PAPIAMENTO

also spelled Papiamentu, creole language based on Spanish, spoken on the islands of Curaao, Aruba, and Bonaire, in the Caribbean Sea. Papiamento is apparently based on a Spanish pidgin or creole language, with early influences from Portuguese and, more recently, strong Dutch influences (Dutch is the official language of Curaao). Twenty-five percent of the vocabulary of Papiamento is of Dutch origin; the remainder is primarily from Spanish or Portuguese. Although Papiamento has no official status, it is widely used on Curaao and is more often recognized as a real language than formerly. As is usual with pidgins and creoles, Papiamento's grammar and syntax have become changed and simplified from those of Spanish, the parent language. An example of a sentence in Papiamento is: E mma ta'a mand' e j bi bende pisk, Spanish La mam mandaba al hijo que vaya a vender pescado, The mother sent the boy to go and sell fish.