Bahamian English Information

Bahamian English is a dialect of English spoken in the Bahamas and by Bahamian diasporas. It should not be confused with Bahamian Creole, which is an English-based creole language.

Pronunciation

• The Kit Vowel: The realization of the kit vowel in the Bahamian English is pretty much the same as in American English, the default [ɪ].

• The Dress Vowel: The vowel of dress is [ɛ].

• The Trap Vowel: This vowel is mostly [a] or [æ].

• The Lot Vowel: As mostly of the US, this vowel is usually [ɑ].

• The Strut Vowel: It is the same as in the US English, [ʌ].

• The Foot Vowel: It is [ʊ].

• The Fleece Vowel: It's [i] or a diphthong [ɪi].

• The Face Diphthong: It's generally [eɪ] or [ɛɪ].

• The Palm Vowel: It is mostly [ɑ].

• The Thought Vowel: The vowel of thought is [ɔ].

• The Goat Diphthong: It's generally [ɵʊ] or [oʊ].

• The Near Diphthong: It's [eə] or [iə].

• The Square Diphthong: It's [eə].

• The Start Vowel: It's [ɑː].

• The North Diphthong: The diphthong in north is usually [ɔə].

• The Force Diphthong: The diphthong in force is usually [oə].

• The Cure Diphthong: The diphthong in cure is usually [uə].

• The Bath Vowel: This vowel is mostly [a] or [æ].

• The Cloth Vowel: It is mostly [ɔ].

• The Nurse Vowel: It varies among [ə], [ɜ] and [ɜi].

• The Goose vowel: It's mostly [ʉː].

• The Price/Prize Dithphong: It's generally [ɑɪ].

• The Choice Diphthong: It's [oɪ].

• The Mouth Diphthong: It varies among [ao], [aɵ] [aɛ] and [ɑə].

• The happY vowel: It is pretty much the kit vowel: [ɪ].

• The lettEr-horsEs-commA vowel is [ə].

• The Bahamian accent is non-rhotic.

• There's poor distinction between the [v] and [w] sounds in Bahamian English. The contrast is often neutralized or merged into [v], [b] or [β], so village sounds like [wɪlɪdʒ], [vɪlɪdʒ] or [βɪlɪdʒ]. This also happens in the Vincentian, Bermudian and other Caribbean Englishes.

• Dental fricatives are usually changed to alveolar plosives:

Voiced: -"That" turning into "Dat". -"Those" turning into "Dose". -"There" turning into "Dere". -"They" turning into "Dey".

Unvoiced: -"Thanks" becoming "Tanks". -"Throw" becoming "Trow".

List of Bahamian English Words

This is a list of some of the most common Bahamian English words and their meanings:

• Bey- a synonym for "boy", or a synonym for "hey" when being used to get someone's attention. Can also be used to put emphasis on something, or just put at the end of a sentence. "dat was a good movie bey"
• Yinna- a plural for "you".
• Y'all- "You all" shortened. Also a synonym for "you".
• Chall- Bahamian pronunciation of the English word child.
• Biggety- bold, loud, outspoken: "She biggety aye."
• Mussey- must be: "She mussey catching feelings."
• Piss- angry: "He is piss me off bey"
• Muddasick- amazement or surprise: "muddasick i hungry dred."
• Catching feelings- getting emotional: Bey what u catching feeling for dawg
• Dawg- dude, bey- Bey why u accusing me dawg
• Nomanners- to be disrespectfull
• Cackalin'- a sharp laugh or out burst
• Gern- A synomom for "going": "Gern down Burma Rd."
• Gimme- "Give me":"Gimme some a dat."
• Kapoonkalup- Refers to being drunk and uncomfortable: "All Kapponkalup again!"
• Boongie- The buttocks of a person.
• Frousy- Refers to a stench. "Chall u frousy!"
• Nanny- Refers to stoole.
• Wybe- Refers to a conflict or situation.

References

• http://www.bahamasgateway.com/bahamas_lingo.htm
• http://books.google.com/books?id=fLa5Nhv3KWwC&dq=chicano+english&printsec=frontcover&source=in&hl=en&ei=PCAgTLbmFMaAlAeK1JHEAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=12&ved=0CGEQ6AEwCw#v=onepage&q=chicano%20english&f=false

Categories: English dialects |

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See Also:

• American English
• British English
• List of English Flags