ORANJESTAD, Aruba – Papiamentu, the vibrant language spoken on the islands of Curaçao, and Bonaire, is on track for inclusion in Google Translate, according to Curaçao’s Minister of Education, Sithree van Heydoorn.

This initiative is underway and involves compiling a comprehensive digital foundation for Papiamentu, including existing word lists, phrases, and grammatical rules. Minister van Heydoorn emphasized during a recent committee meeting that the project, expected to take five years, is a crucial step in both developing the language and safeguarding Aruban’s cultural heritage.

The project leverages existing resources, including word lists by prominent figures like Leo Floridas, alongside materials from scholars like Antoine Maduro and Frank Martinus Arion.

Aruba Silent on Digitization Efforts

While Curaçao paves the way for Papiamentu’s digital future, Aruba, another island nation where Papiamento holds official language status, remains silent on similar efforts. Despite its cultural significance, the Aruban government hasn’t announced any plans to integrate Papiamento into Google Translate.

Nuances Across Islands

It’s important to note that while Aruba and Curaçao share Papiamento/u as an official language, their dialects differ grammatically and verbally. This highlights the importance of the current project, which will likely focus on a standardized version of Papiamentu. Including distinct regional variations might be a future step for this evolving digital resource.