Module 2: Language and Community.

Lesson 3: Standard English, Pidgin Dialect.

Reasons for Standard Dialects
(more than one)
 Promote diversity- different people, different
communities will understand each other.
 Promotes inclusion-incorporation, participation
rather than exclusion from power.
Standard English
 According to Rochford, the term Standard English is loosely
used when identifying the STANDARD FORM of English over
the REGIONAL STANDARD form.
 It is endorsed by the Government, Education system and
Academia (research and writing.)
 It is generally (wrongly) associated to social prestige, education
and wealth since it is associated to the white, elite, British
colonial masters.
 V. and Sandra Osborne believe that ALL standard forms of
dialect (eg. Trinidadian standard English) has the greatest
prestige and is invariably a symbol of one’s education and class.
 English for Academic Purposes reiterates that standard English is
universally accepted hence is appropriate in formal contexts.
Characteristics
 Acc to Rochford SE is
1. Used in formal contexts.
2. Dominantly written (but can also be spoken.)
3. Has complex grammatical, phonological,
morphological and syntactical rules (rules,
structures.)
4. Used by the dominant social and public institutions
(schools, churches, media, legal bodies, laws, g’ovt.)
5. Internationally accepted.
Exercise
 Identify 3 situations is your own daily lives where
standard English can be used.
 Identify the context.

As you would have realized, standard English is

universally accepted and most appropriate for
certain contexts. It does not mean it is superior
and should be the only variation of language used.
Lexifiers\ Pidgin
 These are language forms that deviate from standard
English due to multiple factors.
 These languages derive out of SE but are influenced
by historical and cultural forces.
 Are called “broken”, “bastardized” form of their
European lexifiers. (harsh description)
 Also referred to as dialect.
Pidgin
 Rochford
“Pidgin are languages which have developed under the circumstances
where two linguistic systems collide and merge, but for some reason
have not acquired native speakers.”
Is a result of creolization.
Indigenous African\ East Indian languages mixed with standard English.

 Motilal
“Pidgin is a new language that develops in situations where speakers of
different languages need to communicate but do not share a common
language. Once a stable pidgin has emerged, it is generally learned as a
second language (not native) and used for communication.”
-Pidgins are reduced languages
Pidgin, Creole
 Pidgin-basic form of communication, basic language, limited
and occurs when the speakers of a different language must
communicate.
 Eg. In the case of the Caribbean –Planters (British) and Enslaved
Africans.
Eg. “Slave master”-Std English
“Massa”- Pidgin
OR
Different tribes of Africans.
• Pidgin is used when persons do not have a common
language.
• Since it is needed\ purpose is for basic communication the
structures (eg. Vocabulary, grammar, syntax) are simple.
Creole
 According to Linguists, creole is an advanced form of
pidgin.
 Essentially it is when pidgin becomes more complex
-more words (vocabulary is extended)
-more structures: grammar and syntax.
-used by more people.
-its purpose is to communicate complex ideas.
Creole
 V. Simon and Sandra Osborne & Ashmini Motilal
The word “Creole” has been traced back to the
Portuguese word crioulo (raised as a child and servant)
Africans born in the Caribbean.
All people born in the Caribbean.
A specific type of language.
The complicated nature of creole
 The language most widely used in the Caribbean is creole
languages.
 These creole languages developed because of the need for
communication between European, West African enslaved
and indentured workers. Each had their own languages.
 The new language derived out of European standard
English since the Planters\ colonizers were the powerful,
dominant group in society. Creole incorporated SE.
 Trinidad and Tobago is linguistically complex and
incorporates words from languages of different people
because of the multiple groups that came (Chinese, Indians
etc.)
Creole-levels
The Creole Continuum.

ACROLECT

MESOLECT

BASILECT
Creole
 Academics establish that there is NOT one standard
variety of creole but varieties ranging from the least
similar to SE (basilect) to the most similar to SE
(acrolect).
 Basilect is deemed to be the LEAST prestigious,
associated to lower class, uneducated, informal.
Furthest away from SE
 Acrolect- Complete definition here
Features of Creole language in
Trinidad
 Creole has its own system and structures.

It has its own distinguishable grammar system.

Feature 1:
We do not use auxilary words (is, are, was) or definite
articles (a, an, the)
-She teaching at Hillview.
Vs
-She is teaching at Hillview.

-We going to fete

Vs
-We are going to the fete.
Feature 2
 The verb “does” is used for habitual action:
-We does go to lessons by Mr. Phagoo
Vs
-We go to lessons by Mr. Phagoo.

-I does study hard during the night.

Vs
-I study hard during the night.
Feature 3:
 Ommision of “It is”
-Rain falling.
Vs
-It is raining.
Feature 4:
 The use of double negatives is common.
-I don’t have no money.
-I not going nowhere.

• Emphasis is created by using “more” or repetition.

-This lessons class more better.
-He is more brighter than me.

-She pretty, pretty.

-The pepper hot hot.
-I sleepy, sleepy.
Feature 5
 The omission of conjunctions (but, and, because, so)

-Run come to class.

-Bring the book come.
 Creole has its own system and structures with respect
to pronunciation and lexicon.

It has its own distinguishable pronunciation\

phonology.
Examples
 The pronunciation of “c”
-Cyah
-cap
-can
-candle
 The pronunciation of “th”
-three- tree
There- dere
Them-dem
Those-dose
Thin-tin
 The “ing”
-coming-comin
-going-goin
Doing-doin
 Creole has its own vocabulary.

It has its own distinguishable terms\ words.

Examples
 Dotish-foolish
 Doubles-food
 Basodi- confused
 Bacchanal- trouble.
 Creole has its own idioms.

It has its own distinguishable terms.

Example
 Consonant clusters and words endings are left out.
-las: Last
-bes: best
• Own sayings: “monkey see monkey do”
 Creole has its own semntics.

It has its own words and phrases to express

ideas.
Example
 Wine-dance
 Bess-beautiful
 Red- mixed man\ woman
 Palancing\lime- going out, hanging out.
 Use of calques: compound words that are borrowed
from literal translations.
-Eg. Cut-eye
-Sweet-eye
-Force-ripe
These are some of the many outstanding features of
Trinidadian Creole.
Jamaican Creole
Feature 1
 Pronunciation:
Example 1 The omission of “h”
Eg. Horse-orse
Hand- and
Example 2 The pronunciaiton of “w”, “p” or “b” before
some syllables.
Eg. Boy-bwoy
Boil-bwoil
Feature 2: Syntax
 The use of some propositions and conjunctions
interchangeably.
Eg. SE-…and I see him.
JC-from I see him.
• Adverb and verb used differently.
Eg. SE-The children laughed heartily at her.
JC-The children laugh after her.
The word “mek” or “make” is used instead of “let”
Eg. He didn’t let me do it.
JC-He wun mek me do it.
Feature 3: Idioms
 Certain words:
-pikni: children
-massa-master\boss
-battyman-homosexual
-babylon-police
Jah-God
Pon-upon
Don-finished\over
Fi-for