The Holland Society of New York - Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 180 text:

R 1 - f ' ' , ' gp fb rg. R 'C1 'Li s - ' G , ' DUTCH WORDS, PHRAsEs, ETC. CIRCULAR, of which a copy follows, has been sent out by Professor Carpenter of Columbia University, the object of which will commend itself to the members of the Holland Society, and all others who recall memories of childhood in which are mingled Dutch accents spoken by parents and grandparents to whom that tongue was the language of the home. DEAR SIR: The early Dutch settlers on Long Island, in New Jersey, and up through the valleys of the Hudson and the Mohawk and the radiating country have left behind them in the language of to-day the evi- dence of their mother-tongue, not merely in single words like szfoop, boss, cooky, Waller, etc., which have passed into the common vocabulary, or like vb, kzli clove, etc., which have become parts of local nomenclature, but in phrases still retained in local usage, and, in particular, in nursery rhymes remem- bered in more or less perfect form by their de- scendants. Such reminders of our origins have a distinct historical and linguistic value, and this particular one is of altogether exceptional interest. It is desired by the undersigned to make a care- ful collection of this material, as complete as may be, to be kept as a permanent record to illustrate a 114

Page 182 text:

of fp if f- - fc? , , :Q x9 I- g th. ' ' - 0 -V IB 3'-E A .:.e'if.f?f-smis e 1 --2 -'ev GQ5 - H 1 - ' ,. f. D-. .5 72,1-1 ,Af X.. Q ff ' i ' f J' Q-I I-Tw :ill- je-361' Q H' vi ,,, . Q ' - Y-,Q , :LL5-E 7- fx., THE HOLLAND SOCIETY OE CEYLON. HE following is a re-translation into English from a Dutch translation of an English letter and of a portion of the Constitution of the Holland Society of Ceylon. The letter had been written to the Secretary of the Algemeen Nederlandsch Verbond, and its Dutch translation, together with the Dutch transla- tion of part of the Constitution of 'f The Holland Society of Ceylon, appears in Jwzefflanafia forjanu- ary, 1901 I hereby enclose a copy of the Constitution of a society which was founded last year by descend- ants of Hollanders in Ceylon 5 as you will see, the study of the Holland language is its principal ob- ject. During the last hundred years, since this island has been in possession of the English, our mother tongue has fallen into- disuse to such an extent that at present very few of the old families yet speak Dutch, though they have preserved many Dutch characteristics. I take the liberty to write to you, hoping that you may be able to aid our project through advice and support. . All information regarding methods of instruc- tion and any further suggestions you may be able to impart will be gratefully received. 116 : N .Il . s I i 4? I E 5 f -1 -3 Ki l I . l li 5 U' Q l