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Chapter 17: English in Africa – a diachronic typology

  • Rajend Mesthrie
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Volume 5 Varieties of English
This chapter is in the book Volume 5 Varieties of English

Abstract

Although the historical linguistics of English in Africa is not a heavily studied area, this overview attempts to show that it is not without considerable interest in its own right. Moreover, for two L1 varieties comparisons with similar varieties outside the continent can be historically illuminating. The first is White South African English, for which the main debates in the field are covered, showing some large scale recent changes in the era of globalization, notably a reverse chain shift of the short front vowels. The other L1 variety with a rather different history is Liberian English, which is discussed in relation to syntactic retentions from early times in this repatriated creole, which still shares similarities with AAVE and Afro-Caribbean creoles. Even pidgin Englishes appear by virtue of their historicity in Africa to be amenable to study via appropriate modifications of the traditional family tree or wave models of relations. Finally the chapter shows how the L2 English syntaxes and phonologies lend themselves to internal African comparisons from which future developments can be monitored.

Abstract

Although the historical linguistics of English in Africa is not a heavily studied area, this overview attempts to show that it is not without considerable interest in its own right. Moreover, for two L1 varieties comparisons with similar varieties outside the continent can be historically illuminating. The first is White South African English, for which the main debates in the field are covered, showing some large scale recent changes in the era of globalization, notably a reverse chain shift of the short front vowels. The other L1 variety with a rather different history is Liberian English, which is discussed in relation to syntactic retentions from early times in this repatriated creole, which still shares similarities with AAVE and Afro-Caribbean creoles. Even pidgin Englishes appear by virtue of their historicity in Africa to be amenable to study via appropriate modifications of the traditional family tree or wave models of relations. Finally the chapter shows how the L2 English syntaxes and phonologies lend themselves to internal African comparisons from which future developments can be monitored.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Abbreviations VII
  4. Chapter 1: Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 2: Standard American English 9
  6. Chapter 3: Regional varieties of American English 31
  7. Chapter 4: Canadian English in real-time perspective 53
  8. Chapter 5: Re-viewing the origins and history of African American Language 80
  9. Chapter 6: Standard British English 96
  10. Chapter 7: Regional varieties of British English 121
  11. Chapter 8: Received Pronunciation 151
  12. Chapter 9: Estuary English 169
  13. Chapter 10: Cockney 187
  14. Chapter 11: Celtic and Celtic Englishes 210
  15. Chapter 12: Scots 231
  16. Chapter 13: English in Ireland 244
  17. Chapter 14: English in Wales 265
  18. Chapter 15: Australian/New Zealand English 289
  19. Chapter 16: English in India 311
  20. Chapter 17: English in Africa – a diachronic typology 330
  21. Chapter 18: Diffusion 349
  22. Chapter 19: Supraregionalization 365
  23. Chapter 20: Pidgins and creoles 385
  24. Index 403
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110525045-017

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Abbreviations VII
  4. Chapter 1: Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 2: Standard American English 9
  6. Chapter 3: Regional varieties of American English 31
  7. Chapter 4: Canadian English in real-time perspective 53
  8. Chapter 5: Re-viewing the origins and history of African American Language 80
  9. Chapter 6: Standard British English 96
  10. Chapter 7: Regional varieties of British English 121
  11. Chapter 8: Received Pronunciation 151
  12. Chapter 9: Estuary English 169
  13. Chapter 10: Cockney 187
  14. Chapter 11: Celtic and Celtic Englishes 210
  15. Chapter 12: Scots 231
  16. Chapter 13: English in Ireland 244
  17. Chapter 14: English in Wales 265
  18. Chapter 15: Australian/New Zealand English 289
  19. Chapter 16: English in India 311
  20. Chapter 17: English in Africa – a diachronic typology 330
  21. Chapter 18: Diffusion 349
  22. Chapter 19: Supraregionalization 365
  23. Chapter 20: Pidgins and creoles 385
  24. Index 403
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