Abstract This paper deals with the question whether Middle English could be considered a creole or not. In this essay it is argued that Middle English cannot be considered a creole. First the writer looks at the definition of the word creole and then looks at some creolization criteria. Finally, it looks at the "creole hypothesis" i.e. the hypothesis that Middle English would be a creole, in a sociohistorical and sociolinguistic framework.
From the Paper "There are two terms that need to be defined before going further. The first term is pidgin. In short, a pidgin is a language which has been drastically simplified in structure and vocabulary, in order to serve communication needs. It is no-one's native language. Pidginization may arise when two language communities come into sudden direct contact, for instance in trade contact or military invasion.
"The second term that needs to be defined is creole. A creole is usually preceded by a pidgin. This is how a pidgin may become a creole: In a few exceptional sociolinguistic circumstances, a pidgin may be adopted as the first language of a community and acquires native speakers. In this case it undergoes elaboration, i.e. creolization. Normally, there is also an expansion in function (Poussa 40)."
Abstract This paper will discuss the phonology of the British influence of language on the native peoples of Jamaica. This will uncover the root pronunciations that exist in a linguistic format in the island peoples. By realizing the influence of this English language on the natives, we can see how a distinct form of English has been created fro both cultures. By studying the Creole language, we can see the British roots that gave it birth.
Abstract African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is the dialect of English used by most African-Americans in familiar and informal settings . Although the language spoken by African-Americans in different parts of the United States exhibits some regional variation, the dialect has fairly uniform characteristics. It has a well-formed grammar and an interesting, though controversial, history. Dismissed as 'bad English' by some, it has evoked considerable debate interest among academics and linguists many of whom recognize its importance, especially as a medium of instruction for the African-Americans. This paper explores the origins of AAVE, discusses whether the dialect is a creole, investigates its similarity with other creoles and examines its grammar.
From the Paper "There is some controversy about the origin of AAVE. Some people believe that the Black people, who were brought to America as slaves, picked up English from the 'English-speaking' Southerners they came in contact with. The proponents of this theory, also known as the dialect hypothesis, note that the AAVE and the English spoken by the American Southerners have many features in common, such as the Southern Vowel Shift, vowel lowering, and double modals. (Sidnell, background) The theory contends that the white Southerners in the 17th century spoke a distinct "Virginian" dialect that had its origins in a family of regional dialects spoken in the south and west of England in counties such as Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Wiltshire, Oxford and Gloucester during the 17th century. (Williams, 24) Although the use of such a dialect in polite conversation quickly disappeared in England by the end of the 18th century, most of its characteristics persisted in the American South. According to this theory, the 'incorrect' English picked up by the Blacks from the Southern whites was passed down through subsequent generations. In other words, this theory (also known as the 'dialect hypothesis') about the origins of AAVE contends that the present form of the dialect is simply "bad English" and has nothing to do with the native, Western African languages of the slaves. In answer to the question as to why this type of English does not currently exist among its originators, the proponents of this theory argue that most people avoid using "bad" English when they get educated. They contend that the Englishmen from the south and west counties of Britain and the white Southerners discontinued the use of such an 'incorrect' form of English after being educated; the African Americans continued to persist with such 'bad' as they did not benefit from similar education. (Ibid.)"
Abstract This paper explores the life and works of Sidney Bechet, the great soprano saxophonist and one of the most innovative and original clarinetists in jazz. The author describes the key quality that Bechet brought to jazz was his musical freedom, his Creole heritage and the musical influence of his family. Bechet's music is all about singing and he truly seemed to find his voice when he mastered the sax and was a great improviser with a passion for life as well as music.
Table of Contents
About Sidney Bechet
Musical Style
Soprano Sax and Clarinet
Other Instruments
Comparing Styles through his Music
Literature Review
Summary
Bibliography
From the Paper "Sidney Bechet was a pioneer jazz musician who changed the music of his time into a unique art form. Considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians of New Orleans, Bechet was an innovator on both the clarinet and saxophone. His music changed jazz music forever and inspired countless musicians of all types.
