Antiguan and Barbudan English

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Antiguan and Barbudan English
Region Antigua and Barbuda
Early forms
Dialects
Latin (English alphabet)
Unified English Braille [1]
Official status
Official language in
Antigua and Barbuda (de facto)
Language codes
ISO 639-3 –
Glottolog None
IETF en-AG

Antiguan and Barbudan English (ABE) or Antiguan and Barbudan Standard English is a dialect of English used in Antigua and Barbuda. ABE co-exists with Antiguan and Barbudan Creole.

Contents

History

The English language was brought to Antigua and Barbuda by settlers in the 1620s. The first confirmed English settlement in Antigua and Barbuda was established in 1632. [2] In 1674, the first sugar plantation was established in the country. This is when the first African slaves were brought to the country, and soon, the majority of people in Antigua and Barbuda were of African descent. [3] When speakers of Antiguan English made contact with these Antiguan slaves, Antiguan and Barbudan Creole emerged. [4]

During the colonial era, ABE remained the dominant dialect of English in Antigua and Barbuda, being used in official documents and in formal settings. By the twentieth-century, a culture of code-switching emerged, especially in the education system, where ABE was used as the official language of academic communication. [5] When Antigua and Barbuda gained independence in 1981, the ability to read in English was mentioned in the Constitution as a requirement to serve in Parliament, but English was never mentioned as the official language. [6] As of December 2024, no law in Antigua and Barbuda establishes ABE or any other language as official. [7]

As of the last census in 2011, most immigrants living in Antigua and Barbuda come from an English-speaking country. This includes the top four countries that send immigrants to Antigua and Barbuda. [8]

Phonetics and phonology

The dialect is generally non-rhotic, and glottal stops are rare. Questions usually do not have the rising intonation that other dialects may have, and vowel length distinctions are less prominent. Open vowels are also present, and diphthongs have been known to be pronounced as monophthongs (time is /taːm/ and face is /fɛs/). Trap and bath may be pronounced with an open /a/ sound. [9]

Vocabulary

While ABE is influenced by British English, non-British terms are frequently used. Prominent examples include parking lot instead of car park [10] and traveler instead of traveller. [11] Additionally, other distinguishing terms may be used in various circumstances, [12] such as bilbush for Phyllanthus epiphyllanthus, sling for sugar in its liquid state, tango for meat from old cattle, and whitewood for Terminalia buceras . [13] [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Antiguan Creole</span> Creole spoken in southern Antigua

South Antiguan Creole is a dialect of Antiguan and Barbudan Creole spoken primarily in the southwestern regions of Antigua. It is only semi-intelligible with the rest of the language, and the dialect is mainly spoken by older generations. Its usage is generally looked down upon by speakers of the more dominant North Antiguan Creole. There is less influence from English and other creoles. Its distinctive pronouns are "om" and "i" for the third person singular, as well as the absence of the pronoun "hi".

References

  1. ↑ "Unified English Braille (UEB)". Braille Authority of North America (BANA). 2 November 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  2. ↑ Lanaghan. Antigua and the Antiguans. p. 12.
  3. ↑ "Unearthing Antigua's slave past". BBC News. 28 February 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  4. ↑ Ballester, Teresa Galarza (2014). "An outline of the social history of the creole language of Antigua (West Indies)" (PDF). Language and Migration. University of Alcalá. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  5. ↑ McDonald, Natalie (May 2012). Language Hegemony in Education: An Antiguan Perspective (PDF). Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  6. ↑ "Antigua and Barbuda: Constitution, 1981" (PDF). laws.gov.ag. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  7. ↑ "Laws or Acts of Parliament In Alphabetical Order". laws.gov.ag. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  8. ↑ "Q58. Country of birth" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 December 2024.
  9. ↑ Hector, H. X. (14 December 2024). "Antiguan and Barbudan English: A basic overview". Axarplex. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  10. ↑ Michael (15 July 2021). "Committal adjourned for alleged parking lot thief". Antigua Observer Newspaper. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  11. ↑ Radio, ABS TV (3 June 2021). "CHANGES TO COVID-19 TESTING PROTOCOLS FOR TRAVELERS - ABS TV Radio Antigua & Barbuda" . Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  12. ↑ George, Elesha (27 November 2023). "Climate-Proofing Education: How Antigua & Barbuda Is Tackling Rising Temperatures". islandpressbox.com. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  13. ↑ "ANTIGUA & BARBUDA'S CULTURAL HERITAGE". 22 April 2016. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  14. ↑ "Our National Symbols". ab.gov.ag. Retrieved 14 December 2024.


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