| Antiguan Creole |
Website Links For Creole |
Information AboutAntiguan Creole |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ANTIGUAN CREOLE | |
| antiguan and barbudan culture | |
| antiguan and barbudan society | |
| english-based pidgins and creoles | |
| languages of the caribbean | |
Antiguan Creole is a Creole Language spoken in Antigua And Barbuda . Persons of higher Social Status find it easier to switch between Standard English and Antiguan Creole mainly because of better education. The dialect gets more raw the lower down the Socio-economic Ladder one moves. In the years before Antigua and Barbuda's independence (in 1981), Standard English was widely spoken. However, after independence, perhaps as an avenue of defiance, Antiguans came to think that speaking dialect was a part of their culture and therefore acceptable, even preferable. Many of the words used in the Antiguan dialect are derived from English or African origins. The dialect was formed when Slaves owned by English planters imitated the English of their masters but failed to pronounce it correctly. This can be easily seen in some phrases like: "Me nah go" meaning "I am not going." And also in: "Ent it?" meaning "Ain't it?" VOCABULARY The Antiguan dialect vocabulary is widely influenced by British vocabulary, due to centuries of association with Great Britain . Examples:
However, in other cases the American form prevails over the British one, due to Antigua's close proximity to North America:
Because of the influx of other Caribbean nationals to Antigua, due to natural migration and to the CSME , Antigua's everyday vocabulary is being influenced by Jamaica n, Guyanese and Trinidad ian culture. This is even more common among the youth. Examples:
PRONUNCIATION Many non-Antiguans perceive that Antiguans drag their words. Words are expressively and rawly pronounced. Antiguan Dialect is pronounced very similarly to Jamaican. This has led some to surmise that the slaves of these countries came from the same place in Africa. Below are a few ways in which some language blends are fused or changed completely.
LANGUAGE USE Dialect is used in almost every aspect of life in Antigua. Some schools, especially private owned schools, require students to speak the "Queen's English." In the city it is a common site to see men and women talking loudly in something that seems to be a completely strange language. The way it is spoken is very aggressive and can sometimes be interpreted as violent. Most media and mainstream communication is written and spoken in Standard English however dialect is used humourously or as a way of identifying with the local public. As stated earlier, dialect is used depending on socio-economic class. In general the higher and middle classes use it amongst friends and family but know when it is appropriate to switch and they possess the ability to switch. The lower class use dialect in almost every sector of life and some find it hard to speak proper English when necessary. Some have even been known to have trouble understanding it being spoken. Some Antiguans even mix the dialect and English. Example:
THE PRONOMINAL SYSTEM The pronominal system of Standard English has a four-way distinction of person, singular/plural, gender and nominative/objective. Some varieties of Antiguan Creole do not have the gender or nominative/objective distinction, though most do; but usefully, it does distinguish between the second person singular and plural (you). I, me = me; you, you (thou, thee) = yu; he, him = he; she, her = she; we, us = ah-we; they, them = dem; To form the possessive form of the pronoun add "fu-" to the above. However, the pronoun "our" is an exception where we add "ar-". my, mine = fu-mi; your, yours (thy, thine) = fu-yu; his, his = fu-he; her, hers = fu-she; our, ours = ah-we; you all = ah-yu; their, theirs = fu-dem e.g. a fu-yu daag dat, that is your dog. PRACTICAL EXAMPLES 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12. pickney-: children 13. ah wah mek: why 14. chupit: stupid 15. ah fu me sudd'n: it's my thing 16. smaddy: somebody 17. likkle: little 18: ooman: woman 19. nyam: eat 20. batty bwoy: gay man 21. anti-man: gay man 22. tall: no, not me, not at all 23. Retarded: ritty 24. who fu sudd'n this?: whose is it? SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|