Datapoint Bahamian Creole/Uses of the habitual marker

The habitual markers does/is/’s (present) and used to (past) are restricted to habitual situations. Occasionally, -ing occurs in such situations as well, as do a number of other forms (cf. Hackert 2004: 73–76).

Values

Habitual, progressive, current state, and future Frequency: 50.0%

Example 12-109:
I hear someone say - uh - someone say - there was a person who run out the jail, right, and they was looking for the per- for the person now, and he shoot the pers- he shoot the man, you know, he didn't mean to shoot him. And he mus'e bother he head and come off the Force.
[...]
[...]
they
3pl.sbj
was
3sg.cop.pst
looking
look.prog
[...]
[...]
for
for
the
the
person
person
[...]
[...]
[...] they were looking for the person [...]
Example 12-110:
[... Actually, I'm supposed to go to Andros in two weeks for Homecoming. You ever been for Homecoming?] Oh, you going, right? I never been.
[...]
[...]
you
2sg.sbj
go-ing
go.prog
[...]
[...]
[...] you're going, right? [...]
Example 12-111:
Uh-huh, that's my friend. She always talking joke [...].
She
3sg.sbj
always
always
talk-ing
talk-prog
joke
joke
[...].
[...]
She always tells jokes [...].
Example 12-112:
See the boy what park up going up the road? That's - uh - the boy what [...] He going up? Sit with the bag on he shoulder? You ain't see him? Oh, yeah, Rose was liking him. Yeah, uh-huh, yeah, Rose was liking him. Rose was liking him.
[...]
[...]
Rose
Rose
was
3sg.cop.pst
liking
like.prog
him.
3sg.obj
[...] Rose liked him.
Confidence:
Very certain

Only habitual function Frequency: 50.0%

Example 12-113:
They does steal away, when they get in the job, they steal away, especially - if they - have - a big position, and they handling the money, they take so much - out, they go for big, big, big, big money.
They
3pl.sbj
does
hab
steal
steal
away
away
[...]
[...]
and
and
they
3pl.sbj
handling
handle.prog
the
art
money
money
[...]
[...]
They just leave [...] [especially when they are in a big position which involves] handling the money, [they take some of it and go for even bigger money].
Example 12-114:
And you know in that settlement, used to be ten years, five years before somebody dies. Yeah, 'cause we - we - we eating - we ain't know - know nothing about no high blood and no - no - uh - diabetes and - and cancer and things like that, 'cause we were eating straight from the farm, you know. So those people was strong, they used to live 80, 90, a hundred years. Old people, on the Island. And now - every week, so much of young. Yeah, when I [...] open the papers on Thursday, I see the o- I say, You live good. Live a ripe old age. 27, 26, people dying from AIDS and this and that.
[...]
[...]
in
in
that
that
settlement,
settlement
used
hab.pst
to
hab.pst
be
cop
ten
ten
years
years
[...]
[...]
before
before
somebody
indf
dies
die.hab
[...]
[...]
'cause
because
we
1pl.sbj
[...]
[...]
eating
eat.prog
[...]
[...]
because
because
we
1pl.sbj
were
1pl.cop.pst
eating
eat.prog
straight
straight
from
from
the
the
farm
farm
eating
eat.prog
[...]
[...]
people
people
was
3pl.cop.pst
strong,
strong
they
3pl.sbj
used
hab.pst
to
hab.pst
live
live
80
eighty
[...]
[...]
years
years
[...].
[...]
[...] in that settlement, it used to take ten years, [five years,] before somebody would die [again] [...] because we were eating [...] we were eating straight from the farm [...] So those people were strong, they used to live 80, [90, a hundred] years [...].
Confidence:
Very certain