Jersey Dutch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jersey Dutch |
|
|---|---|
| Pavonia Deutsch | |
| Region | New Jersey, United States |
| Ethnicity | Dutch Americans in New Jersey. |
| Extinct | Early 20th century |
| Language family |
Indo-European
|
| Writing system | Latin (Dutch alphabet) |
Jersey Dutch (Pavonia Deutsch) is an archaic Dutch dialect formerly spoken in and around the counties of Bergen and Passaic in New Jersey from the late 17th century until the early 20th century. It may have been a partial creole language based on Zeelandic and West Flemish Dutch dialects with English and possibly some elements of Lenape.
Jersey Dutch was spoken by the descendants of Dutch settlers in New Jersey, who began to arrive at Bergen in 1630, and by their black slaves and free people of color also residing in that region, as well as the mixed race people known as the Ramapough Mountain Indians.
Negro Dutch
A variety of this dialect, referred to by Jersey Dutch speakers as neger-dauts ("Negro Dutch", not to be confused with the Dutch creole Negerhollands) was spoken only by the Black population. It was distinguished from Jersey Dutch by pronunciation and grammar, reflecting African linguistic retentions: an overall decline in inflection, apparently including a loss of past tense verb forms because of isolation from other Dutch speakers and contact with English-speaking settlers.
Example
An example of Jersey Dutch:
De v'lôrene zőn.
En kääd’l had twî jongers; de êne blêv täus;
de andere xöng vôrt f’n häus f’r en stât.
Hāi wāz nît tevrêde täus en dârkîs tû râkni ārm.
Hāi doǵti ôm dāt täus en z’n vâders pläk.
Tû zāide: äk zāl na häus xâne. Māin vâder hät plänti.
[...]
Dutch
De verloren zoon.
Een man had twee jongens; de êne bleef t'huis;
de andere ging voort van huis voor een vermogen.
Hij was niet tevreden t'huis en daardoor toen raakte arm.
Hij dacht aan dat t'huis en zijn vaders plaats.
Toen zei hij: ik zal naar huis gaan. Mijn vader heeft overvloed.
[...]
English
The prodigal son.
A man had two sons; the one stayed at home;
the other went abroad from home to make his fortune.
He was not content at home and therefore then he became poor.
He thought about it at home and his father’s place.
Then said: I shall go home. My father has plenty.
[...]
In standard modern Dutch
Een man (kerel) had twee jongens; de ene bleef thuis;
de andere ging voort van huis voor een vermogen.
Hij was niet tevreden thuis en daardoor raakte hij arm.
Hij dacht aan thuis en zijn vaders plek.
Toen zei hij: ik zal naar huis gaan. Mijn vader heeft genoeg.
In English
A man had two boys. One stayed at home;
the other left home to make his fortune.
He was not content at home and therefore he became poor.
He thought about home and his father's place.
Then he said: I shall go home. My father has plenty.
