English in Barbados

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Barbadian English or Bajan English is a dialect of the English language as used by Barbadians (Bajans) and by Barbadian diasporas. It should not be confused with Bajan Creole, which is an English-based creole language.

Pronunciation[]

Barbadian English is very rhotic and full of glottal stops. One example of Barbadian English would be the pronunciation of departments, which is IPA: [dɪˈpaːɹʔmənʔs]. It is also notable, in comparison with standard American or British English, for the first vowel in price or prize.^{[clarification needed]}

• The realization of the KIT vowel /ɪ/ in Barbadian English is pretty much the same as in American English, the default [ɪ].
• The DRESS vowel /ɛ/ is [ɛ].
• The TRAP vowel /æ/ is usually [a].
• The LOT vowel /ɒ/ is usually [ɑ] or [ɒ].
• The STRUT vowel /ʌ/ is the same as in the US English, [ʌ].
• The FOOT vowel /ʊ/ is [ʊ].
• The FLEECE vowel /iː/ is [iː]. HAPPY is best identified as an allophone of this phoneme, thus /ˈhapiː/.
• The FACE diphthong /eɪ/ varies by region and education/class: it manifests in educated speech generally as [eː] or sometimes [eɪ], and in rural and uneducated speech as the vowel [ɛ].
• The PALM vowel /ɑː/ is mostly [aː]. The BATH diaphoneme is mostly to be identified with this vowel (see trap-bath split)
• The THOUGHT vowel /ɔː/ is [ɑː] or [ɒː].
• The GOAT diphthong /oʊ/ is generally [oː] or [oə].
• The NEAR /ɪər/ and SQUARE /ɛər/ sequences are both [eːɹ], resulting in the near-square merger.
• The START sequence /ɑːr/ is [aːɹ].
• The NORTH sequence /ɔːr/ is usually [ɑːɹ] or [ɒːɹ].
• The FORCE sequence /ɔːr/ and the CURE sequence /ʊər/ are both usually [oːɹ].
• The NURSE vowel /ɜːr/ is [ɤ].
• The GOOSE vowel /uː/ is mostly [uː].
• The PRICE diphthong /aɪ/ is generally [ʌɪ].
• The CHOICE diphthong /ɔɪ/ is either [ʌɪ] or [oɪ].
• The MOUTH diphthong /aʊ/ is [ʌʊ].
• The final LETTER vowel /ər/ is [ɤ].
• The final HORSES vowel /ɪ/ is [ɪ].
• The final COMMA vowel /ə/ is [ə].
• The TRAP and LOT vowels are not merged in Barbadian English. However the vowels of LOT, CLOTH, and THOUGHT are generally merged.

See also[]

• Barbados

References[]

• Schneider, E.W.; Kortmann, B. (2004). A Handbook of Varieties of English: Morphology and syntax. Mouton de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110175325.

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