Judaeo-Papiamento


Judaeo-Papiamento, or Jewish Papiamentu, is an endangered Jewish language and an ethnolect of Papiamento spoken by the Sephardic Jewish History of [the Jews in Curaçao|community] of Curaçao in the Dutch Caribbean. It is likely the only living Jewish ethnolect based on a creole language and the only one based on a language native to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Characteristics

Judeao-Papiamento is generally mutually intelligible with Papiamento, the main language of most Curaçaoans, locally known as Papiamentu. Papiamento is usually considered an originally Portuguese-based [creole languages|Portuguese-based creole language] that was subsequently partly relexified by Spanish, but some linguists argue the opposite, viewing it as a Spanish-based creole with a strong Portuguese influence.
Judeao-Papiamento differs from "general Papiamento" as spoken by the non-Jewish population of Curaҫao in having a number of Hebrew loanwords as well as different pronunciation of many words common for all Papiamento varieties. Oftentimes, the Judeao-Papiamento versions of these words are closer to their Spanish or Portuguese counterparts, hinting at a possible process of decreolization. When speakers of any Papiamento variety talk in the more formal registers, they often use certain words from its lexifier languages almost unchanged. However, there is a difference in their choice of specific literary reference languages. Jewish speakers of Papiamento tend to prefer Portuguese and French, whereas non-Jewish Curaçaoans typically use Spanish words in the same settings.

Lexical contrasts

In one of her books, May Henriquez provides a table that shows some of the lexical contrasts between the speech of Jewish and non-Jewish Curaҫaoans.
Judaeo-PapiamentoGeneral PapiamentoEnglish meaning
aforaafóout, outside
arepitarepaarepa, round cornmeal pancake
bañubañobath
bisñetubisañetugreat-grandson
bizjitábishitávisit
bizjitabishitavisit
desparesédisparsédisappear
dignitariodignatariodignitary
di repentedi ripientoall of a sudden
festeháselebrácelebrate
festehoselebrashoncelebration
fopávupámisdeed
fora fuera besides that
gora, gweraboragore, puncture
gozagosaenjoy, amuse
granmèrsigremesílive on others’ expense
kaminakamindaroad, way, where
kustakostacost
lansolaken, lakerbedsheet
mata di rozamata di rosarosebush