Bechet was born in New Orleans in May 1897. He was of Creole ancestry and grew up in a middle class neighborhood. He was greatly influenced by music, as his father, a shoemaker, played the flute as a hobby, and his four brothers played various instruments, as well. (Chilton)"
Abstract This paper relates that most slaves in Louisiana were treated better than in other Southern states. The author points out that slavery began in Louisiana because of agricultural needs; Africans also labored in areas where the French did not want to work, such as the swamps of New Orleans, which the Africans cleared to create the port city. The paper relates that there was a general turning of the head when it came to black and white, male and female relationships during this time; thus, a large population of Creoles and mulattos date back to this time.
From the Paper "The Spanish slave code was called "Las Siete Partidas," and this code stayed in effect until many years after the Americans took over in 1803. Basically, the French laws had defined slaves as moveable property, while the Spanish defined them as "immovables" (Morris 74). Thus, the French looked as slaves of little importance and value, while the Spanish saw them as real and quite important property. Defining slaves as "immovables" did not mean they could not be bought, sold, or traded away from their families, however, and this began to occur much more frequently during Spanish rule. While the French might not have placed much monetary value on their slaves, they knew the importance of keeping them happy so their families would grow, prosper, and produce new slaves, and so, they encouraged a content family life, where the Spanish were more concerned with the value and ability to sell and trade their slaves."
Abstract This paper examines how Kate Chopin's ?The Awakening" is often seen in critical literature primarily from the perspective of feminist criticism because the story involves the metaphorical awakening of self in a woman living under the constraints of conservative, nineteenth century, patriarchal, Creole society in and around New Orleans. It discusses how, although the story is about liberation and its protagonist is a woman, Chopin's novel can also be seen from a perspective that engages how the work deals with issues of social class and the function of society in the ways in which it relates to the individual. It attempts to show how it is as much a story about class and social structure as it is a story about the liberation of its protagonist.
From the Paper "In terms of the metaphorical awakening of the novel's title, Chopin is seen by some scholars to be making a statement that is somewhat wry. Edna Pontellier, the novel's protagonist, is a woman who lives in the upper crust of a conservative and wealthy Creole society which spends summers in the sophisticated upper-class atmosphere of Grand Isle, and lives otherwise in luxurious conditions in New Orleans. This section of society, which is practically the only one displayed in the novel, is
relatively free in material terms to pursue pleasure and leisure."
Abstract This paper explains that Mardi Gras can be traced back to Bacchus festivals of ancient Greece and Rome, where the carnival became popular in the middle of the second century. It also look at how it was popular in North America where the Creoles in the 1800s introduced it to New Orleans. The author points out that the New Orleans celebration includes a carnival parade of floats, which first were presented by the Comus krewe in 1857, bands and colorfully dressed marchers who belong to one of the seventy various krewes (carnival groups) in the metropolitan New Orleans of which ten have operated continuously for more than a century. The paper relates that the Rex krewe initiated the tossing of beads and toys to those who attended the parade in 1920, while greatly expanded the bead industry especially in China.
From the Paper "Are Mardi Gras traditions viable in Asian countries like Hong Kong? Hong Kong is a free market economy, the special administrative region of China, which is highly dependent on international trade. Recent statistics show that its natural resources are limited and its raw materials and food have to be imported. It had extensive trade and investment in China even before it reverted to Chinese administration in July 1997. The Asian economic brunt of 1998 hit Hong Kong quite hard and reduced its GDP, but many see its growth as recovering at 1.8% and 3.7% in the 2000s, comparable to the four big countries of Western Europe. Per pre-2000 figures, Hong Kong's GDP consisted mostly of services at 85%, with a 4% inflation rate, 3.36 million Its chief industries were textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches and clocks. Hopes could not altogether be pinned on China's regain of control over Hong Kong."
