Otrobanda in Willemstad, Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean — Caribbean (Dutch Caribbean)

Language

— Historical Walking Tour —

Photographed by Pete Skillman, February 25, 2025

1. Language Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

(English):
The inhabitants of Curacao are multilingual. The Curacao people in general understand and speak Dutch, English, Spanish & Papiamento. The official languages are Papiamento and Dutch of which Papiamento is the native language. It gradually developed during the 17th and the 18th centuries as a means of communication in a multi-ethnic community, dominated by the Africans imported as slaves whose Western African language maintained its structure and sound laws and borrowed words from all the other languages, Amerindian, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, and adapted them to create this unique native language.

(Spanish):
Idioma
La población de Curaçao es multilingüe. La mayoría comprende y habla holandés, inglés, español y papiamento. Los idiomas oficiales son el papiamento y el holandés, del cual el papiamento es el idioma nativo. Este se desarrolló gradualmente en los siglos XVII y XVIII como medio de comunicación de una comunidad multiétnica, conformada mayoritariamente por los africanos traídos como esclavos, cuyo idioma original de África

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Occidental mantuvo su. estructura y sus reglas fonéticas y tomo prestadas expresiones de otros idiomas el amerindio, el portugués, el español, el holandés, y el inglés y las adapto, creando este singular idioma nativo. (Marker Number 3/7.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 12° 6.303′ N, 68° 56.383′ W. Marker is in Willemstad, Curaçao (Curaçao). It is in Otrobanda. It can be reached from Baden Powellweg. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Baden Powellweg A, Willemstad, Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean. Touch for directions.

Regionally, it is one of the Lesser Antilles

on the Caribbean Sea,

in in the Atlantic Ocean,

and in North America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Population (a few steps from this marker); Punda and Otrobanda (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Dr. Efrain Jonckheer (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Molenplein 12-19 (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); St. Martin Institute (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Queen Emma Bridge (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Leonard Burlington Smith (approx. half a kilometer away); Manuel Carlos Piar (approx. half a kilometer away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Willemstad.

Additional keywords. Human trafficking

Language Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Pete Skillman, February 25, 2025

2. Language Marker - wide view

Credits. This page was last revised on March 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 1, 2025, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware. This page has been viewed 135 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 1, 2025, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware.