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The video chosen to be referred to depicts a game of dominoes between Bajans as they talk among themselves using a mixture of English and Bajan creole, while teaching foreigners the game. The sentences we chose to analyse from the video are as follow:

1. It ain't nuh gine back from dey.

2. Ta wa avail? The woman done bust.

3. You got nuff mout'.

4. Bout hey styling.

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Bajan - the language of Barbados (with Bajan subtitles)

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English Creole (Bajan) Speaker from Barbados

English Creole Speaker from Jamaica

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English Creole (Bajan) Speaker from Barbados

English Creole Speaker from Jamaica

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About Barbados English

About Jamaican English

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A map showing the location of Barbados Island

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1. According to the History and Usage website, Fenigsen (2003) contends that more than three centuries of British colonization have ensnared Bajan and English in a diglossic hierarchy (p. 461).

2. On February 17, 1627, British immigrants arrived in Barbados under the command of Captain Henry Powell. Rich English proprietors quickly partitioned the island and began developing it (History. Totally Barbados, 2023).

3. More than 70,000 Barbados of African heritage sang folk songs to commemorate their emancipation in 1838. (History. Totally Barbados, 2023).

4. According to the website, Barbados: Understanding & Speaking, Bajan Creole originated during slavery, is a lively vernacular for daily interactions, while English, which was impacted by Barbados' colonial past, is the official language and the norm for formal communication. It enables enslaved people to converse covertly by fusing English with parts of West African languages.

5. According to the History and Usage website, Bajan is unwritten and unstandardized, although it changes through slang and new idioms.

6. Bajan predominates in casual interactions, with regional differences throughout the island, whereas English is utilized in formal contexts (History and Usage website).

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What Is Lexical Variation?

Barbados English Vocabulary

Jamaica English Vocabulary

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What Is Prosodic Variation?

Barbados English Sentence Stresses

Jamaica English Sentence Stresses

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What Is Grammar Variation?

Barbados English Grammar

Jamaica English Grammar

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The video chosen for this assessment are a demonstration of Jamaican Creole (Patois) by Venecia. Venecia was born in the island of Jamaica and migrated to the United States, where she currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. In the video, Venecia demonstrates the language of Patois by reciting a poem by treasured Jamaican Poet, Miss Lou titled 'Dry-foot Bwoy'. The sentences that are chosen are as follow:

1. Dem gal got him fi mock

2. Wha wrong wid Mary dry-foot bwoy?

3. But as him chat-chat gwan

4. No chat to me wid no hot pittata

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WIKITONGUES: Venecia speaking English and Jamaican Patois

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According to the website Queen's University, Peart (2023) stated that the island was first inhabited by the Arawak-speaking Taino people.

She added that before the British domination of the region, the Spanish were the first to colonise the island, exterminating the Taino people. The Spanish rule ended when the British invaded the island in 1670, bringing droves of slaves from Africa to cultivate the many plantations that were on the island.

Jamaican Patois emerged in the 17th century, when enslaved Africans from West and Central Africa were exposed to various English dialects spoken by their British, Scots, and Irish slaveholders. (African American Registry, n.d).

During the Middle Passage and afterward, they adapted these dialects into a new language. Jamaican Creole ranges from forms that are quite different from English to forms almost identical to Standard English. Jamaicans call this language "Patois," a term also used to describe various pidgins, creoles, dialects, and local speech forms. (African American Registry, n.d)

According to the website Jamaican Patwah, Hodges (2024), claimed that the language gradually developed to become quite different from English, influenced by other languages like Spanish, Portuguese, and French. Jamaica’s role as a hub for international trade brought diverse cultures to the island, which also shaped the language over time.

After gaining independence from the British in 1962, the language was officially recognised in the constitution of the new country of Jamaica, ensuring that the language will flourished and survived in the modern age. (Peart, 2023).

Fast-forward to the modern age, Patois has gained a huge following from the global citizens through its literature and music, particularly Reggae. (Peart, 2023).

