Guyanese Creole Totally Explained

Everything about Guyanese Creole totally explained

Guyanese English (Creolese by its speakers; also called Guyanese English or simply Guyanese) is a creole language spoken by more than seven hundred thousand people in Guyana. Guyanese English is based on, and strongly influenced by the English language. It is similar to other West Indian dialects, but distinctly different from Jamaican and Trinidadian Creole. It is related to Paramaccan and Aluku.
   There are many sub-dialects in Guyanese english based on the race of the speakers and their geographical location within Guyana. For example, along the Rupununi River where the population is largely Amerindian, a distinct form of Guyanese Creole exists.
   As in any language, words and phrases are elastic and can be made up, change and evolve within a very short time period. They can also be used within a very small group, until picked up by a larger community.
   Different Ethnic groups of the country are also known to alter or include words from their own backgrounds. For example, the East Indian communities words may be similar to words from Indian languages with the same meaning.
   A socially stratified creole speech continuum also exists between Guyanese English and English. A phrase like I told him may be pronounced in various parts of the continuum:

Utterance	Represents the speech of
[aitɔuld hɪm]	acrolect varieties of middle-class speakers
[aitoːld hɪm]
[aitoːl ɪm]
[aitɛl ɪm]	mesolect varieties of lower-middle and urban class speakers
[atɛl ɪm]
[aitɛl ɪ]
[atɛl i]
[mitɛl i]	rural working class
[mitɛl am]	basilect speech of illiterate rural laborers.

English Taught in Guyanese Schools

English taught in the schools of Guyana is based on British English.
Guyanese people speak English/Guyanese Creole while learning the English system of writing and reading in schools. It is a slightly different system of communication from the standard forms.

Grammar

It is common in Guyanese Creole to repeat adjectives for emphasis (as if saying, very or extremely). For example, "Dis wata de col col" translates into "This water is very cold". "Come now now" translates into "come immediately"

Example phrases

Girl - Gyal
Boy - Bai (pronounced bye)
I'm on the phone - Meh deh pon a/de fone
Who is she? - Ah who she?
What is that? - Dah ah wha? / Ah wah ah Dah?
I don't know - Meh nah know
What do you want? - Wuh yuh want
What is happening? (An every day greeting similar to What's up?) -Wappenin?
How are you? - How yuh do?
What are you doing?- Wa ya do?
We are going to cook - Abee a guh cook
Don't come back- Nah mek meh see yuh back here/Nah mas come back
What's wrong with you? - Wha rong wih yuh?
Do you understand what I'm saying? - Yah hear wah meh ah seh?
Come here - Come suh, nuh?

Further Information

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