Some features of the (Post-)Creole Continuum

Handout for Language Policy

H. Schiffman, Instructor


  1. The Creole Continuum:


  2. Examples from Jamaican Creole:

    Jamaican Creole
    Acrolect It's my book I didn't eat any
    Mesolect Iz me buk A in nyam non
    Basilect A fi mi buk dat Mi na bin nyam non


  3. A Guyanese continuum, Table 3.1: (Source: Bell 1976:136): The sentence I gave him one

  4. Regional Variation, a continuum?

    Standard Language: He's a man who likes his beer vs. He's a man that likes his beer.

    regional dialect continuum: He's a man who likes his beer:

    He's a man who likes his beer.
    He's a man that likes his beer.
    He's a man at likes his beer.
    He's a man as likes his beer.
    He's a man what likes his beer.
    He's a man he likes his beer.
    He's a man likes his beer.


  5. Guyanese I told him, in different parts of the continuum, acrolect ("high") to basilect ("low").

    Pronunciation of I told him
    1. ai tOuld hIm
    2. ai to:ld hIm
    3. ai to:l Im
    4. ai tEl Im
    5. a tEl Im
    6. ai tEl i
    7. a tEl i
    8. mi tEl i
    9. mi tEl am

    Key:


    haroldfs@ccat.sas.upenn.edu