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Below are the sentences taken from the video as well as their IPA transcriptions and meanings. The definition of the Bajan words are taken from the website, Barbados Pocket Guide.

1. It ain't nuh gine back from dey.

Transcription:

/ɪt eɪnt nə ɡɪn bæk frɒm de./

Translation:

There’s no going back from there.

2. Ta wa avail? The woman done bust.

Transcription:

/tɑː wa əˈveɪl ? ðə ˈwʊmən dʌn bʌst./

Translation:

To what use? The woman is finished.

3. You got nuff mout'.

Transcription:

/juː ɡɒt nʌf moʊt./

Translation:

You talk too much.

4. Bout hey styling.

Transcription:

/baʊt heɪ ˈstaɪlɪŋ./

Translation:

Around here, showing off.

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Definition:
Lexical variation is the variance in word choice for various categories of persons at the same moment, whereas lexical change is the difference in word choice over time (Holmes, 2008, cited in Kwan, 2017).

Explanation:
A speaker's regional background might have an impact on lexical variety, resulting in variations in word choice. Although the terms may not always be completely interchangeable, these variations enable speakers to choose the term that is best suited for various social circumstances.

Example:
The terms "couch," "settee," "divan," "loveseat," "lounger," or "chesterfield" can all be used in place of "sofa," depending on the speaker's geographic background.

The branch we chose to study on is the vocabulary of Barbados English (Bajan) and Jamaican English Creole. Vocabulary, according to Britannica, is the inventory of words used by a particular person or group or the words in a particular language or field of knowledge.

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In Bajan Creole, some words differ from standard English, creating a unique local flavor. The examples below are taken from the website, Talking the talk: Barbados Vocabulary.

Papaya = pawpaw

Red hibiscus = sorrel

Avocado = pear

Oregano = marjoram

In the Bajan Creole conversations found in the video, certain phrases and expressions stand out more than others due to the fact that they sound different from standard English. For example:

"Nuh gine" means "not going" or "no going," often used to convey a lack of action. On the other hand, "Dey" means "there". In the video, it is used to essentially say that, “you have gone to far, you are not going to win after going there”.

"Ta wa avail?” translates to "What's the use?” and “The woman done bust."  means that, “the woman has already left". This suggests that an event has already happened, making further efforts to retaliate pointless. In the video, this sentence implies that the girl playing has already lost, so there’s no use in trying to change her move or the outcome.

In the video, there are also expressions used to describe the players attitude or manner towards the game, such as:

The phrase, "You got nuff mout'." means "You talk a lot" or "You’re very outspoken." This expression describes someone who is bold or talkative, often speaking their mind freely. In this context, it describes the other player as boastful or arrogant in their way of playing, bluffing the others into thinking they are winning.

Then, we have the phrase “Bout hey styling." which means "Showing off around here" or "Acting stylishly around here." It refers to someone who’s displaying confidence, swagger, or a sense of style in the area. In this context, it is used to describe the player who made a good move in the game, the others confident that he will win.

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Jamaican Creole has quite a few words that are very different when compared to Standard English. The examples provided below are taken from the website, David's Been Here.

Cool/alright/nice - Irie

Child - Pickney

Small - Mawga

Some words that are present in the video

Gwann - Keeps on/Going on

Mi - Me

In the Jamaican Creole demonstration by Venecia that are present in the video, some words or phrases stand out than the rest of them, owning to the fact that they sound nothing like Standard English.

"Wha wrong wid Mary dry-foot bwoy?" = What is wrong with Mary's naive/inexperienced boy?

According to WordPress (2024), the word 'dry-foot bwoy' in the sentences presented by Venecia carries the meaning of a thin-legged or inexperienced boy. Venecia tells how in the poem by Miss Lou, the poet was asking if there's anything wrong with Mary's friend, who did not speak in Patois and was mocked by people on the island. Hence, the boy was labeled 'dry-foot' or inexperienced.