Abstract This paper discusses the development and structure of Bajan, the Creole language of Barbados. It examines the development of the Barbadian culture that gave rise to Bajan. It highlights the linguistic components of Bajan. The author also focuses on Bajan as a rhotic language.
Abstract This paper explains that, in Hawaii, researchers have been able to follow speakers of Pidgin, Standard English (HE)and Hawaiian Creole English (SE) within the same community. The author points out that the use of HCE has caused significant concern within educational settings. The Hawaiian Board of Education mandated that SE must be the only method of communication between students and staff in all school settings because educators believed that HCE use was associated with low academic achievement, low socioeconomic status and a negative community stereotype. The paper stresses that, within Hawaiian society, it is reasonable to believe that SE is not superior to Hawaiian but rather a more logical choice in that SE is easier to understand by persons outside of the community and more effective in terms of intelligibility.
From the Paper "Hawaiian students were to be encouraged to become primarily fluent in Standard English. This belief was that fluency and subsequent improvement in academic achievement would allow students greater opportunities in education and in life. Teachers were to encourage the speaking of SE in the classroom and model such speaking for their students. Because no provisions were made to support teachers and their students, the board's action essentially maintained the status quo."
Abstract This paper traces the origins of the Cajun people and culture and, in particular, their musical heritage. The paper describes the musical repertoire shared by both Cajuns and Creoles and looks at the Creole contribution of Zydeco towards Cajun music. The paper also describes the unique characteristics of Cajun music, typical instruments used for Cajun music, and its evolution and impact on Louisiana culture.
From the Paper "A Cajun is a ?Louisianian who descends from French-speaking Acadians,? however many common Cajun surnames such as Souileau and Romero are not Acadian in origin, but are Spanish, German or French Creole and some are even of Anglo or Scotch-Irish origin, as in the case of famed Cajun musicians Lawrence Walker and Dennis McGee (Cajun 1 Pp). For this reason, "contemporary scholars of Cajun history and culture tend to offer a more complex, comprehensive view, attributing the traits of modern-day Cajuns to a dynamic, unending process of ethnic interaction" (Cajun 1 Pp). Modern Cajuns are largely homogenous, however, their ancestry consists of a mixture of numerous ethnic groups (Cajun 1 Pp). The majority of early Acadians originated in the Centre-Ouest region of France, while other came from families of Spanish, Irish, Scottish, English, Basque and American Indian (Cajun 1 Pp). When Acadians were forced out of Nova Scotia in 1755, many sought refuge in South Louisiana and again intermixed with other ethnic groups, especially with the French, Spanish, German, American Indian, and Anglo-American settlers (Cajun 1 Pp)."
Abstract This paper presents a comparative study of the orthographic structure, tenses and syntax between Gullah and Kamtok. The paper also reviews phonology. The paper then explores the structures of Gullah and Kamtok sentences with a strong emphasis on the verb tenses to facilitate both languages. The paper examines how the tenses and sentences are organized in a way that facilitates output in both languages. The paper then presents the results of the study that reveal how written forms of these languages relate not only to their pronunciation, but to other levels of linguistic knowledge. The researcher provides a meta-analysis of data collected from linguistic studies of the English languages, including reviews of the Gullah, Kamtok, influence of Cameroon, Pidgin, Creole and many other derivative languages, all of which have their foundation in British English, Creole, or African phonology and orthography. The researcher predicts the results of this study will help explain the commonality of communication, and assert whether a universal standard of syntax, tense, pronunciation and meaning may be derived from the research gathered.
Outline:
Introduction
- Background to Study
- Research Questions
Preliminary Review of the Literature
- Limitations of Study
Study Summary
From the Paper "The English language derived from Europe and moved to many regions including to Africa. Here, English mixed with many local languages, giving birth to what we now know as Kamtok. The African languages as they were, also migrated to an English speaking country, mixed with English giving birth to Gullah. Noting this, it is important to point out these migrations had differing destinations, with English moving from Europe to Africa to create Kamtok, and from Africa to the U.S. to produce Gullah."
