Evaluating the Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage

1
Evaluating the Dictionary of Caribbean English
Usage

• Matthew J. Brown

February 20, 2001
2
Need for the DCEURegional Background

• 5.8 million English speakers in 105,000 sq. mi.
• 5 geopolitical territories 12 independent
  nations.
• Different settlement histories ? different
  development of English.

3
Need for the DCEUThe Region

• Anguilla
• Antigua
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Bermuda
• Br. Virgin Isles
• Cayman Isles
• Carriacou
• Dominica
• Fr Guiana
• Grenada
• Grenadines
• Guadaloupe
• Gullah

Guyana Haiti Jamaica Martinique Montserrat Neth.
Antilles Nevis Panama Puerto Rico Surinam Santo
Domingo St. Kitts St. Lucia St. Vincent
US Virgin Isles Venezuela
Tobago Turks and Caicos Trinidad
4
Need for the DCEU

• Trinidad 1967
• Conference of the Caribbean Association of
  Headmasters and Headmistresses
• Resolution 6 Whereas the general interchange
  of teachers among the Caribbean territories is
  increasing, Be it resolved that this Association
  request the appropriate department of the
  University of the West Indies to compile a list
  of lexical terms in each territory and to
  circulate these to schools for the guidance of
  teachers.

5
AuthorityCoordinator and Editor Richard Allsopp

• Masters and PhD in English from UK Universities.
• Thesis Pronominal Forms in the Dialect of
  English Spoken in British Guiana.
• 1st ever devoted to Caribbean Creole.
• 1963 becomes UWI English Professor.
• Editorial board of OED 2nd Ed.
• Contributor to OED Online.
• gt 50 published papers.

6
AuthorityPublisher and Genealogy

• Published by Oxford University Press
• According to Katz OUP is one of the reputable
  dictionary publishers.
• American Reference Books Annual (v. 28)
• this volume is the first comprehensive
  inventory of that regions distinctive language.
• Caribbean English not scholarly until after WWII.

7
Treatment

• Accuracy and Currency
• Difficult to assess due to unique quality.
• Objectivity
• No noticeable bias.
• More headwords from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago,
  and Guyana.
• Most populous territories in region.
• Style
• Written for High School age and above.

8
Arrangement

• Sequence
• Terms are listed alphabetically.
• Entries follow specific structure.
• See Structure of an Entry in the Preface.
• Indexing
• None.
• Extensive cross-referencing.
• A territorial index would be helpful.

9
FormatPhysical Make-up

• Hardcover
• Binding is firm.
• Layout
• Two columns/page easy to scan
• Headwords, allonyms, phrases, and numbered
  glosses in bold.
• Font Size
• Headword is fine, entry is a bit small.
• Paper
• Too thin.

10
FormatIllustrations

• End papers
• Map of Caribbean Rimlands.
• Map of Africa w/locations of languages
  referenced.
• Appendix 1
• Layout of Steelband.
• Pictorial Questionnaire (not included)
• Used during data collection.
• Inclusion of pictures of particularly Caribbean
  items would have been useful.

11
Dictionary Specific Evaluation

• Vocabulary 20,000 words phrases.
• Includes Variant spellings.
• Ex cat . a . pla (USVI) cat . a . palm (Dmca,
  Gren)
• Headword is most common term for a gloss in the
  region.
• Syllabication uses a centered period.
• See example above

12
Dictionary Specific Evaluation

• Pronunciation uses IPA symbols with modifications
  to show tone patterns.
• Variant pronunciations are separated by a .
• Ex. ce . ra . see sir?si s?rsi s?r?si
• Tone-pattern shown using digits between slashes
  for some entries.
• just now /1'2/ (Bdos) soon
• just now /21/ (Bdos) a short while ago

13
Dictionary Specific Evaluation

• Allonyms
• A different term that is equivalent to the
  headword.
• Occurs in another territory.
• Synonyms are similar terms.
• Ex zug up vb phr (Trin) AF Joc
  chang-chang (Gren) To cut (a mans or boys) hair
  unevenly (as done by an untrained person).
• Grammatical Information
• Some need descriptive labels due to unique
  structure usage.
• Ex is1 2. (ii) Unstressed interrog,
  introducing an emphatic question Is what wrong
  to he? one woman said to her neighborIs where
  dey bring he from at all? - SNWIC222

14
Dictionary Specific Evaluation

• Glosses
• Clear and succinct.
• Full Taxonomic Identification for flora and
  fauna.
• Subject labels identify context of the gloss.
• Ex Z-pot zed-pot (CarA) Fishing Ind A
  fishpot constructed in the shape of a Z, with one
  funnel at each end.
• Some entries include brief quotations to show
  context.

15
Dictionary Specific Evaluation

• Etymologies
• Provided wherever available.
• Compiler states that they are often evidence of
  possible linkages, not as proof of direct
  sources.
• Need preface to decipher abbreviations and
  symbols.
• Ex chaw c? vb (CarA) AF-Cr Chew chew on
  (sth for a long time). a. Yo never see dog chaw
  razor. Jmca (Prov) b. Since yuh mother didnt
  uses to let you chew chewing gum, you chawing
  pon tha pork skin till just before evensong and
  service. PeL (80.05.02, p.10, A. Clarke) OED
  chaw v a by-form of chew used in Eng in 16C and
  now in Scand some E dialects..

16
Dictionary Specific Evaluation

• Usage and Bias
• Labels identify territorial use of an allonym.
• Some terms include usage notes.
• Levels of formalness.

• Main Levels
• F Formal
• IF Informal
• AF Anti-Formal
• X Erroneous or Disaproved

• Sub-Categories of AF
• AF-CR Creole
• AF-Joc Jocular
• AF-Derog Derogatory
• AF-Vul Vulgar

17
Dictionary Specific Evaluation

• Encyclopedic Material
• Generally is not encyclopedic
• Area, population (1989-90 est.), and comment on
  each territory (usually year/month of
  independence.)
• Taxonomic identification.
• National bird, and national tree/flower of
  territories.
• Some quotes reveal historical information.
• Layout of steel band.

18
Summary

• Recommend to academic libraries.
• Recommend to public and high school libraries in
  communities with significant proportion of
  speakers of Caribbean English.
• Publisher should make Web or CD-ROM version.
• Already cross-referenced.
• Could include audio examples of pronunciation.