Many of the creole languages are facing extinction, but this report in the New York Times reveals that on the islands of Curaçao, Bonaire, and Aruba a Portuguese and Spanish-influenced Creole called Papiamentu is thriving.
The language was granted official status in 2007, and there are newspapers, books, and CDs published in Papiamentu, as well as radio broadcasts and television programmes. Roughly 250,000 people speak Papiamentu, which isn't a huge amount but is enough to ensure that the likelihood of the language dying out anytime soon is remote.
The origins of Papiamentu are disputed, as are the reasons for its vibrancy, but it is heartening to read of a language that appears to be gaining in strength rather than declining in usage in the face of stronger tongues.
No comments:
Post a Comment