The speech of the negros congos of Panama / John M. Lipski.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lipski, John M.

Series:

Creole language library ; 4.

Creole language library, 0920-9026 ; v. 4

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Creole dialects, Spanish--Panama.

Creole dialects, Spanish.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (vii, 159 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam : J. Benjamins Pub. Co., 1989.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The negros congos of Panama's Caribbean coast are a unique cultural manifestation of Afro-Hispanic contact. During Carnival season each year, this group reenacts dramatic events which affected black slaves in colonial Panama, performs dances and pantomimes, and enforces a set of ritual laws' and punishments'. A key component of congo games is a special dialect, the hablar en congos, which is employed by a subset of the congos in each settlement. The present study investigates the congo dialect from a linguistic point of view along two dimensions.

Contents:

THE SPEECH OF THE NEGROS CONGOS OF PANAMA; Editorial page; Title page; Copyright page; Table of contents; 1. Introduction: the negros congos of Panama; 1.1The negros congos of Panama; 1.2 The congo ceremonies and games; 1.3 Plan of study; 1.4 Data collection; 1.5 Linguistic preliminaries; Notes; 2. Syntactic and semantic characteristics of congo speech; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Morphological modifications; 2.2.1 Verbal morphology; 2.2.1.1 Regularization of irregular paradigms; 2.2.1.2 Substitution of paradigmatic variants; 2.2.1.3 Occasional modifications

2.2.1.4 Other aspects of the verbal system 2.2.2 Nominal morphology; 2.2.3 Adjectival morphology; 2.2.4 Pronominal morphology; 2.2.5 Adverbial morphology; 2.2.6 Prepositional morphology; 2.3 Syntactic modifications; 2.3.1 Use of subject pronouns; 2.3.2 Position of subject pronouns; 2.3.3 Elimination of prepositions; 2.3.4 Syntax of the verb phrase; 2.3.5 Syntax of negation; 2.4 Semantic modifications; 2.4.1 Substitution of semantically opposite elements; 2.4.2 Inversion through negative words; 2.4.3 Inversion through idiomatic expressions; 2.4.4 Partial semantic displacement

2.5 The syntax of semantic inversion 2.6 Similarities with vestigial Spanish; Notes; 3. Phonological characteristics of congo dialect; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Fixed phenomena; 3.2.1 Neutralization of /r/ and /r/; 3.2.2 Neutralization of /l/, /d/, /r/ and /r/; 3.2.3 Pronunciation of /b/, /d/, /g/; 3.2.4 Pronunciation of syllable- and word-final /s/; 3.2.5 Pronunciation of word-final /n/; 3.2.6 Summary of fixed phenomena; 3.3 Variable phenomena; 3.3.1 Vocalic substitutions; 3.3.2 Consonantal epenthesis; 3.4 Formation of open syllables; Notes; 4. Congo dialect and Panamanian Spanish: phonology

4.1 Introduction 4.2 General phonetic characteristics; 4.3 The archaic element; 4.4 Word-final /n/; 4.5 Behavior of syllable-final /l/ and /r/; 4.6 Reduction of syllable-final /s/; 4.7 Pronunciation of /b/, /d/, /g/; 4.8 Summary; Notes; 5. The possible African basis for congo speech; 5.1 Introduction; 5.2 The historical basis of congo dialect; 5.3 Grammatical modifications; 5.4 Phonetic modifications; 5.5 Phonetic rhythm and paradigmatic considerations; 5.6 Intonation of congo dialect speech; 5.7 Congo lexical elements; 5.8 Summary; Notes; References; Appendix

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [115]-128).

ISBN:

1-283-32833-X

9786613328335

90-272-7850-4

OCLC:

772230201