Comparative perspectives on the origins, development and structure of Amazonian (Karipúna) French Creole

Alleyne, Mervyn C and Ferreira, Jo-Anne S

Jo-Anne S. Ferreira

Synchronic and diachronic perspectives on contact languages

2007

32

325

Together known as Kheuól, Karipúna French Creole (KFC) and Galibi-Marwono French Creole (GMFC) are two varieties of Amazonian French Creole (AFC) spoken in the Uaçá area of northern Amapá in Brazil. Th ey are socio-historically and linguistically connected with and considered to be varieties of Guianese French Creole (GFC). Th is paper focuses on the external history of the Brazilian varieties, and compares a selection of linguistic forms across AFC with those of GFC and Antillean varieties, including nasalised vowels, the personal pronouns and the verbal markers. St. Lucian was chosen as representative of the Antillean French creoles of the South-Eastern Caribbean, including Martinique and Trinidad, whose populations have had a history of contact with those of northern Brazil since the sixteenth century. Data have been collected from both fi eld research and archival research into secondary sources. Erratum: Note that the name Uaçá is indeed a Palikúr word, but it comes from the word "was" meaning "açaí", because of the number of açaí trees growing at the mouth of the river (Diana Green, pc, 1 June 2018).

Completed

John Benjamins Publishing