Pa·pia·men·to /ˌpä-pyə-ˈmen-(ˌ)tō /
noun: a Spanish-based creole language of Netherlands Antilles
While I’ve never been a fan of the tourist phrasebook — perhaps because I have yet to find myself at a stranger’s dinner party where inquisitive locals want to know how many siblings I have — I do believe that learning key phrases enhances your travel experience. Before arriving at my destination, I try to memorize a few key phrases, in addition to the four essentials of hello, good-bye, please, and thank you. And preparing for my trip to Aruba was no di«erent. I was pleased to see that English and Spanish were widely spoken (check and check), but the o¬cial languages of Aruba are Dutch (hallo!) and Papiamento (*crickets*), one I was not familiar with.
Bon Bini to Papiamento Like every curious traveler, I scoured books and online resources for more about Papiamento, which,
language of the majority, became a forbidden language and Dutch became the only language of instruction that was permitted in the schools. It took almost 200 years for Papiamento to gain the status of o¬cial language in the Islands. Aruba came first. In May 2003, the Aruban government declared Papiamento an o¬cial language. Curaçao was the second country, turning Papiamento into an o¬cial language in 2007. The Dushi Experience To the ear, it sounds like Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and African Creole — and I could not get enough of listening to it on the island. This combination of languages conspired to create a word that admittedly at first made me giggle, but then continuously charmed me: Dushi. Dushi is a Papiamento word that is sort of a catch-all, much like “aloha”
is in Hawaiian. It literally means sweet. I was called Mi dushi, a few times as a term of endearment, similar to sweetheart or darling. And if there was ever a word to describe the sugary architecture and delightful locals of Oranjestad, it’s that word. Watch the reaction of shop attendants when you say, “bon dia!” the daytime greeting in Papiamento, or when you thank the café sta« by saying, “masha danki.” This seemingly small gesture goes a long way for an Aruban. Ban Goza (Let’s Enjoy) Aruba Papiamento has a rhythm of its own, so it’s important to put the emphasis on the right syllable. But, don’t worry, you’ll be able to pick it up quite quickly. Whether it’s Papiamento or any other language, the e«ort of speaking to locals in their language adds a new layer to your journey.
by the way, is also spoken in Bonaire, Curaçao and Saint
Eustatius. There are several theories as to origins of Papiamento. The majority of scholars say it was born from the Cape Verdean language that arrived to the Caribbean as a result of the slave trade. The vernacular expanded to include Portuguese words, including the name Papiamento itself, which is derived from the Portuguese word “papear” (to chat). It later expanded to include words and phrases from other languages and cultures, including the Arawak Indians, to weave a beautiful identity of its own. The language became widespread and adopted by the Portuguese and Spanish occupiers, until the arrival of the Dutch. In 1815, Papiamento, the
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