Papiamentu Textbook

Description

Papiamentu is a Creole language based principally on Spanish and Portuguese, spoken and written in the islands of Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire in the Netherlands Antilles. In the foreword, author E.R. Goilo states:

The only purpose of this book is to help those who are not acquainted with our language, that they may leam it in the simplest way.

For many years thousands of American and English people have been visiting our islands. Some have come for only fleeting visits, occasionally retuming, while others have made their homes here. In Amba for instance, there are hundreds of American families who came from the U.S.A. to work with the Lago Oil Refinery, and have remained there many years. Among these people there are of course many who would like to know something of our language, but have refrained from the attempt to leam for the simple reason that there is not in existence a single book to help them in their purpose. For this reason I determined to compose this present book, that they may be helped on their way.

Each lesson consists of a vocabulary with accompanying sentences, questions and grammatical difficulties, all taken from daily life.

Obviously this method will give the student the desire to speak our language, so that he may help himself when dealing with many among our people who are not yet able to speak English.

I hope I have done my utmost to acquaint the English speaking people with the language of these little islands in the Caribbean. Acknowledgement is due to Rev. T. Johnson and to Mr. A. Fraaye, for their expert assistance in correcting the English part of this work.

E. R. GOILO

Curaçao, May 1962.

This textbook is in very good condition, with some creasing on the cover (where it would fold back). This is the ninth edition.