Papiamento history, its development and its place in Aruba today were the focus of a presentation for members of Playa Linda’s housekeeping staff.
Foundation traces the language’s development
According to 24ora, Fundacion Lanta Papiamento explained its work to promote awareness of Aruba’s mother tongue and official language. The presentation discussed research into the language’s origins, the historical forces that shaped it and the importance of keeping it active in daily community life.
The foundation used early written records to illustrate the language’s long history. Examples included two Papiamento letters written in Curaçao in 1775 and 1783 and an official Papiamento document from Aruba dated 1803. The session also addressed how the colonial period from 1815 to 1954 affected the language’s development and use in education.
Official recognition and writing rules highlighted
Participants were told that Papiamento has had an official orthography since 1976 and has been an official language since 2003. The presentation also noted that first-, second- and third-year primary classes began literacy instruction in Papiamento in 2024.
The session included an interactive explanation of grammar and spelling rules, followed by examples of how to apply them in sentences. The foundation concluded by raffling Papiamento-language books and thanked Playa Linda and its staff for taking part.
