Number marking in Jamaican Patwa
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Peter L. Patrick
Abstract
Variation is examined in marking of number on plural nouns in mesolectal Jamaican Patwa (JP). Earlier claims for grammatical/functional principles constraining variation are found wanting. Two corpora are analyzed. I provide a taxonomy of surface structures which map reliably onto the level of reference, and permit reorganization at an abstract level capable of allowing generalizations. I consider choice between plural -z and zero marking on regular nouns in light of major known potential linguistic constraints – syntactic, semantic, pragmatic and (briefly) phonological. Results are compared with Creoles, African American Vernacular English (AAVE), and African American Diaspora varieties. Conclusions do not match ‘Creole patterns’ advanced in the literature and used as a basis for historical conclusions concerning AAVE and Creole genesis.
Abstract
Variation is examined in marking of number on plural nouns in mesolectal Jamaican Patwa (JP). Earlier claims for grammatical/functional principles constraining variation are found wanting. Two corpora are analyzed. I provide a taxonomy of surface structures which map reliably onto the level of reference, and permit reorganization at an abstract level capable of allowing generalizations. I consider choice between plural -z and zero marking on regular nouns in light of major known potential linguistic constraints – syntactic, semantic, pragmatic and (briefly) phonological. Results are compared with Creoles, African American Vernacular English (AAVE), and African American Diaspora varieties. Conclusions do not match ‘Creole patterns’ advanced in the literature and used as a basis for historical conclusions concerning AAVE and Creole genesis.
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
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