An analysis of the evolution of the African-American culture according to Ira Berlin's article, "Time, Space, and the Evolution of African-American Society".
Abstract The essay demonstrates how Ira Berlin's article presents the evolution of African-American culture in a new light. Before WWII, most texts about American slavery portray the African-American as the happy and contented slave at ease in his plantation surroundings. While studies done in the past three decades realize this as a misconception, many studies cite the institution of slavery itself as the common developmental denominator shared by members of African-American society. The essay explains that, unlike other studies which group all members of African-American society together, Ira Berlin divides the black society of colonial America into three separate and distinct cultures, and presents the theory that the class distinction that evolved within the black society stemmed as much from the factors of economy, cultural diversity and geography as they did from the confinements of slavery.
From the Paper "Given the wild winds of economic, political and societal change that swept across the nation during the last half of the twentieth century, the year 1977 appears to have passed through the annals of American history somewhat uneventfully. The roar of the sixties' riots and the violence of the Vietnam Era had taken their toll, and with the Watergate Scandal barely three years past, a still shell-shocked America of '77 quietly mourned the passing of Presley and placed their political faith in a farmer from Georgia. In retrospect, 1977 appears to have been quite an unmemorable year in American society and culture, an unremarkable moment in time that passed passively into the past along with Pong, PacMan and platform shoes. In reality, however, the year 1977 marked a milestone in the nation's culture, for it was during this year that both modern American and modern African-American society turned on its collective television set and found itself face to face with its collective past. For six consecutive nights in 1977, an enamored nation watched as Africa gave birth to Kunta Kinte, America gave birth to slavery, and Alex Haley's Roots exposed the harsh beginnings of the African-American culture. It touched nerves, but it also touched hearts, opened eyes and widened perspectives."
Abstract This paper accounts for the problems that afflicted the new central American state, Mexico, during its first half-century of existence. This paper argues that the underlying problem was the absence of a shared political-constitutional vision within the country's creole elite. It further explains that what the new state needed to realize its potential was a period of sustained peace accompanied by the implementation of a consistent political-constitutional vision. From the point of view of nation building, it was not important whether the vision of the nation was liberal or conservative.
From the Paper "Although the constitutional settings to enable the new state to function smoothly had been laid down by the federalist constitution of 1824, during the first few decades after independence the elite grew increasingly divided over matters of political direction. A division manifested itself between liberals and conservatives. However, neither side ever remained in power long enough to impose its particular vision of political order upon Mexican society. Historically, dangerous divisions of this kind have been resolved or suppressed by a stable period of authoritarian, "strong man" rule. A peculiarity of the Mexican situation was that Mexico's greatest strong man in this period, General Santa Anna, did not use his power and popularity to create a consensus in favor of either liberalism or conservatism. Without elite consensus on constitutional fundamentals, however, there was not the least chance of successfully incorporating the Indians into the new order. The "caste war" of Yucatan was the most dramatic outcome of the Mexican elite's inability to establish an elementary consensus about the principles and character of the new republic."
Abstract This book examines the characters in the story "The Awakening." The author details the relationships between the male and female characters in this story. The story takes place during a time when women were first beginning to realize that they were being treated badly and were beginning to assert their independence. The men in her Edna's life are portrayed as possessive, cowardly and self-serving who only try to help themselves. The author traces Edna's awakening and the beginning of her journey to a better life and time.
From the Paper "Robert is the cowardly man in Edna's life. He is a man who "each summer at Grand Isle had committed himself the devoted attendant of some fair dame of damsel..sometimes a young girl or a widow; but more often as not some interesting married woman"(53). He revels in the fact that Edna is attracted to him, but is cowardly when he comes to feel that love full-force. He shows his cowardly ways in his note "Good-bye -because I love you"(172). Loving Edna would create too many hardships for him so he runs away. Again, she is put in despair by another man because her whole life seems to depend more on their actions and feelings that upon her own. The value of life itself is diminished by the hurt of each man she tangles with."
