Datapoint Bahamian Creole/Predicative adjectives

The occurrence of a copula with predicative adjectives is variable in Bahamian Creole; however, as in African American English, the copula is very frequently absent in front of predicative adjectives. In non-past contexts, the overt realization of the copula is usually is, with am and are seldom occurring. Rates of copula absence depend on both linguistic (e.g. type of subject, i.e. pronoun vs. full NP) and extralinguistic factors (e.g. age).

Values

Variable copula

Example 12-178:
Some people black, some clear.
Some
det
people
people
black,
black
some
det
clear.
clear
Some people are black, some are light-skinned.

Source: Shilling 1978: 45

Example 12-179:
This battery - this battery dead.
[...]
[...]
this
dem
battery
battery
dead
dead
This battery has gone dead.
Example 12-180:
I gotty tell you the truth, I is broke-broke. I even can't get battery [...].
[...]
[...]
I
1sg.sbj
is
cop
broke~broke
broke.red
[...].
[...]
[...] I’m totally broke, [I can’t even get batteries] [...].
Confidence:
Very certain