Caribbean history is ever-present in our music, architecture, festivals, food, art, and even how we talk.

But how much do we really know about the origins of the traditions, customs, people, and rituals that make up the heritage of our region?

Yello is on a mission to know the Caribbean better, and that involves researching and understanding the past because once you know where you’re from, you should have a better idea of where you are going.

Let’s find out more about the history behind an indigenous language used in Dutch Caribbean islands: Papiamentu.

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Papiamentu (or Papiamento) is an Afro-Portuguese-Spanish creole language widely spoken in the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.

The exact origins of Papiamentu are disputed, but according to Britannica.com, the dialect “developed in Curaçao after the Netherlands took over the island from Spain in 1634.”

Historians believe the language became more established in 1659 when Portuguese-speaking Dutch colonists and Spanish and Portuguese-speaking Sephardic Jews arrived in Curaçao after being expelled by Brazil.

These new immigrants also brought in enslaved Africans from Guinea-Bissau, Casamance, and Cape Verde, who spoke Upper Guinea Creole, or a type of Portuguese Pidgin.

Curaçao was a slave-trading centre, and a primary language of communication was essential.

Spanish-speaking slave buyers from mainland South America, particularly Venezuela, are said to have used the then-developing Papiamentu and introduced a Spanish element.

Throughout the 18th century, Curaçao’s creole gained popularity and spread to the sister islands of Aruba and Bonaire. Dutch missionaries even chose to preach in Papiamentu, and in the 19th century, they translated the Bible and other religious documents into the language.

In 2003, Papiamentu was declared an official language in Aruba. Curaçao followed in 2007. Today, around 80% of people in Bonaire and Curaçao, and 70% in Aruba, speak Papiamentu along with Dutch, Spanish, and English.

Here are some Papiamentu words and their meanings:

Papiamentu word	Meaning	Source
nobo	new	Portuguese
nuebe	nine	Spanish
papia	talk	Spanish or Portuguese
yambo	okra	African
makamba	white person	African
wiriwiri	crumbs	Arawak (Indian)
dividivi	watapana tree	Arawak (Indian)
bin bek	come back	Portuguese/English
wak	watch	Dutch

Credit: Hawaii Edu

Sources: Britannica.com, Hawaii.edu, Info Bonaire.com,  Travel Noire, Brill.com and Aruba Today.