Bajan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Barbadian Creole / Bajan
Spoken in:	Barbados
Total speakers:	—
Language family:	Creole Barbadian Creole / Bajan
Language codes
ISO 639-1:	none
ISO 639-2:	`—`
ISO 639-3:	`bjs`

Bajan (occasionally called Barbadian Creole) is an English-based creole language spoken by persons on the West Indian island of Barbados. Bajan uses a mixture of West African idioms and expressions along with English to produce a unique Barbadian/West Indian vocabulary and speech pattern. Bajan is easily distinguishable from the dialects of neighbouring Caribbean islands, as many of the other Caribbean islands are based on Irish- or Scottish-based English pronunciation such as Jamaican Creole.

Bajan uses a mixture of English and West African syntax, with much of the pronunciation of words sharing similarities with the Scouse accent of Liverpool, England. Bajan was first created when West African slaves were brought to the island and forced to speak English, with an existing West African understanding of language semantics. Bajan later became a means of communicating without always being understood by the slave masters. Unlike other Caribbean creoles, Bajan is rhotic and has a strong tendency to realize word-final /t/ as a glottal stop [ʔ]. Thus the Bajan pronunciation of start, [stɑːɹʔ], contrasts sharply with the pronunciation of other Caribbean speakers, [staːt].

The word Bajan is merely a Bajan pronunciation of the word Barbadian ("Bar-bayyd-ian"); however, with the deeper accents which once prevailed in Barbados the word sounded more like Barbajan ("Bar-bayy-junn") and eventually it was just shortened to Bajan. For a short time before and after independence from Britain, Bajan was a somewhat negative term used to mean an un-educated Barbadian, but the term now is no longer still seen as such.

Today, Bajan is a popular term for citizens of Barbados, in addition to the official name, which is Barbadian. In general, the people of Barbados speak standard English on TV and radio, in courthouses, in government, and in day to day business, while the more relaxed dialect of Bajan is reserved for less formal situations. English is also usually used when talking formally or to tourists. Though English is the native tongue of all Barbadians, most native Barbadians opt to speak Bajan amongst themselves or when in a very relaxed setting.

Bukra - a Caucasian
Daa fuh lik yuh - that's what you get
Deemen - we('re) ex: Deemen gain owt (We're going out)
Fete - a party / to party
How yoo? - how are you?
How yuh gain? - how are you doing?
How yuh meen? - what do you mean?
Krapo - a toad
Lime - to hang-out
Likrish - to be greedy for food
Nyam or yam - to eat
Part yoo iz? - where are you?
waloss! - oh my goodness!
Wa yuh seyin? - what's up?
Wunna - you (plural) ex: "Wha part wunna gine? (Where are you

all going?)"

Cat spraddle - to fall particularly badly; ex: "Looka how he cat spraddle cross de road"
Shackle out - to fall to pieces; ex: "My maths book shackle out"