Datapoint Bahamian Creole/Complementizer with verbs of speaking

The serial say construction is frequent in Bahamian Creole English. Possibly in extension of its complementizer function, say also frequently occurs on its own as a "quotation marker" indicating the continuance of quoted matter (cf. Hackert 2004: 131).

Values

No complementizer Frequency: 46.7%

Example 12-235:
Till I was 'most ready to have the baby, and he say he gon’ be there when the baby born.
[...]
[...]
he
3sg.sbj
say
say
he
3sg.sbj
gon’
fut
be
cop
there
there
when
when
the
art
baby
baby
born.
born
[...] he [had] said that he was going to be there when the baby was born.
Example 12-236:
If I dead, tell them you don't kill me, tell them I eat poison barracuda.
[...]
[...]
tell
tell[imp]
them
3pl.obj
you
2sg.sbj
don't
neg
kill
kill
me,
me
tell
tell[imp]
them
3pl.obj
I
1sg.sbj
eat
eat[pfv]
poison
poison
barracuda.
barracuda
[If I die,] tell them you didn't kill me, tell them I ate poisoned barracuda.
Confidence:
Certain

Complementizer identical to bare ‘say’ Frequency: 46.7%

Example 12-238:
He tell me say he been in - uh - what you call when you go Miami - uh - what you call that?
He
3sg.m.sbj
tell
tell[pfv]
me
1sg.obj
say
comp
he
3sg.m.sbj
been
cop.pst
in
prep
[...]
[...]
what
what
you
2sg.sbj
call
call
when
when
you
2sg.sbj
go
go
Miami
Miami
[...]?
[...]?
He told me he had been in - uh - what do you call when people used to go to Miami - uh - what do you call that [...]?
Confidence:
Very certain

Complementizer not synchronically related to ‘say’ Frequency: 6.7%

Example 12-237:
My grandmother say, If you like her, tell my mother - grandmother that he want marry me - bla bla bla, and all of this.
[...]
[...]
tell
tell[imp]
my
1sg.poss
mother
mother
-
 
grandmother
grandmother
that
comp
he
3sg.m.sbj
want
want
marry
marry
me
1sg.obj
[...].
[...]
[...] tell my mother - my grandmother that he wants to marry me [...].
Confidence:
Certain