Bahamian Creole English
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Chanti Seymour
Abstract
Following Singler (1990, 2008), I study the sociohistorical development of The Bahamas from 1492 to present day in order to identify possible influences on the language varieties spoken in The Bahamas, especially Bahamian Creole English (BahCE). I conclude that creolisation of BahCE did not occur until American loyalists arrived with their slaves in 1783, which suggests that BahCE did not develop from a pidgin, a point that Alleyne (1971) and Singler (2006: 161–162) believe to be true for most Caribbean creoles. Moreover, the situation in The Bahamas provides additional evidence that sociohistorical factors play an important role during both creolisation and decreolisation in that the language variety that developed on each island was influenced by its specific social history.
Abstract
Following Singler (1990, 2008), I study the sociohistorical development of The Bahamas from 1492 to present day in order to identify possible influences on the language varieties spoken in The Bahamas, especially Bahamian Creole English (BahCE). I conclude that creolisation of BahCE did not occur until American loyalists arrived with their slaves in 1783, which suggests that BahCE did not develop from a pidgin, a point that Alleyne (1971) and Singler (2006: 161–162) believe to be true for most Caribbean creoles. Moreover, the situation in The Bahamas provides additional evidence that sociohistorical factors play an important role during both creolisation and decreolisation in that the language variety that developed on each island was influenced by its specific social history.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part 1. The sociohistorical matrix of language contact
- Population factors, multilingualism and the emergence of grammar 23
- The African diaspora in Latin America 49
- The sociohistorical matrix of creolization and the role children played in this process 79
- Creole as necessity? Creole as choice? 101
- Bahamian Creole English 123
- Linguistic commonality in English of the African diaspora 145
- Historical separations 177
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Part 2. Sources of grammar and processes of language contact
- Some observations on the sources of AAVE structure 203
- Unity in diversity 225
- Krio as the Western Maroon Creole language of Jamaica, and the /na/ isogloss 251
- Number marking in Jamaican Patwa 275
- Variationist creolistics, with a phonological focus 305
- Pidginization versus second language acquisition 323
- Crosslinguistic effects in adjectivization strategies in Suriname, Ghana and Togo 343
- Author index 363
- Language index 365
- Subject index 367
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part 1. The sociohistorical matrix of language contact
- Population factors, multilingualism and the emergence of grammar 23
- The African diaspora in Latin America 49
- The sociohistorical matrix of creolization and the role children played in this process 79
- Creole as necessity? Creole as choice? 101
- Bahamian Creole English 123
- Linguistic commonality in English of the African diaspora 145
- Historical separations 177
-
Part 2. Sources of grammar and processes of language contact
- Some observations on the sources of AAVE structure 203
- Unity in diversity 225
- Krio as the Western Maroon Creole language of Jamaica, and the /na/ isogloss 251
- Number marking in Jamaican Patwa 275
- Variationist creolistics, with a phonological focus 305
- Pidginization versus second language acquisition 323
- Crosslinguistic effects in adjectivization strategies in Suriname, Ghana and Togo 343
- Author index 363
- Language index 365
- Subject index 367
