Amerikaens: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox language|region=Northern America|familycolor=orange|fontcolor=black|name=Amerikaens|ethnicity=[[Amerikaener|Amerikaeners]]|fam1=Scythian|fam2=Germanic|fam3=West Germanic|fam4=Netherlandic|ancestor=Pavonia Dutch|ancestor2=Early Amerikaens|ancestor3=Middle Amerikaens|script=Latin|official=[[New Netherland]] </br> [[Tussenland]] </br> [[South Tussenland]] </br> [[Amerikaens Free State]] </br> [[Opdamsland]] </br> [[Boschland]]|minority=[[Mexico]] </br> [[Panama City]] </br> [[Colombia]] </br> [[Saint-Domingue]]|pronunciation=[aːmɛɹ.ɪ.kɑːns]|nativename=Amerikaens|state=[[New Netherland]]}}
{{Infobox language|region=Northern America|familycolor=orange|fontcolor=black|name=Amerikaens|ethnicity=[[Amerikaener|Amerikaeners]]|fam1=Scythian|fam2=Germanic|fam3=West Germanic|fam4=Netherlandic|ancestor=Bergen Dutch|ancestor2=Early Amerikaens|ancestor3=Middle Amerikaens|script=Latin|official=[[New Netherland]] </br> [[Tussenland]] </br> [[South Tussenland]] </br> [[Amerikaens Free State]] </br> [[Opdamsland]] </br> [[Boschland]]|minority=[[Mexico]] </br> [[Panama City]] </br> [[Colombia]] </br> [[Saint-Domingue]]|pronunciation=[aːmɛɹ.ɪ.kɑːns]|nativename=Amerikaens|state=[[New Netherland]]}}


'''Amerikaens''' (Dutch: ''Amerikaans'') is a West Germanic language spoken over a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialect_continuum dialect continuum] spanning [[New Netherland]], [[Tussenland]], [[Amerikaens Free State|the Free State]], [[South Tussenland]] and, to a lesser extent, [[Mexico]] and [[Opdamsland]]. It evolved from Hollandic, Zeelandic, and West Flemish dialects spoken by Dutch settlers in northern America, an example of which is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Dutch Pavonia Dutch]. The language developed a distinct identity during the 18th century and is the youngest of the Germanic languages, along with [[Afrikaans]].
'''Amerikaens''' (Dutch: ''Amerikaans'') is a West Germanic language spoken over a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialect_continuum dialect continuum] spanning [[New Netherland]], [[Tussenland]], [[Amerikaens Free State|the Free State]], [[South Tussenland]] and, to a lesser extent, [[Mexico]] and [[Opdamsland]]. It evolved from Hollandic, Zeelandic, and West Flemish dialects spoken by Dutch settlers in northern America, an example of which is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Dutch Pavonia Dutch]. The language developed a distinct identity during the 18th century and is the youngest of the Germanic languages, along with [[Afrikaans]], spoken in southern Africa.


Today, the language is currently spoken over significant portions of north America and is an official language of the [[Association of North American Nations]]. The Amerikaens Language Commission (Amerikaens: ''Amerikaense Taelkomisie'') is the official regulating body of the Amerikaens language, and is the central authority tasked with developing, preserving, and promoting Amerikaens.
Today, the language is currently spoken over significant portions of northern America and is an official language of the [[Association of North American Nations]]. The Amerikaens Language Commission (''Amerikaense Taelkomisie'') is the official regulating body and central authority for Amerikaens, responsible for developing, preserving, and promoting the language.


== History ==
== History ==

==== Proto-Amerikaens dialects (1620-1700) ====

===== Preliminary Romance influence =====
Among the earliest settlers in New Netherland were Romance-speaking Walloon immigrants. During the genesis of the Amerikaens language and the [[Amerikaener]] ethnicity, several Walloon and French words entered the Amerikaens lexis, mostly words relating to family and household. Examples of these include ''koetoe'' (knife; from ''couteau'') and tapie (carpet; from ''tapiz).''


