On July 3rd the US Virgin Islands celebrates emancipation of the enslaved took place o175 years ago. Please visit this site to know more about this beautiful day.
During the period of slavery most of the enslaved used a Dutch related Creole language which emerged at the end of the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth century on the Danish Westindies, in which a large part of the colonist used Dutch as their venacular. The language was called Carriolsch, Creole and lateron in European/Dutch publications ‘Negerhollands’. From about 2013 on we use the name Virgin Islands Dutch Creole.
The language is conserved in a large number of missionary texts from the eighteenth and nineteenth century, and a lot of stories, sentences and words which were noted in early twentieth century interviews.
From the end of the 1960s until 1987 several last native speakers helped linguists to study and learn the language as it was actually spoken.
The most remarkable Virgin Islands Dutch Creole text related to slavery, which was expressed by an enslaved man is noted in 1788. The following farewell song invites the listener to enter the thoughts of a desperate enslaved one:
Adjo my Mester Neeger, e — Samja
Da lob my lo lob, e – Samja
My nöy kan hau di uit mer &c
Di Blanco no frey, e – Samja
Adjo my Syssie, &c
Van Dag du Mandag &c
Adjo my Mama &c
Da lob my &c
Adjo my beer Maade …
Adjo my gud Friende &c
Adjo my Tata
Di Land no Frey &c
Adjo my Viefe &c
Lef frey met my Mama &c
Dünk op my altyt &c
My nu sae ferjet jou e – – Samja
English translation:
Farewell, my master negroe, I unhappy one
It is going what I will do
I can’t hold it anymore
The whites (are) no good
Farewell my sister
Today it is monday
Farewell my mother
It is going what I will do
Farewell my bed mates (‘close friends’)
Farewell my good friends
Farewell my father
The country not good
Farewell my wife
Live well with my mother
Think about me always
I will not forget you
die creol taal 