"No chat to me wid no hot pittata" = Don't talk to me with that hurtful nonsense.

The sentences implies that someone is being called out for unnecessarily hurting Venecia's feeling, or in this case, the poet; thus the word 'hot pittata'. In Jamaican Patois, 'hot' carries the meaning of hurt which is very different from the vocabulary of English.

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Definition:

According to the Chester County Intermediate Unit website, prosody is defined as the rhythm, melody, and intonation employed in speech and language, . It includes changes in volume, pace, rhythm, and pitch that provide significance beyond what the words themselves say.

Explanation:

Prosody is essential to communication because it contributes to the overall comprehension of a spoken language by assisting in the expression of emotions, attitudes, and emphasis. It offers useful linguistic and paralinguistic resources for highlighting different dialogue structure components. In order to ensure successful contact with their conversation partners, speakers employ prosody to convey a variety of communicatively significant information (Swerts & Hirschberg, 1997 as referenced in Meer, 2021).

Example:

Wells (1982, p.572 as cited in Meer, 2021) observes that several polysyllabic words linked to educated language use, like peneˈtrate (vs. ˈpenetrate) and reaˈlize (vs. ˈrealize), have a propensity to place accent on the final syllable rather than the beginning one.

The branch we chose to study on is the word stress of Barbados English (Bajan) and Jamaican English Creole. Word Stress, according to Study.com website, refers to how, when speaking quickly, communicators emphasize particular syllables within words to assist distinguish between them and identify their meaning. Inflection, or an increase in a syllable's loudness, length, and pitch, is how stress is expressed.

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In Barbadian English (Bajan), stress patterns often diverge from Standard English. In Bajan, stress often falls on words that indicate action or intensity, especially in negative expressions. Below is the list of stress and pronunciation words for each example from the video:

1. "It ain't nuh gine back from dey."
The primary stress is on "ain't" /eɪnt/ and "back" /bæk/, with a slight emphasis on "dey" /de/. The Bajans in the video are stressing on the words "no", "back", and "there", which implies a negative statement. Bajans tend to stress words that convey negation or direction.

2. "Ta wa avail? The woman done bust."
"Avail" /əˈveɪl/ (use) and "bust" /bʌst/ (finished) both carry primary stress due to their emphasis on the sentence meaning. The other Bajan player is heavily saying that there is no use, you are finished. The words carry a heavier pitch and this highlights the directness of the sentence.

3. "You got nuff mout'."

The stress falls on "nuff" /nʌf/, meaning "too" and "mout'" /moʊt/, meaning "much". This indicates a direct tone. "Mout” carries more stress in Bajan, especially when they express emphasis or judgment. The Bajan speaker is stressing to the other player that they talk too much without actually doing anything.

4. "Bout hey styling"
The stress is on "styling" /ˈstaɪlɪŋ/, as this is the focus of the statement. Bajan typically stresses the main content word in a sentence, which in this case is "styling," as it conveys an action or expression. Here, it implies that the player is showing off with his moves.

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Definition
Grammatical variants, according to the website StudyRocket, are changes in language usage and structure depending on social factors such as geography, age, ethnicity, class, gender, occupation, and others.

Explanation
A group of people's distinct identity, history, and culture can be reflected in grammatical differences that persist in places as close together as a city's neighborhoods.
Variations in grammar, such as double negatives, irregular verb tenses, and different prepositional usages, are frequently linked to particular dialects and sociolects.

Example
Grammatical diversity is exemplified by regional dialects, which differ from the standard language in terms of word usage, pronunciation, and syntax. For example, more complex grammar is required in formal settings.

The branch we chose to study on is the grammar variation of Barbados English (Bajan) and Jamaican English Creole. Grammar diversity in Barbadian (Bajan) and Jamaican English frequently reflects the distinctive blending of British English and African linguistic structures, resulting in unique morphological and syntactical forms.

