Jacques Arends' model of gradual creolization

This article argues that we must revisit the African vocabulary of Gullah presented by Lorenzo Turner's 1949 Africanisms in the Gullah Dialect to uncover phonological patterns not discussed in the original source and to expand coverage to segmental, syllabic, and prosodic structure. Salikoko Mufwene has argued that English phonology dominates the West African personal names that comprise more than half of Turner's classic work, yet, as argued here, significant West African influences persist in Gullah, as well. Phonological patterns from Turner's West African material correspond to those of Gullah lexemes. Distribution of the palatal nasal, the absence of [ə] and [ʌ], and the inventory of syllable types occur in Gullah as unaltered Africanisms. Adjacent vocoids, nasal + obstruent sequences, labio-velar plosives, nasal vowels, and word prosody appear as partially restructured. African words used in conversation are shown to exhibit processes not found in the personal names. The high level of linguistic consciousness for personal names makes it likely that the maintenance of West African phonology is an act of sociolinguistic identity.

show abstract

Jacques Arends' model of gradual creolization

Cited by 3 publications

References 13 publications

Pidgins, Creoles and Mixed Languages

Pidgins, Creoles and Mixed Languages

Legends

Continuity versus English Influence in the West African Lexicon of Gullah

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About