Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine January 2018

Dominican Creole, similar to that spoken in St. Lucia, Haiti, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and parts of Trinidad & Tobago, is a mix of French and African languages. was always a clear distinction between the standard language spoken by the oppressors and the Creole spoken among slaves. This colourful and interesting linguistic legacy is not without issue, however. With the emancipation of slaves and Blacks moving off the plantation into different realms of society, these creoles started to be left in the countryside, limited to the home, and branded the dialect of the lower class. Of course this view would have been fostered from their early classification as the language of slaves. Soon it was typically those living in rural areas and the poor and uneducated who spoke Creole; “high-society”, “distinguished” or “educated” people did not associate themselves with it. In some islands the creole became stigmatized and a shame of sorts: a St. Lucian fellow pilot told me he was beaten if he was heard speaking Creole as a child, and a Jamaican friend told me that parents there generally discourage their children from speaking patois. Thankfully, in recent years attitudes have changed such that a sense of pride has emerged and local dialect is now embraced and promoted as a vital part of the culture. For example, in St. Lucia, Creole is now being taught in school and some Creole-English dictionaries have been published. In St. Maarten, children grow up freely speaking Papiamento in and out of the home. Now when I hear my relatives speaking “rank Bajan” (raw Barbadian dialect), I don’t simply consider it different English. The pleasant lilt of other Caribbean accents is no longer simply a cause of mild amusement for me. I appreciate these as full-fledged modes of communication between people bound by a geographic and cultural history. These people, in their playful expression with one another, continue to celebrate a legacy of strength and resilience that extends beyond physical or economic achievements. Little do they know that by this legacy, each one of them is also forever bound to his bredren, his amigus, and his kanmawads elsewhere in the Caribbean’s African diaspora and out in the wider world. Creole (Kwéyòl) Jodi sé yon bèl jou Sa ki non’w? Bon jou, Misyé. Ki sa ou vlé? Mwen vlé yon bwè I byen cho jòdi English Today is a beautiful day What is your name? Good day, Sir What do you want? I want a drink It is very hot today References: www.avirtualdominica.com & Wikipedia Cuba, like other Spanish-speaking islands, has many dialects descended from a mix of Spanish and African languages. Cuban Dialect English ¿Qué bola? How are you? Asere Friend Yuma Foreigner Jama Food Tengo que pinchar I have to work Baro, chavito, fula Money Reference: www.veintemundos.com/en/spanish/cuba Papiamento is a mix of English, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, and African languages. Papiamento Bon Bini Con ta bai? Hopi bon Pasa un bon dia Masha danki Bon nochi English Welcome How are you? Very good Have a nice day Thank you very much Good evening/good night Reference: Kelly Renee on Pinterest The dialects of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, although mostly of English origin, also contain elements of Portuguese, French, Antillean Creole, Spanish, and indigenous and African languages. Vincentian Dialect How you do? Jumbie Dohtish/chupit Ova yahso Comess Pikney Reference: Wikepedia Translation How are you doing? Ghost Stupid Over here Gossip Child/children

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