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According to the website, Tripjive, Barbadian English exhibits variations in grammar, such as the omission of articles (“de” instead of “the”) and the use of double negatives (“I ain’t got none”). These grammatical nuances give the dialect its own charm and character. These sentences in Bajan showcase grammatical variations that distinguish them from Standard English. Below is the breakdown of the grammatical features in each sentences found in the video:

1. It ain't nuh gine back from dey.

Translation: "There’s no going back from there."

In the video, the phrase ain't nuh (no) has double negation that is used to intensify the statement. Gine is derived from "going" and is used here to indicate future action. Dey is used as a spatial marker for "there," showing influence from African languages that use specific words for distance-based references.

2. Ta wa avail? The woman done bust.

Translation: "To what avail? The woman is finished."

Done (is), in the video and in Bajan context is used to mark a completed action, indicating that the action is finished. This is a characteristic feature in Caribbean Englishes, derived from African languages that often have a similar perfective marker.

3. You got nuff mout'.

Translation: "You talk too much."

nuff (a lot) modifies mout' to mean "too much talk." In Bajan English, nuff can emphasize quantity or intensity and often has a negative connotation. The word mout' (mouth) here is translated to mean "talk" and it omits the final /θ/, making the pronunciation smoother and more conversational.

4. Bout hey styling

Translation: "Around here, showing off."

hey represents "here," showing how Bajan English often uses locatives derived from African languages, where spatial orientation markers are used. It is used here as a verb meaning "showing off," which is a semantic extension of "style." Caribbean dialects often adapt English words to express local social concepts or attitudes.

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According to the website Jamaican Patwah, Jamaican Patois has a very different set of grammatical rules from Standard English; notably in a few key areas. They are verb conjugation, pronouns, use of the copula, and common grammatical structures like double negatives and reduplication. (Nduwuba, 2024). Below is an in depth explanation of each sentences in the video.

1. "Dem gal got him fi mock"

Pronouns and No Subject-Verb Agreement: In Jamaican Patois, pronouns are simplified, and there’s no subject-verb agreement, meaning verbs don’t change with different subjects. Here, "Dem" (they) and "him" (he/him) remain the same regardless of tense or context.

Prepositions and Verb Modifiers: The phrase "fi mock" uses "fi" as a marker to mean "to" in English, which simplifies verb structures, similar to “to mock” in Standard English.

2. "Wha wrong wid Mary dry-foot bwoy?"

Use of "Wha" as an Interrogative: "Wha" translates to "What" in English, but Jamaican Patois doesn’t require auxiliary verbs like "is" in questions. The phrase is simplified, asking "Wha wrong" instead of "What is wrong."

3."But as him chat-chat gwan"

Reduplication: "Chat-chat" serves as an instance of reduplication, a typical characteristic in Patois that reiterates words for emphasis or to convey ongoing action. This habit of duplicating words, common in numerous creole languages, enhances the meaning

without requiring extra modifiers.

4. "No chat to me wid no hot pittata"

Double Negatives: Jamaican Patois frequently employs double negatives, like "No chat… no," which enhance negation and aren't seen as grammatically wrong, contrary to Standard English. This highlights the denial in the statement.

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Below are the sentences taken from the video and its respective IPA translation and meaning.

1. Dem gal got him fi mock

Transciption:

/dɛm ɡal ɡɑt ɪm fi mɑk/

Translation:

Those girls are making fun of him.

2. Wha wrong wid Mary dry-foot bwoy?

Transcription:

/wa raŋ wɪd ˈmɛɹi ˈdʒɹaɪ-fʊt bwɔɪ/

Translation:

What’s wrong with Mary’s naive boyfriend?

3. But as him chat-chat gwan

Transciption:

/bʌt az ɪm tʃat-tʃat ɡwan/

Translation:

But as he keeps on talking.

