Ep. 6: Caribbean Languages
Dialects, creoles, patwa/patois, there are so many names for languages spoken in the Caribbean. Caribbean languages have been historically degraded in favor of the colonial position that has long advocated for "standard" English over our own native tongues. Speaking with linguistics expert Dr. Joseph T. Farquharson, we discuss how these languages have historically evolved and what we can do to better advocate for their celebration moving forward.
Dr. Joseph T. Farquharson earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) focused on Linguistics from The University of the West Indies, Mona. He now serves as a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics in the Department of Language, Linguistics and Philosophy, and Deputy Dean for Graduate Studies and Research in the Faculty of Humanities and Education at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and coordinator of the Jamaican Language Unit. You can find more of his work here and on social media @jtfarquharson, and the work of the Jamaica Language Unit @braadkyaasjamiekan.
Strictly Facts Reads
· “Caribbean & African languages” by Morgan Dalphinis
· “Exploring the Boundaries of Caribbean Creole Languages” by Hazel Simmons-McDonald
· “Language, Culture and Caribbean Identity” by Jeannette Allsopp and John R. Rickford
· “Language Issues in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines” by Paula Prescod
· “The African Lexis in Jamaican: Its Linguistic and Sociohistorical Significance” by Joseph T. Farquharson
· “The Haitian Creole Language: History, Structure, Use, and Education” by Arthur K. Spears and Carole M. Berotte Joseph
· Society for Caribbean Linguistics
· Writing Jamaican the Jamaican Way (Raitin Jamiekan Di Jamiekan Wie)
· Jamaican Language Unit (JLU) at UWI, Mona
Strictly Facts Sounds
· Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett-Coverley – “Noh Lickle Twang”
· Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett-Coverley – “Fi Wi Language”
· M. NourbeSe Philip – “Discourse on the Logic of Language”
· Mighty Conqueror – “Trinidad Dictionary”
