Trinidadian English
Encyclopedia
Trinidadian English or Trinidad and Tobago Standard English is a dialect
of English
used in Trinidad and Tobago
. TE co-exists with both non-standard varieties of English as well as other dialects, namely Trinidadian Creole in Trinidad
and Tobagonian Creole in Tobago
. Most speakers use Trinidadian or Tobagonian Creole in informal discourse but, in formal settings, utilize, to varying degrees, standard English
.
As for all other varieties of standard English, Trinidadian English was originally based on a standard of British English
. Located in the Americas, TE now uses many Americanisms
from its larger and more dominant northern neighbour, including apartment, trunk (of a car) and truck, although flat is also used, and bonnet continues to be more commonly used than hood (of a car) (but lorry is not used). In addition, many words from the vernacular have found their way into standard English, including such words as to lime (to 'hang out' or 'to party'), fête (French
) meaning 'to party', lagniappe - pronounced "lan-yap" (of Spanish
origin from la ñapa) meaning 'a little something extra', and dougla
(of Hindi
origin), now meaning 'a person of both African and Indian parentage' (all adstrate languages).
Although Trinidadian English is mutually intelligible with other varieties of international standard English
, speech in Trinidad (and, to some degree, in Tobago) may vary by location and circumstance. The language is highly flexible and absorbs vocabulary from British, America
, Jamaican
and other kinds of English.
Trinidadian English is often remarked on by tourists and foreigners for its so-called "sing-song" (i.e. a monotonously rising and falling inflection
) intonation
. As with a number of other Caribbean accents, e.g. Jamaican, educated individuals often add a pronounced schwa
to words ending in a consonant - this may be caused by hypercorrection
.
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
used in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. TE co-exists with both non-standard varieties of English as well as other dialects, namely Trinidadian Creole in Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
and Tobagonian Creole in Tobago
Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
. Most speakers use Trinidadian or Tobagonian Creole in informal discourse but, in formal settings, utilize, to varying degrees, standard English
Standard English
Standard English refers to whatever form of the English language is accepted as a national norm in an Anglophone country...
.
As for all other varieties of standard English, Trinidadian English was originally based on a standard of British English
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
. Located in the Americas, TE now uses many Americanisms
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
from its larger and more dominant northern neighbour, including apartment, trunk (of a car) and truck, although flat is also used, and bonnet continues to be more commonly used than hood (of a car) (but lorry is not used). In addition, many words from the vernacular have found their way into standard English, including such words as to lime (to 'hang out' or 'to party'), fête (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) meaning 'to party', lagniappe - pronounced "lan-yap" (of Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
origin from la ñapa) meaning 'a little something extra', and dougla
Dougla
Dougla, a word used by people of the West Indies, especially in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. It is used to describe people who are a product of Afro-Trinidadian and Indo-Trinidadian descent...
(of Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
origin), now meaning 'a person of both African and Indian parentage' (all adstrate languages).
Although Trinidadian English is mutually intelligible with other varieties of international standard English
Standard English
Standard English refers to whatever form of the English language is accepted as a national norm in an Anglophone country...
, speech in Trinidad (and, to some degree, in Tobago) may vary by location and circumstance. The language is highly flexible and absorbs vocabulary from British, America
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
, Jamaican
Jamaican English
Jamaican English or Jamaican Standard English is a dialect of English spoken in Jamaica. It melds parts of both American English and British English dialects, along with many aspects of Irish intonation...
and other kinds of English.
Trinidadian English is often remarked on by tourists and foreigners for its so-called "sing-song" (i.e. a monotonously rising and falling inflection
Inflection
In grammar, inflection or inflexion is the modification of a word to express different grammatical categories such as tense, grammatical mood, grammatical voice, aspect, person, number, gender and case...
) intonation
Intonation
Intonation may refer to:*Intonation , the variation of tone used when speaking*Intonation , a musician's realization of pitch accuracy, or the pitch accuracy of a musical instrument*Intonation Music Festival, held in Chicago...
. As with a number of other Caribbean accents, e.g. Jamaican, educated individuals often add a pronounced schwa
Schwa
In linguistics, specifically phonetics and phonology, schwa can mean the following:*An unstressed and toneless neutral vowel sound in some languages, often but not necessarily a mid-central vowel...
to words ending in a consonant - this may be caused by hypercorrection
Hypercorrection
In linguistics or usage, hypercorrection is a non-standard usage that results from the over-application of a perceived rule of grammar or a usage prescription...
.
External links
- Miguel Browne's Trini Talk
- A Trinidadian accent
- Discussion of a paper by Lise Winer
- An Ethnolinguistic Study of the Trinidadian Creole community in Flatbush, Brooklyn by Keisha T. Lindsay and Justine Bolusi
- 50 Frequenty Asked Questions on Caribbean Language by the Society for Caribbean Linguistics
- Wiwords A cross-referencing dictionary of West Indian words with a large number of Trinidadian terms
- The Sociolinguistic Situation of Trinidad and Tobago. 1997.
- Phonological Hypercorrection in the Process of Decreolization--the Case of Trinidadian English.