Where does “Harlemese” come from?

Harlemese (English) comes from English ese, from Mexican Spanish ese, from Latin ipse, from Proto-Italic *e(s)peso — himself, herself, itself.

Harlemese (English): The urban dialect of American English spoken in Harlem, Manhattan, USA

Definitions

  1. The urban dialect of American English spoken in Harlem, Manhattan, USA

Ancestry of “Harlemese”, step by step

Harlemese traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English ese

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishesedude, man
2Mexican SpanisheseThe name of the Latin-script letter S; that;...
3Latinipsehimself, herself, itself, the very, the actual;...
4Proto-Italic*e(s)pesohimself, herself, itself

via English Harlem

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishHarlemcurrently known for its black population and the culture thereof
2DutchHaarlem
Every word from Proto-Italic *e(s)pesoEvery word from Latin ipseEvery word from Mexican Spanish ese