The Discourse Particle nàa in Cameroonian Colloquial English

Abstract

This article explores the use of the discourse particle nàa -an adaptation from local Cameroonian languages -as a common feature of Cameroonian Colloquial English (CCE). In CCE, question tags and some adverbials -disjuncts and conjuncts -are widely signaled by means of this particle in the process of code-switching, as it takes a variety of semantic interpretations based on context. It is shown in the article that the use of the particle is largely licensed by a lack of adequate knowledge and understanding of relevant aspects of English, although also, to some extent, by the working of some general principle of economy. Finally, it is shown that although the preferred position of disjuncts and conjuncts in the English clause is the initial or medial position, the particle only occurs in the final position, as its interpretation at any given time depends on the context of speaking provided by the preceding clause.