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 (also called Pavonia Deutsch) was a unique way of speaking Dutch. It was used in parts of New Jersey, USA, for many years. People spoke it from the late 1600s until the early 1900s. It was a special kind of Dutch dialect.
This language mix might have included parts of other Dutch dialects. These were called Zeelandic and West Flemish. It also had words from English. Some people think it might even have had words from the Lenape language.
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Who Spoke Jersey Dutch?
Jersey Dutch was spoken by families who came from the Netherlands. These were the first Dutch settlers in New Jersey. They started arriving in the area of Bergen around 1630.
The language was also used by other groups of people. This included African Americans living in the region. It was also spoken by the Ramapough Mountain Indians. These groups helped shape the language.
A Special Way of Speaking
Within Jersey Dutch, there was a special version. It was spoken mainly by the Black population. People who spoke Jersey Dutch called it neger-dauts. This means "Negro Dutch."
This special version had different sounds and grammar rules. It showed how African languages influenced it. For example, some verb forms changed. This happened because these speakers were often separate from other Dutch speakers. They also had more contact with English speakers.
An Example of Jersey Dutch
Here is a short story in Jersey Dutch. It is about a son who leaves home. You can see how it looks different from modern English.
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.
[...]
What it Means in English
Here is the same story translated into English. This helps us understand what the Jersey Dutch example means.
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.
[...]
Jersey Dutch is no longer spoken today. But it is an interesting part of New Jersey's history. It shows how languages can change over time. It also shows how different cultures can influence each other.