4. No chat to me wid no hot pittata

Transciption:

/no tʃat tu mi wɪd no hɔt pɪˈtata/

Translation:

Don’t talk to me with any heated nonsense.

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Jamaican Patois has a unique, musical way of speaking where certain words get more emphasis than others to highlight their meaning, unlike Standard English. Below are the examples and explanation of each sentences that are chosen from the video.

1. Dem gal got him fi mock

Transciption: /dɛm ɡal ɡɑt ɪm fi mɑk/

The stress is usually put on "Dem", "gal", and "mock". It is standard practices to put a stress on words which starts with plural word. "Gal" is stressed due to it being the main subject while "mock" is stressed for being the main points. In Patois, verbs or actions often have end-stress to make them stand out, especially when they’re the point of the sentence. Thus, the word "mock" is stressed as a main message of that sentence.

2. Wha wrong wid Mary dry-foot bwoy?

Transcription: /wa raŋ wɪd ˈmɛɹi ˈdʒɹaɪ-fʊt bwɔɪ/

In this question, Jamaican Patois emphasizes "Wha" with a high pitch at the start to show it’s a question; "wrong" highlights the problem, "Mary" stresses the person being discussed, and "bwoy" has final stress to clarify that it’s about the boy. This pattern helps the listener quickly understand that Venecia is asking a concerned question.

3. But as him chat-chat gwan

Transciption: /bʌt az ɪm tʃat-tʃat ɡwan/

In this phrase, Jamaican Patois stresses "him" to show who is being discussed, uses the repeated "chat-chat" with equal stress to highlight continuous talking, and stresses "gwan" at the end to show the action is ongoing, creating a lively, rhythmic feel that captures repeated or continuous actions.

4. No chat to me wid no hot pittata

Transciption: /no tʃat tu mi wɪd no hɔt pɪˈtata/

Finally, the words that are being stressed in this last sentence are "No", "chat", "me", and "pittata". The word "No" and "chat" are strictly used to discourage any further conversation while emphasising "me" to show that it is a personal command or request. Lastly, Venecia also stresses "pittata" (heated talk) at the end of the sentence to make it clear the type of conversation that must be shut down.

In general, Jamaican Patois uses stress and pitch in unique ways. It has a "stress-accent" system, which means it emphasizes certain syllables to create meaning, much like English but with more flexibility.

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WAN NUR ATHIRAH AISYAH BINTI HAMZAH (2024792721)

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WAN NUR ATHIRAH AISYAH BINTI HAMZAH (2024792721)

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Hello, Assalamualaikum, and greetings! I'm Wan Nur Athirah Aisyah Binti Hamzah from class LG2432A and here, I'll be explaining on what I'm doing for this assessment.

This padlet was created for my EIC453 GLOBAL ENGLISHES course in semester 2. I'll be covering on the Barbados (Bajan) English Creole and its vocabulary, word stress, as well as grammatical rules. The purpose of this assessment is to understand how English is different and unique to all communities as well as how it eveolves to suit the needs of communication of different cultures. Thank you and please enjoy!

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MUKA AKU CANTIKNYA ANAK SAPA NIH CNTIKYA

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MUHAMMAD SYAMIM BIN ZULKIFLI (2024917275) 

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MUHAMMAD SYAMIM BIN ZULKIFLI (2024917275) 

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Assalamualaikum, and a very special greetings to all of you! I am Muhammad Syamim Bin Zulkifli of LG2432A. I guess my partner has already explained about what we're doing for this assessment in her post above.

However, there's a slight difference between her topic and mine and that is the covering of Jamaican English Creole (Patois) on my part! Jeng Jeng Jeng! I'll also be doing lexical variation, mainly vocabulary, word stress, and also the grammatical aspect of the language. The purpose of this study is to witness how different Patois is to the Standard English and also its causes. How refreshing it is to know that English now belongs to the whole world with its own dialects. Its almost as if the English are now being colonised by various cultures. Well, Enjoy!