Academic Journal

Putting Saban English on the map: A descriptive analysis of English language variation on Saba.

Bibliographic Details
Title: Putting Saban English on the map: A descriptive analysis of English language variation on Saba.
Authors: Myrick, Caroline
Source: English World-Wide. 2014, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p161-192. 32p.
Abstract: Small Caribbean islands offer a unique venue for examining principles of language contact and sociolinguistic variation. Only recently, however, has the use of acoustics-based analysis been incorporated as a tool for the phonological description and analysis of Caribbean varieties. This study offers the first empirical description and analysis of the English spoken on the island of Saba, a Dutch municipality located in the Eastern Caribbean. Data come from 22 sociolinguistic interviews with long-term residents conducted on Saba in 2012. Phonological and morphosyntactic features are analyzed with respect to the interrelationship between effects from community, ethnicity, and generation. Overall, this study contributes to the important process of phonological and morphosyntactic documentation of lesser-known Caribbean varieties, highlighting the usefulness of acoustics-based and statistical analyses in such processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Subject Terms: *Sociolinguistics, English language -- Variation, Morphosyntax
Geographic Terms: Saba (Netherlands), West Indies
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ISSN: 01728865
DOI: 10.1075/eww.35.2.02myr
Database: Communication & Mass Media Complete