== Geographic distribution ==
== Geographic distribution ==
==Phonology==

{| class="wikitable"
== Varieties ==
|+Consonants

!
!
!Labial
!Alveolar
!Post-alveolar
!Dorsal
!Glottal
|-
! colspan="2" |Nasal
|m
|n
|
|ŋ
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |Plosive
!voiceless
|p
|t
|tʃ
|k
|
|-
!voiced
|b
|d<ref>/d/ is devoiced at the ends of words as /t/.</ref>
|
|g<ref>/g/ is an allophone of [χ] and is also used in loanwords.</ref>
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |Fricative
!voiceless
|f
|s
|ʃ
| χ<ref>Merger of /ɣ/ and /x/. Before /j/, it can be fronted to /ç/.</ref>
|h
|-
!voiced<ref>Voiced fricatives are generally devoiced by the majority of Amerikaens speakers.</ref>
|v
|z
|ʒ
|
|ɦ
|-
! colspan="2" |Approximant
| w<ref>Due to influence from French and English, the original Dutch /ʋ/ came to be realised as /w/.</ref>
|l
|
|j
|
|-
! colspan="2" |Rhotic
|
| colspan="3" |r<ref>[ʁ] and [ɾ] are allophones.</ref>
|
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Vowels
!
! colspan="3" |Front
! colspan="3" |Central
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Back
|-
!
! colspan="2" |<small>unrounded</small>
! rowspan="2" |<small>rounded</small>
! rowspan="2" |<small>unrounded</small>
! colspan="2" | <small>rounded</small>
|-
!
!<small>short</small>
!<small>long</small>
!<small>short</small>
!<small>long</small>
!<small>short</small>
!<small>long</small>
|-
!Close
| i
|i:
|y:
|
|
|
|
|u:
|-
! Close-mid
|
|eː
|
|
|
|
|
| o:
|-
! Mid
|ɛ
|
|
|ə
| œ
|œ:
|ɔ
|ɔ:
|-
!Near-open
|æ
|æ:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!Open
|(a)
|
|
|ʌ
|
|
|ɑ
|ɑ:
|-
!Diphthongs
| colspan="8" |ɑi æi ɑu ɛu œu ɔu ɔi
|}
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+Graphemes of vowels
! rowspan="2" |Grapheme
! colspan="2" |IPA
|-
!checked
! free
|-
|a
|/ɑ/, /ʌ/
|/ɑ:/
|-
|ae
|/ɑ/
|
|-
| e
|/ɛ/, /ə/
|/eː/, /ə/
|-
|o
|/ɔ/, /ʌ/
|/o:/
|-
|ö
| colspan="2" |/o:/
|-
|ai, aei
| colspan="2" |/ɑi/, /æi/
|-
|au(x), eau(x)
| colspan="2" |/o:/
|-
|auw
| colspan="2" |/ɔu/
|-
|ie
| /i/, /ə/
|/i:/
|-
|î
| colspan="2" |/e:/
|-
|îuw, ieuw
| colspan="2" |/e:u/, /iu/
|-
|ey
| colspan="2" |/ɛi/
|-
|eu
| colspan="2" |/œ:/
|-
|oi
| colspan="2" |/ɔi/
|-
|ou. ouw
| colspan="2" |/ɔu/
|-
| ÿ
| colspan="2" |/ɑi/, /æi/
|-
|ü
| colspan="2" |/u:/
|-
|uy, üy
| colspan="2" |/œu/, /ɛu/
|-
|ue
| colspan="2" |/y:/
|-
|uw
| colspan="2" |/yu/
|}
== Orthography ==
== Orthography ==


==== Major changes from Continental Dutch ====
==== Divergences from Dutch ====
Amerikaens orthography. first recognized as distinct in the mid-18th century, preserves many forms found in early modern Dutch. In 1910, orthography was officially standardized for literary Amerikaens.
In many cases older orthography and spelling is preserved from early modern Dutch. Some regions in Tussenland did not adopt Amerikaner orthography before it was standardized in 1910. As a result, some words of historical value retain their Hollandic spelling. An example of this is the city of Eenheydwyck, which is not written as Înheydswÿck.
{| class="wikitable"

