The Story of Papiamentu: A Study in Slavery and Language

Rating:
Summary: Good information, fair writing, abominable editing.
Review: Anyone studying the Papiamentu language should read this book. Fouse, the author, gives a history of the language, presenting linguistic and historical evidence that it was originally based on Portuguese and has ties to Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu).
In part one, Fouse explains pidgins and creoles and then introduces the basics of the language, giving the etymologies of some words including djarason (Wednesday) as "day of [weekly] rations" (here I have used the Bonairean spelling). Part two traces the history of slavery in Portuguese West Africa, the Spanish destruction of the native Caiquetios on Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, and the Dutch rule of the ABC islands since the struggles of 1634 through 1636. Part three presents the many influences on the development of Papiamentu, including Portuguese slavers, African languages, Sephardic merchants, Spanish Catholic church workers, Dutch landowners and administrative personnel, oral versus written transmission, and the issue of standardization. In part four, Fouse describes the present situation of Papiamentu, including the diaspora of Papiamentu speakers and the future prospects for the language.
As the book went to press, it was not well proofread. However, the many problems with punctuation and the occasional problems with spelling originate with the editors of the University Press of America and not with the author. At places, the book seems to have been written to meet a deadline. Indications of this rush to completion include unexpected and unilluminating repetitions of information. Fortunately, these problems present a minor irritant and do not negate this book as a source of information.
This book fills what would otherwise remain a void for the prospective student of the Papiamentu language. It should be considered as required reading both for the classroom student and for the independent learner.

Rating:
Summary: Good information, fair writing, abominable editing.
Review: Anyone studying the Papiamentu language should read this book. Fouse, the author, gives a history of the language, presenting linguistic and historical evidence that it was originally based on Portuguese and has ties to Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu).
In part one, Fouse explains pidgins and creoles and then introduces the basics of the language, giving the etymologies of some words including djarason (Wednesday) as "day of [weekly] rations" (here I have used the Bonairean spelling). Part two traces the history of slavery in Portuguese West Africa, the Spanish destruction of the native Caiquetios on Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, and the Dutch rule of the ABC islands since the struggles of 1634 through 1636. Part three presents the many influences on the development of Papiamentu, including Portuguese slavers, African languages, Sephardic merchants, Spanish Catholic church workers, Dutch landowners and administrative personnel, oral versus written transmission, and the issue of standardization. In part four, Fouse describes the present situation of Papiamentu, including the diaspora of Papiamentu speakers and the future prospects for the language.
As the book went to press, it was not well proofread. However, the many problems with punctuation and the occasional problems with spelling originate with the editors of the University Press of America and not with the author. At places, the book seems to have been written to meet a deadline. Indications of this rush to completion include unexpected and unilluminating repetitions of information. Fortunately, these problems present a minor irritant and do not negate this book as a source of information.
This book fills what would otherwise remain a void for the prospective student of the Papiamentu language. It should be considered as required reading both for the classroom student and for the independent learner.