Amerikaens: Difference between revisions

| dialects = [[Amerikaens#Varieties|Amerikaens dialects]]

|boxsize=200px|ancestor=Bergen Dutch|fam2=Germanic|fam3=Dutch}}'''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 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.

! colspan="3" |Front

! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Back

! rowspan="2" |<small>rounded</small>

! Mid

|ə

| œ

|œː

|ɔː

|ʌ

| colspan="8" |ɑi æi ɑu ɛu ɛi œu oːi ɔu ɔi

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 and legal Amerikaens.

|''Amerik'''aa'''ns''

|''Amerik'''ae'''ns''

|''Înh'''ei'''d''

|''Înh'''ey'''dt''

|''Fr'''ui'''t''

|''Fr'''uy'''t''

|''Vr'''ij'''heid''

|''Vr'''ÿ'''heydt''

|''Absol'''uu'''t''

|''Absol'''ue'''t''

|'''''Ee'''nheid''

|'''''Î'''nheydt''

|''V'''oo'''rland''

|''V'''ö'''rlandt''

|''Daart'''oe'''''

|''Daert'''ü'''''

|''Ko'''m'''en''

|''Ko'''mm'''e''

|''Graa'''l'''''

|''Grae'''ll'''''

|''Boe'''k'''''

|''Boe'''ck'''''

|''Sta'''d'''''

|''Sta'''dt'''''

|''Kal'''f'''''

|''Kal'''v'''''

== Grammar ==

==== Notable features ====

* '''Grammatical gender:''' Language contact with English and indigenous languages, as well as exposure to various American creoles, has resulted in the loss of grammatical gender in Amerikaens, much like in its sister language [[Afrikaans]].

* '''Definite articles:''' Amerikaens possesses one definite article, de, with ''het'' having been eliminated altogether.

* '''Deletion of coda:''' Words often drop the final sound, usually consonants and the vowel ''e''. For example, ''tevrede<u>n</u>'' → ''tevrede'', and ''zeid<u>e</u>'' → ''zeyd''.

* '''Lenition of consonants:''' Consonants in the middle of words sometimes experience lenition. For example, ''poli<u>t</u>ie'' → ''poli<u>s</u>ie''.

==== Pronouns and verb conjugations ====

! colspan="1" rowspan="2" |English

! colspan="1" rowspan="2" |Amerikaens

! colspan="1" rowspan="2" |Dutch

! colspan="2" rowspan="1" |''Ik ben''

!<small>Singular</small>

!<small>Plural</small>

|I

|Ik/ äk

|Ik

|Ik be

| -

|You

|Jÿ

|Jij, U

|Jij be

|

|He

|Hÿ

|Hij

|Hÿ is

| -

|She

|Sÿ

|Zij

|Sÿ is

| -

|We

|Wÿ

|Wij

|Wÿ is

|

|It

|It

|Het

|It is

|

==== Tenses ====

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

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"

|+''Î'''t''''' (eat)

!'''Tense'''

! colspan="1" |'''Amerikaens'''

!'''Dutch'''

!'''English'''

!'''Infinitive'''

|ît(e)

|eten

|(to) eat

!'''Present'''

|Ik ît.

|Ik eet.

|I eat.

!'''Past'''

|Ik hab ît.

|Ik at.

|I ate.

!'''Future'''

|Ik wil/zhal ît.

|Ik zal eten.

|I will eat.

!'''Past Progressive'''

|Ik dîd ît.

|Ik was aan het eten.

|I was eating.

!'''Present Progressive'''

|Ik dü ît.

|Ik ben aan het eten.

|I am eating.

!'''Future Progressive'''

|Ik wil/zhal dü ît

|

|I will be eating.

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"

|+'''''Köck''''' (cook)

!'''Tense'''

! colspan="1" |'''Amerikaens'''

!'''Dutch'''

!'''English'''

!'''Infinitive'''

|köck(e)

|koken

|(to) cook

!'''Present'''

|Ik köck.

|Ik kook.

|I cook.

!'''Past'''

|Ik hab köck.

|Ik kookte.

|I cooked.

!'''Future'''

|Ik wil/zhal köck.

|Ik zal koken.

|I will cook.

!'''Past Progressive'''

|Ik dîd köck.

|Ik was aan het koken.

|I was cooking.

!'''Present Progressive'''

|Ik dü köck.

|Ik ben aan het koken.

|I am cooking.

!'''Future Progressive'''

|Ik wil/zhal dü köck.

|

|I will be cooking.

|}

==== Case system ====

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 friendt.

|The man's friend.

|L'ami de l'homme.

==== Tongue twisters ====

* Ik wil ît it if it is în weynig bît (''I will eat it if it's a small beetroot'').