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Gabriel Noyan Assignment 18 Comms

The document outlines key characteristics of Caribbean Creole, including sound units, vocabulary, grammar, and semantics, with examples comparing Creole to Standard English. It also discusses Derek Walcott's poem 'The Schooner Flight,' highlighting how the use of Creole enhances the narrative's authenticity and cultural resonance. Overall, the incorporation of Creole enriches the reading experience and deepens the connection to the protagonist's identity and perspective.

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Gabriel Noyan
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32 views2 pages

Gabriel Noyan Assignment 18 Comms

The document outlines key characteristics of Caribbean Creole, including sound units, vocabulary, grammar, and semantics, with examples comparing Creole to Standard English. It also discusses Derek Walcott's poem 'The Schooner Flight,' highlighting how the use of Creole enhances the narrative's authenticity and cultural resonance. Overall, the incorporation of Creole enriches the reading experience and deepens the connection to the protagonist's identity and perspective.

Uploaded by

Gabriel Noyan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Characteristics of Caribbean Creole with Examples

1. Sound Units: In Caribbean Creole, the "th" sound is replaced by a "d"


sound.
o Creole: Dem boys go to de river to catch some fish.
o Standard English: Those boys went to the river to catch some fish.
2. Vocabulary: Creole contains words borrowed from African, Amerindian,
East Indian, and other languages.
o Creole: Mi love to nyam some curry goat.
o Standard English: I love to eat some curry goat.
3. Grammar (Plurals): Creole often uses "dem" instead of adding "-s" for
pluralization.
o Creole: Di teacher talk to di student dem.
o Standard English: The teacher talked to the students.
4. Auxiliary Verbs: Creole does not use auxiliary verbs like "is" or "are" in
certain cases.
o Creole: She always late for school.
o Standard English: She is always late for school.
5. Predicate Adjectives: Creole omits the verb "to be" before adjectives.
o Creole: He sick bad.
o Standard English: He is very sick.
6. Double Negatives: Creole often uses two negatives in a sentence.
o Creole: Mi nah go nowhere tonight.
o Standard English: I am not going anywhere tonight.
7. Interrogative Word Order: Creole maintains statement structure in
questions but changes intonation.
o Creole: You see mi book?
o Standard English: Did you see my book?
8. Front Focusing: Creole moves the emphasized word to the front of the
sentence.
o Creole: Big big problem we have now.
o Standard English: We have a very big problem now.
9. Back Focusing: Creole repeats adjectives for emphasis.
o Creole: That mango sweet sweet!
o Standard English: That mango is very sweet!
10.Semantics: Creole words may have different meanings compared to
Standard English.
 Creole: That boy too miserable!
 Standard English: That boy is very troublesome!
11.Calques: Creole translates phrases literally.
 Creole: Mi eye-water fall down.
 Standard English: My tears fell down.

2) In Derek Walcott's poem "The Schooner Flight," the protagonist, Shabine,


narrates his experiences in a blend of Standard English and Caribbean Creole. For
instance, he says, "I ain't getting no younger." This use of Creole adds authenticity
to the character and grounds the narrative in Caribbean culture.
The incorporation of Creole in the poem enhances its readability and enjoyment,
especially for readers familiar with Caribbean dialects. It provides a rhythmic and
lyrical quality that reflects the region's oral traditions. Moreover, the use of Creole
effectively conveys the protagonist's identity and perspective, immersing the reader
in his world.
In summary, Walcott's strategic use of Creole in "The Schooner Flight" enriches
the poem's cultural resonance and deepens the reader's connection to its themes and
characters.

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