This is the monograph version of my PhD Thesis on the origins of Papiamentu, and specifically on its historical-linguistic ties with Cape Verdean Creole. Detailed comparisons at all levels of the grammar are followed by in-depth historical…
What explains the historical connections between Papiamentu and Upper Guinea PC?The study illustrates that Dutch control of Gorée from 1621 facilitated connections from Upper Guinea to Curaçao, with significant slave trade between the regions reported between 1650 and 1677.How did the social status of speakers influence Papiamentu's development?Upper Guinea PC speakers, often lighter-skinned and culturally closer to settlers, likely retained their language as a marker of social prestige in Curaçao's early slave society.When did the relexification of Upper Guinea PC towards Spanish occur?The relexification process is proposed to have taken place over a period of approximately three to four decades after 1659, achieving substantial Spanish influence by 1704.