Duck and Cover, or, How to Speak Bajan

There are two separate versions of the English language here. The difference is more than dialectical, as “dialect” assumes a mutual compatibility between the two, as how an American communicates with an Englishman. It’s more stringent than that. But nor are the differences enough to connotate a totally different language, as in English and French.

The first version is called “Standard English” (sometimes “Queen’s English”) and is the one Americans would be familiar with: British vocabulary with a Caribbean accent, like you hear in movies. This is the language of their road-signs, government and educational bureaus, and newspapers. Everyone learns from elementary school up, and most are fluent.

The other version is called “Bajan” and is actually the native language of the island. It’s what’s spoken inside the home, on the street, in bars and restaurants … basically whenever locals aren’t interacting with tourists or government agents. It’s technically a “Creole” English, which just a linguistic term meaning English hybridized with so many foreign words and grammar structures it becomes almost a new language altogether. In this case most of the foreign words are African in origin.

Each country in the English Caribbean has its own version of this Creole structure. The etymology is that when the their ancestors arrived in chains a few centuries back, they were taken from varying parts of Africa and thus all spoke different languages when they got here. (Ibo, Akan, Cormantee, Yorba, Angolan, etc.). In addition to finding ways for talking amongst themselves, they also had to communicate with an English-speaking master who was rarely interested in teaching them English beyond basic working commands. Thus over time a gradual language evolved which combined elements from all these backgrounds.

The closest equivalent in the states might be “ebonics” which is just a fancy word for dialects spoken in our inner cities. But it’s more pervasive than that, as it’s not simply “slang” spoken by pop stars and/or disenfranchised youth -- EVERYONE talks this way. At a bar near my house a group of older guys frequent to argue about the latest news headlines. Sometimes I sit with them, and usually they have to translate for me what exactly they’re yelling about. By day these people are immigration officials, health ministry officials, retired University professors, etc.

Anywhat, I bring this up because I found a good newspaper article which demonstrates the differences between the two. It’s also a good example of what kind of shenanigans occur when you hang out at the taxi stand. :)

Van Stand Brawlers Remanded

Dwayne Irvin Calderon, 27, a vendor, of North Close, Widley St. Michael, and Adrian St. Clair Braithwaite, 32, of Lower Two Mile Hill, St. Michael, admitted causing a disturbance in the Nursery Drive Terminal on Tuesday. They return to court on Monday to be sentenced.

A third man, Anderson Jerome Calderon, 23, also a vendor of North Close, Widley, denied being involved in the disturbance. He also pleaded not guilty to the charge that without lawful authority along Nursery Drive Road, on Tuesday, he had a pair of scissors in his possession; that he assaulted and resisted Special Constable Julian Rock and that he assaulted and resisted Constable Fabian Audain.

There was no objection to bail and Magistrate Christopher Birch released him with a surety of $1,000 on the offensive weapon charge and the charges relating to the lawmen, and $1500 for the disturbance offence. He reappears in court on October 5.

Braithwaite said he was waiting the Nursery Drive terminal while his girlfriend loaded things from her stall into the van, when he “glance and saw a man doing so – pax, pax, pax.”

“I ask him what heights he pon. Me and he start wrangling and my hand mussee miss and touch he and it elevate,” he said.

Braithwaite said the dispute between Dwayne Calderon and he had its genesis in an illegal venture in which they were involved.

“We is sell DVDs, so one person feel them is to get all the money,” he said, adding that he usually tries to stay out of trouble. “I walk away but I don’t know what happened Tuesday.”

Calderon said he started quarreling after hearing someone doing the same. He said he figured Braithwaite assumed he was speaking to him.

“He come to me saying: ‘I gine do he something’. I do so and remain on my mark and he run in he van for a sword, so I move off my mark,” Calderon explained.

“I had to jump over the wall and I snatch up a rock and fling it back, and that is how he get the bruise in he face,” Calderon said.

Prosecutor Sergeant Glenda Carter said an exchange of words erupted between Braithwaite and Calderon and Braithwaite stabbed Calderon in the nose.

Calderon took up some bottles and stones and started to throw them at Braithwaite which sent commuters and other people in the Van Stand scampering.