Jamaican Maroon Creole
| Deep patwa | |
|---|---|
| Region | Jamaica(Moore Town,Charles Town, Scott's Hall) |
Native speakers | None |
English Creole
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | None(mis) |
| Glottolog | None |
Jamaican Maroon language,Maroon Spirit language,Kromanti,Jamaican Maroon CreoleorDeep patwais aritual languageand formerly mother tongue ofJamaican Maroons.It is anEnglish-based creolewith a strongAkancomponent, specifically from theFante dialectof theCentral RegionofGhana.It is distinct from usualJamaican Creole,being similar to thecreoles of Sierra Leone(Krio) andSurinamesuch asSrananandNdyuka.It is also more purelyAkanthan regularPatois,with little to no contribution from other African languages. Today, the Maroon Spirit language is used byJamaican Maroons(largelyCoromantees). Another distinct ritual language (also called Kromanti) consisting mostly of words and phrases from Akan languages, is also used by Jamaican Maroons in certain rituals including some involvingpossessionby ancestral spirits duringKromanti ceremoniesor when addressing those who are possessed and sometimes used as a kind of code.[1][2]
The term "Kromanti" is used by participants in such ceremonies to refer to an African language spoken by ancestors in the distant past, prior to the creolization of Jamaican Maroon Creole. This term is used to refer to a language which is "clearly not a form of Jamaican Creole and displays very little English content" (Bilby 1983: 38).[3]While Kromanti is not a functioning language, those possessed by ancestral spirits are attributed the ability to speak it. More remote ancestors are compared with more recent ancestors on a gradient, such that increasing strength and ability in the use of the non-creolized Kromanti are attributed to increasingly remote ancestors (as opposed to the Jamaican Maroon Creole used to address these ancestors).
The language was brought along by the maroon population toCudjoe's Town (Trelawny Town)toNova Scotiain 1796, where they were sent in exile. They eventually traveled toSierra Leonein 1800. Their creole language highly influenced the local creole language that evolved into present dayKrio.
Some phonological characteristics of Jamaican Maroon Creole[edit]
Bilby discusses several phonological distinctions between Jamaican Creole and Jamaican Maroon Creole.[3]
Vowel epithesis:Some words in the Maroon Creole have a vowel in the final syllable, compared to Jamaican Creole. Some examples are:
- fete"to fight"
- wudu"forest"
- mutu"mouth"
Liquids:Many words that have a lateral liquid /l/ in Jamaican Creole have a trill /r/ in Maroon Creole. Some examples are:
- priis"pleased"
- braka"black"
- bere"belly"
/ai/ to /e/:There are several instances where the "deep creole" uses /e/ while the "normal creole" uses /ai/.
| "Deep" | "Normal" | |
|---|---|---|
| krem | "to climb" | klaim |
| wete | "white" | wait |
| net | "night" | nait |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Taylor, Patrick; Ivor Case, Frederick (2013).The Encyclopedia of Caribbean Religions.University of Illinois Press. p. 479.ISBN9780252094330.
- ^African Language Studies Volume 12.1971.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^abBilby, Kenneth (1983)."How the" Older Heads "Talk: A Jamaican Maroon Spirit Possession Language and Its Relationship to the Creoles of Suriname and Sierra Leone".New West Indian Guide / Nieuwe West-Indische Gids.57(1/2): 37–88.doi:10.1163/13822373-90002097.Archived fromthe originalon 18 July 2011.
- Bilby, Kenneth (1983)."How the" Older Heads "Talk: A Jamaican Maroon Spirit Possession Language and Its Relationship to the Creoles of Suriname and Sierra Leone".New West Indian Guide / Nieuwe West-Indische Gids.57(1/2): 37–88.doi:10.1163/13822373-90002097.Archived fromthe originalon 18 July 2011.