News
Amid Boston Overdose Crisis, a Pair of Harvard Students Are Bringing Narcan to the Red Line
News
At First Cambridge City Council Election Forum, Candidates Clash Over Building Emissions
News
Harvard’s Updated Sustainability Plan Garners Optimistic Responses from Student Climate Activists
News
‘Sunroof’ Singer Nicky Youre Lights Up Harvard Yard at Crimson Jam
News
‘The Architect of the Whole Plan’: Harvard Law Graduate Ken Chesebro’s Path to Jan. 6
A Harvard senior is adding a new dialect to Widener's collection. Ronald Gerstl '57 has announced his donation of books in Papiamento to the library.
The sole work which Widener possesses about Papiamento is a small Italian pamphlet printed in 1863, entitled "I1 dialetto curassese." Papiamento is mainly spoken on two islands in the West Indies, Curacao and Aruba.
Gerstl, who has lived in Curacao, emphasized that Papiamento is "very much a living language." He believes his collection of 12 books and pamphlets represents everything ever printed in the dialect, which is just now beginning to be written. There are no dictionaries in Papiamento, only word lists.
Papiamento interests linguists because of its simplicity.
Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.