Phonological system

Although Bajan is most distinguished by its phonology, there has been little research on its phonological system, most likely due to the nature of the inquiries surrounding the linguistic origins of the language. Most notably, Wells (1982) provides an essential phonological inventory of Bajan, and Haynes (1973) correlates the degree of use of several stigmatized phonological features with individuals’ ethnic identity, education and geographical location on the island. Researchers and locals note that language varies by parish, but this is largely impressionistic. Generally, there is agreement that the speech of the most northern parish, St. Lucy, and most eastern parish, St. Philip, (both of which may also be considered rural) are most distinct from the rest of the island. In her research, Haynes’ found a distinct intonation in the northeastern parish of St. Andrew, also referred to as the Scotland District, physically demarcated from the rest of the flat island by its “hilly” character. That dialect differences exist can be attributed to degree of proximity to urban centers, and the ramifications stemming from this (e.g., education, industry).

The phonological inventory of Bajan has much in common with the other CECs. Together it stands in contrast to other varieties of English, particularly in terms of vowel quality (primarily with respect to its diphthongs) and prosody. Unlike RP and General American, the mid [e:] and low [o:] vowels in FACE and GOAT generally have not undergone Long Mid Diphthonging in the Caribbean English Creoles. Whereas in RP and General American, the long vowels have diphthongal allophones, in the CECs, the long vowels tend to remain pure. The CECs also tend to have unreduced vowels in unstressed syllables instead of the reduced [ə] typifying other varieties of English. This contributes to the perception of these creoles as syllable-timed, as opposed to stress-timed languages, and conveys a rhythmic quality. Finally, the intonation of the CECs tends to utilize a broad pitch range. For example, more than other varieties of English, these languages employ rising intonation at the end of clauses to indicate a question. Table 1 summarizes the distinctive vowel realization of Bajan.