Structure dataset 7: Vincentian Creole

This language is described more fully in survey chapter 7.

The creole variety spoken on St. Vincent and the Grenadines is English-based. It has neither official nor national status in these territories but is diffused nationwide. The APiCS documents one mesolectal attestation for Vincentian in the feature “Raining constructions”, but the default lect featured in APiCS is the basilectal variety of Vincentian Creole. This variety can be heard in urban and rural communities on mainland St. Vincent as well as on the Grenadines. No language survey has been conducted nationwide nor in the diaspora communities in North America, Britain and other Caribbean territories to indicate what percentage of the Vincentian population uses this lect. What can be ascertained, however, is that the basilectal varieties are also given airplay during interactive radio-shows, radio-diffused or televised drama festivals and carnival song competitions. Although the variety is mainly oral, there have been attempts at representing this lect in writing, particularly in folk poetry.

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No. Feature Value lect Details Source
No. Feature Value lect Details Source

Consonants

Pulmonic Consonants
Place → Labial Coronal Dorsal Laryngeal
↓ Manner Bilabial Labio­dental Linguo­labial Dental Alveolar Palato-
alveolar
Retroflex Alveolo-
palatal
Palatal Velar Uvular Pharyngeal
/ Epiglottal
Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Stop p b t d k g ʔ
Sibilant affricate t͡ʃ d͡ʒ
Non-sibilant affricate
Sibilant fricative s z ʃ ʒ
Non-sibilant fricative f v h
Approximant l j
Flap or tap
Trill r
Lateral affricate
Lateral fricative
Lateral approximant
Lateral flap
Implosive

Vowels

Front Near-front Central Near-back Back Close Near-close Close-mid Mid Open-mid Near-open Open ihigh front unrounded vowel long high front unrounded vowel uhigh back rounded vowel long high back rounded vowel ɪlowered high front unrounded vowel ehigher mid front unrounded vowel long higher mid front unrounded vowel nasalized higher mid front unrounded vowel ohigher mid back rounded vowel long higher mid back rounded vowel ɛlower mid front unrounded vowel alow central unrounded vowel long low central unrounded vowel nasalized low central unrounded vowel
Vowels

Special segments

Other segments
 w  voiced labial-velar glide

Legend

       Exists (as a major allophone)
       Exists only as a minor allophone
       Exists only in loanwords
No. Feature Value lect Details Source