Jersey Dutch was a variant of the Dutch language spoken in and around Bergen and Passaic counties in New Jersey from the late 1600s until the early 20th century. It appears to have been a creole of Zeelandic and Flemish Dutch dialects with English and possibly some elements of Lenape. It was spoken by the decendents of Dutch settlers to New Jersey and by the mixed race people sometimes called the Jackson Whites. It was sometimes called Neger Duits - "Negro Dutch" - when spoken by mixed race people.
An example of Jersey Dutch:
- En kääd'l had twî jongers; de êne blêv täus;
- de andere xong vôrt f'n häus f'r en stat.
- Hai waz nît tevrêde täus en dârkîs tû râkni arm.
- Hai dogti ôm dat täus en z'n vâders pläk.
- Tû zaide: äk zal na häus xâne. Main vâder hät plänti.
In standard modern Dutch:
- Een man had twee jongens; de ene bleef thuis;
- de andere ging voort van huis voor een vermogen.
- Hij was niet tevreden thuis en daardoor toen raakte hij arm.
- Hij dacht aan dat thuis en zijn vaders plaats.
- Toen zei hij: ik zal naar huis gaan. Mijn vader heeft overvloed.
In English:
- A man had two sons. The one stayed at home;
- the other went abroad from home to make his fortune.
- He was not content at home and therefore then he became poor.
- He thought about it at home and his father's place.
- Then said: I shall go home. My father has plenty.
From: A text in Jersey Dutch Dr J. Dyneley Prince, 1910; via Radio Netherlands.
External links
- Handboek der Nederlandsche taal: Deel I. De sociologische structuur der Nederlandsche taal I. Jac. van Ginneken. L.C.G. Malmberg, 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. 1928. Chapter 10: Het Amerikaansch. (in Dutch)
