Bahamian English

Bahamian English is English spoken in The Bahamas and by the Bahamian people. The standard for official use and education is largely British-based with regard to spelling, vocabulary, and pronunciation.^[1] However, Bahamian English also contains a unique pronunciation system and certain vocabulary, along a scale with the local Bahamian (Creole) dialect. Moreover, perceptions of a standard are more recently changing toward American English; in particular, 21st-century news-industry and younger Bahamian speakers are often more influenced in their pronunciations by General American English or sometimes even African-American Vernacular English.^[1]

The phonology of Bahamian English is believed to be derived from those of Bermudian English, Cockney English, RP, Scottish English, African-American Vernacular English, and Gullah.^[2] The English accent of both Black and White Bahamians is traditionally non-rhotic,^[3] due to being British-influenced, but often now rhotic among some younger speakers.^[1]

Bahamian vowel phonetics are basically shared with both General American English and British Received Pronunciation, except the following may be distinct:^[3][4]

There is little or no distinction between the [v] and [w] sounds in Bahamian English.^[5] The contrast is often neutralized or merged into [v], [b] or [β], so village sounds like [wɪlɪdʒ], [vɪlɪdʒ] or [βɪlɪdʒ]. The final example is especially common among White speakers. This also happens in Vincentian, Bermudian and other Caribbean Englishes.

The cheer-chair merger of vowels is common, combining certain vowels before /r/.

Dental fricatives are usually changed to alveolar plosives (th-stopping):

• Voiced th becomes /d/, e.g. "That" turns into "Dat"; "Those" into "Doze"; "There" into "Dere"; "They" into "Day".
• Unvoiced th becomes /t/, e.g. "Thanks" turns into "Tanks"; "Throw" into "Trow"; "Three" into "Tree".

The sound /h/ is often inserted into words that are not spelled with the letter H, leaving "up" to be pronounced as [hʌp]. However, it is also frequently dropped from words that are spelled with an H, so "harm" is left to be pronounced as [ɑ̈ːm].^{[6] [7]}

The sibilant fricatives /z/ and /ʒ/ may be devoiced and pronounced as [s] and [ʃ] respectively.

The grammar is not so different from the US ( as per Zaka ).

When emphasizing a word in Bahamian English, it is common to repeat it.^[8] (the car was going fast → the car was going fast fast)

The past participle is not indicated using the verb "have" in Bahamian English. Instead, it is indicated with the verb "be", especially among white speakers. (I have already washed the clothes → I am already washed the clothes) It can also be omitted and replaced by "done", with the verb left in its present-tense form. (I done wash the clothes) This practice is common among both white and black speakers.^[6]

For some speakers (particularly black speakers), the present progressive is written using the present participle preceded by "does be" (I does be washing the clothes). Among white speakers, it is more common to just use "be" when talking in the third person. (They be washing the clothes)^[6]

The possessive indicator 's is often omitted.^[6]

Questions retain the same syntax as statements; the subject and verb do not switch their positions. (What is she doing? → What she is doing?) Thus, the use of "ain't" is highly important to distinguish an interrogative sentence from a declarative sentence.^[6]

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Much of Bahamian terminology is derived from British English, West African languages, and Spanish, due to the country's colonial past.^[8] Bahamian English has also come under the influence of American English due to a boost in tourism after the country gained independence, along with the resulting diffusion of American media.^[6]

Some distinctive Bahamianisms include:

