| Also Known As: Creolese,Guyanese Creole,Guyanese Creole English
Description:
Guyanese Creole (Creolese by its speakers; also called Guyanese English or simply Guyanese) is a creole language spoken by more than seven hundred thousand people in Guyana.
Guyanese English is based on, and strongly influenced by the English language. It is similar to other West Indian dialects, but distinctly different from Jamaican and Trinidadian Creole. It is related to Paramaccan and Aluku.
There are many sub-dialects of Guyanese Creole based on the race of the speakers and their geographical location within Guyana. For example, along the Rupununi River where the population is largely Amerindian, a distinct form of Guyanese Creole exists.
As in any language, words and phrases are elastic and can be made up, change and evolve within a very short time period. They can also be used within a very small group, until picked up by a larger community.
Different Ethnic groups of the country are also known to alter or include words from their own backgrounds. For example, the East Indian communities words may be similar to words from Indian languages with the same meaning.
A socially stratified creole speech continuum also exists between Guyanese English and English. A phrase like "I..... full article at Wikipedia |