilian locations, Guarani languages dominated. Elsewhere, it was the Tupi branch of languages that was found. But ultimately Nheengatu became the main language in the 17th century. It formed from Tupinambá, which is a Tupi language of the northeastern province of Maranhão and the northern province of Pará.

Nowadays, Portuguese is the sole official language of Brazil, with one exception. Nheengatu also is recognized as an official language in São Gabriel da Cachoeira [Saint Gabriel of the Waterfall]. It's in Cabeça do Cachorro [Dog's head], in the northwesternmost part of the the northwesternmost Brazilian province of Amazonas.