• Advantage (verb) - to cheat.^[6]
• Aligned patch reefs (noun) - a line of reef.^[9]
• Bey – supposed to mean "boy", but can also refer to any person.^[10] It can also be used as an imperative command to make somebody pay attention to a point.^[11]
• Biggety (adjective) - bold or loud.^{[12] [dead link‍]}
• Big-up (adjective) - pregnant.^[13]
• Boom-boom (noun) - buttocks.^[13]
• Boonggy (noun) - the hindquarters area.^[13] As a verb, it refers to anal penetration.^[14]
• Bread (noun) - a woman's genitals. Can also be expressed with "crabby".^[14]
• Bubby (adjective) - big and round (of a person's lips).^[14] (Not to be confused with "bubbie", which refers to a woman's breasts.^[8])
• Broughtupcy (noun) – the way that someone is raised.^[11] "No broughtupcy" can also be used as an adjective, meaning "bad-mannered".^[12]
• Buck up (verb) - to run into something or someone.^[12]
• Bush crack man gone - a proverb meaning to run when trouble comes.^[15]
• Capoonka (adjective) - confused.^[6]
• Chirren (noun) - children.^[11]
• Conchy Joe (noun) - can refer to either a white native/longtime resident of the Bahamas or a cocktail.^[10]
• Coral pinnacle (noun) - can refer to a coral stack or a coral head.^[9]
• Cut eye (verb) - to give somebody a dirty look.^[12]
• Cut one's hip (verb) - to give somebody a beating. The noun "cut-hip" refers to a beating that is given in this act.^[15]
• Doggy (noun) - a man's genitals.^[14]
• Erl (noun) - oil. (Can refer to both cooking oil and motor oil.)
• Ey (particle) - used at the end of a yes/no question when seeking information.^[13]
• Frowsy (adjective) - foul-smelling, often in an extreme sense.^[8]
• Gat - got.^[11]
• Gattee - a contraction of "got to".^[12]
• Grabalishous (adjective) - greedy.^[12]
• Grin'in' (noun) - the act of having sex. Can also be expressed with "juicing".^[14]
• Gumma - a contraction of "give me".^[12]
• Gun casin - describes the curvature of a woman's upper thigh area.^[14]
• Gal (noun) – girl.^[11]
• Hereditaments (noun) - property (of land).^[16]
• Hey (particle) - used at the end of a yes/no question when seeking agreement.^[13]
• I is – I am.^[11]
• Islandish (adjective) - unsophisticated.^[6]
• Jam up (adjective) - crowded.^[10]
• Jitney (noun) - a city bus.^[10]
• Jook (verb) - to poke or stab.^[12]
• Jungaless (noun) - a loud, uncouth and fiesty woman.^[8]
• Kapunkle up (adjective) - drunk (on alcohol).^[12]
• Leg short - an idiom used when somebody arrives too late.^[10]
• Low fence (noun) - a person who is a pushover or can be taken advantage of.^[10]
• Mango skin - a light-skinned person.^[8]
• Mash up (verb) - to break or destroy something.^[10]
• Mound reef (noun) - a boiler (of a coral reef), especially one set in deeper open water.^[9]
• Muddo or muddasick^[12] (interjection) – an expression used to represent excitement, surprise, or shock.^[11]
• Mussy^[12] - a contraction of "must be", often used to mean only the former.
• Nanny (noun) - fecal matter or excretory waste.^[13]
• Peasyhead - addresses the fact that a person's hair has tight curls at the nape of their head.^[8]
• Pickney (noun) - a small child.^[12]
• Potcake (noun) - a dog of multiple breeds.^[10]
• Reef barrier (noun) - the main reef of a coral reef system.^[9]
• Reef platform (noun) - the top of a coral reef, especially a flat one.^[9]
• Root title (noun) - title history (of an estate).^[16]
• Sea whip (noun) - an alcyonarian.^[9]
• Seaward (of a reef barrier) (noun) - the back of a coral reef.^[9]
• Shallow reef (noun) - a bright reef.^[9]
• Show sef (verb) - to be a show-off.^[13]
• Sip sip (noun) - gossip.^[12]
• Sky juice (noun) - a beverage made from gin and coconut water.^[12]
• Slam bam (noun) - a sausage and bread sandwich.
• Sometimey (adjective) - moody.^[15]
• Spilligate - used when a person goes out on the town.^[10]
• Stench (verb) - to be stubborn.^[13]
• Sweetheartin' (verb) - to cheat on one's spouse.^[12]
• Switcha (noun) - lemonade.^[10]
• Tarreckly (adverb) - directly or soon.^[13]
• Tief (verb) - thief.^[11]
• Tingsy (adjective) - materialistic.^[11]
• Tingum - used to refer to a person or thing with a name that cannot be easily recalled by the speaker.^[11] Can also be represented with "t'ing".^[13]
• Totin' news (verb) - to spread gossip.^[13]
• Trapsy (adjective) - untrustworthy.^[11]
• Wammy (noun) - a derogatory term for HIV/AIDS.^[14]
• Wybe (noun) - a problem or bad situation. The verb "to wybe" means to have an argument or disagreement.^[10]
• Yinna (pronoun) - you (plural).^[11]

• How to Talk like a Bahamian
• Kortmann, Bernd (2004). A Handbook of Varieties of English: Phonology. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-017532-5.