The emergence of Creole syllable structure : a cross-linguistic study / Mareile Schramm.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Schramm, Mareile, author.

Series:

Linguistische Arbeiten (Max Niemeyer Verlag) ; volume 554.

Linguistische arbeiten / edited by Klaus von Heusinger, Gereon Müller, Ingo Plag, Beatrice Primus, Elisabeth Stark and Richard Wiese ; volume 554

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Creole dialects--Caribbean Area.

Creole dialects.

Grammar, Comparative and general--Syllable.

Grammar, Comparative and general.

Caribbean Area.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (336 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

[Munich] : De Gruyter, [2015]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book investigates syllable structure and phonotactic restructuring in six Caribbean creoles with Dutch, English and French as main lexifier languages. The earliest reliable data available for each creole are analysed statistically to determine which lexifier structures are retained in the creole, which ones undergo restructuring (and at which rates) and which restructuring mechanisms are preferred in case of repair. The description of creole structures is kept as theory-neutral as possible to make the analysis meaningful to researchers working in different theoretical frameworks. The investigation reveals that, although some structures are more commonly permitted than others, there is considerable cross-creole variation, especially with respect to word-final structures. This variation concerns both permissible structures and the preferred choice among different repair strategies. It is shown that the vast majority of the observed patterns can receive a plausible explanation if we assume that L1 transfer, substrate levelling and (partial) L2 acquisition feature prominently among the mechanisms in creolisation. The findings thus provide support for recent SLA approaches to the emergence of creole phonology (Plag 2009, Uffmann 2009).

This book presents an empirical study of syllable structure and phonotactic restructuring in six Caribbean creoles with Dutch, English and French as main lexifier languages. It is shown that, although some structures are more commonly permitted than others, there is considerable cross-creole variation, especially with respect to word-final structures. The findings provide support for recent SLA approaches to the emergence of creole phonology.

Contents:

Front matter

Acknowledgments

Contents

Abbreviations and notational conventions

1. Introduction

2. Creole genesis and syllable structure

3. Data and Methodology

4. Syllable structure and phonotactic restructuring in the Dutch-based creoles

5. Syllable structure and phonotactic restructuring in the English-based creoles

6. Syllable structure and phonotactic restructuring in the French-based creoles

7. Syllable structure in the six creoles: Similarities and differences

8. Explaining creole phonotactic restructuring

9. Creole syllable structure: A final assessment

Bibliography

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed February 9, 2015).

ISBN:

9783110395303

3110395304

9783110339567

3110339560

OCLC:

906030661