!Dutch
* '''ei → ey''' (''înheid'' (unity) → ''înheyd'')
!Amerikaens
* '''k → ck'''    (boek → boeck), only when occurring at the end of the syllable
! colspan="2" |Example
* '''aa → ae'''   (Amerikaans → Amerikaens)
|-
* '''ui → uy'''   (fruit → fruyt)
|aa
* '''ij → ÿ'''    (vrijheid → vrÿheyd)
|ae
* '''d  → dt'''   (stad → stadt), only when at end of syllable
|Amerik'''aa'''ns
* '''f → v''' (kalf → kalv), onlf at the end of words
|Amerik'''ae'''ns
* '''In other''' cases double vowels (long vowels) are reduced and replaced with by a vowel with a diacritic.
|-
* '''oo → ö''' (Voorlandt → Vörlandt)
|ei
* '''uu → ue'''
|ey
* '''ee → î'''
* '''oe → ü'''
|Înh'''ei'''d
|Înh'''ey'''dt
* Yet in other cases constants are doubled.
|-
* '''m → mm''' (Komen → Komme)
|ui
* '''l → ll'''
|uy
|Fr'''ui'''t
|Fr'''uy'''t
|-
|ij
|ÿ
|Vr'''ij'''heid
|Vr'''ÿ'''heydt
|-
|uu
|ue
|Absol'''uu'''t
|Absol'''ue'''t
|-
|ee
|î
|'''Ee'''nheid
|'''Î'''nheydt
|-
|oo
|ö
|V'''oo'''rland
|V'''ö'''rlandt
|-
|oe
|ü
|Daart'''oe'''
|Daert'''ü'''
|-
|m
|mm<ref>This does not occur at the beginning of a syllable.</ref>
|Ko'''m'''en
|Ko'''mm'''e
|-
|l
|ll
|Graa'''l'''
|Grae'''ll'''
|-
|k
|ck<ref><ck>, <nowiki><dt>, and <v> only occur at the end of syllables.</nowiki></ref>
|Boe'''k'''
|Boe'''ck'''
|-
|d
|dt
|Sta'''d'''
|Sta'''dt'''
|-
|f
|v
|Kal'''f'''
|Kal'''v'''
|}


== Grammar ==
== Grammar ==
Amerikaens grammar gradually shifted from Dutch from the late 17th century up until the mid-19th century.
In all Amerikaens dialects, noun and adjective genders are removed. For example, the 'the' article in Amerikaens would simply be 'de' for all nouns, eliminating the European de/het distinction altogether. This is one feature of a series of grammar shifts in Amerikaens that was finalised in the mid-19th century.

The last letter of suffixes are often dropped. In words that end in -en (excluding en and een), the -n is dropped in most cases (tevreden → tevrede). In words that end in -de (excluding de) the e is oft dropped (zeide → zeyd, zijde → zÿd).


* In every Amerikaens dialect, noun and adjective genders do not exist.
Corruption of middle-word consonants are also common, such as -tie into -sie (politie → polisie).
* The het/de distinction is not present in Amerikaens, with <de> being the sole definite article in the language.
* In Amerikaens, the deletion of the final consonant or final <e> of a syllable (the coda) is formalized. For example, ''tevrede<u>n</u>'' becomes ''tevrede'', and ''zeid<u>e</u>'' becomes ''zeyd''.
* Corruption of middle-word consonants are also common, such as ''-tie'' into ''-sie'' (''politie'' → ''polisie'').


=== Pronouns and verb conjugations ===
==== Pronouns and verb conjugations ====
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
| colspan="5" rowspan="1" |Pronouns and Verb Conjugations
|-
|-
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |English
! colspan="1" rowspan="2" |English
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |Amerikaens
! colspan="1" rowspan="2" |Amerikaens
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |Dutch
! colspan="1" rowspan="2" |Dutch
| colspan="2" rowspan="1" |
! colspan="2" rowspan="1" |''Ik ben''
|-
|-
|Singular
!<small>Singular</small>
|Plural
!<small>Plural</small>
|-
|-
|I
|I
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|}
|}


=== Tenses ===
==== Tenses ====
In Amerikaens, verbs do not conjugate differently depending on the subject.
In Amerikaens, verbs do not conjugate differently depending on the subject.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
| colspan="4" |'''ît''' (eat)
|+'''ît''' (eat)
|-
|-
|'''Tense'''
|'''Tense'''
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|}
|}


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
| colspan="4" |'''Kück''' (cook)
|+'''kück''' (cook)
|-
|-
|'''Tense'''
|'''Tense'''
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|}
|}


=== Case system ===
==== Case system ====
Amerikaens preserves the possessive genitive case from archaic Dutch. The sentence 'de vriend van de man' in Continental Dutch becomes 'des mans vriend' in Amerikaens. Historians & linguistics often debate whether the retaining of this case was a linguistic feature adopted from English.
Amerikaens preserves the possessive genitive case from archaic Dutch. Its survival may have been influenced by English.
{| class="wikitable"
!Dutch
!Amerikaens
!English
!French
|-
|De vriend van de man.
|Des mans vriendt.
|The man's friend.
|L'ami de l'homme.
|}


== Vocabulary ==
== Vocabulary ==
Retrieved from "https://wiki.rosestulipsandliberty.com/wiki/Amerikaens"