Revisiting the Dutch lexical contribution to Malacca Portuguese creole

Abstract

The paper looks at the Dutch-derived loanwords attested in Malacca Portuguese Creole. The sources cover a period ranging from the last decades of the 19th century to the present day and it consists mainly of lexicographical works, but also includes folk songs, proverbs and religious texts The loanwords of Dutch origin identified are first listed, with the proposed etyma. This is followed by a discussion of the following topics: other potential etyma and the possibility of multiple etymologies; the proportion of Dutch loanwords in the lexicon of Malacca Portuguese Creole; the phonological adjustment of Dutch loanwords; the syntactic categories to which Dutch loanwords belong; the semantic fields in which Dutch loanwords are found; the semantic changes undergone by some of the Dutch loanwords. Also discussed are some implications of the findings.