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{{Short description|Dialect of English}}
'''Cameroon English''' is an [[English dialect]] spoken predominantly in [[Cameroon]].
{{Infobox language
| name = Cameroon English
| region = [[Cameroon]]
| speakers = 17 million [[Anglophone Cameroonian]]
| speakers2 =
| ref = <ref>{{cite book |last1=Georg Wolf |first1=Hans |title=English in Cameroon |year=2001 |location=New York |isbn=9783110170535 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SkOhqWjlfwAC}}</ref>
| date = 2011
| familycolor = Indo-European
|fam2=[[Germanic languages|Germanic]]
|fam3=[[West Germanic languages|West Germanic]]
|fam4=[[Ingvaeonic languages|Ingvaeonic]]
|fam5=[[Anglo-Frisian languages|Anglo-Frisian]]
|fam6=[[Anglic languages|Anglic]]
|fam7=[[English language|English]]
|ancestor=[[Old English]]
|ancestor2=[[Middle English]]
|ancestor3=[[Early Modern English]]
| script = [[Latin script|Latin]] ([[English alphabet]])<br/>[[Unified English Braille]]
| nation = {{flag|Cameroon}}
| minority =
| agency =
| iso1 = en
| iso2 = eng
| iso3 = eng
| isoexception = dialect
| lingua =
| ietf = en-CM
| map =
| mapcaption =
| glotto = came1256
| notice = IPA
| lingname =
}}
{{English language}}
{{IPA notice}}
'''Cameroon English''' is an [[English dialect]] spoken predominantly in [[Cameroon]], mostly learned as a [[second language]].<ref name=Routledge/> It shares some similarities with English varieties in neighbouring [[West Africa]], as Cameroon lies at the west of [[Central Africa]].<ref>Kouega (2007): "Cameroon is a [[Central Africa]]n country whose variety of English shares a number of features with [[West Africa]]n Englishes."</ref> It is primarily spoken in the [[Northwest Region (Cameroon)|Northwest]] and [[Southwest Region (Cameroon)|Southwest]] regions of Cameroon.<ref>Anchimbe, Eric A. "Multilingual backgrounds and the identity issue in Cameroon." Anuario del Seminario de Filología Vasca" Julio de Urquijo" 39.2 (2011): 33-48.</ref>


{|cellspacing="0", cellpadding="0"
⚫
It is a [[post-colonial]] variety of English which has been in use in the territory for a long period, and over the years has developed characteristic features, particularly in lexis though also in phonology and grammar. These characteristics were once regarded as errors, but are now increasingly accepted as distinctive Cameroonian contributions to the English language.
|-valign="top"
|
[[File:Northwest Region (Cameroon) location.PNG|200px|Northwest_Region_location in Cameroon]]
|
[[File:Southwest Region (Cameroon) location.PNG|200px|Southwest_Region_location in Cameroon]]
|}


⚫
==Phonological features==
[[Received Pronunciation|RP]] {{IPA|/ʌ/}} and {{IPA|/ɒ/}} tend to be [[Phonological history of English vowels#Cot–cut merger|pronounced {{IPA|/ɔ/}}]], making "cot", "cord" and "cut" homophones.


⚫
It is a [[postcolonial]] variety of English, long in use in the territory ([[Southern Cameroons]], now split into Northwest and Southwest). Over the years, it has developed characteristic features, particularly in lexis but also in phonology and grammar. Those characteristics were once regarded as errors but are now increasingly accepted as distinctive Cameroonian contributions to the English language.
⚫
==References==
⚫
*http://www2.univ-reunion.fr/~ageof/text/74c21e88-656.html


⚫
==Phonological features==
⚫
==Further reading==
The phonemes {{IPAc-en|ɔː}}, {{IPAc-en|ʌ}} and {{IPAc-en|ɒ}} tend to [[Phonetic merger|merge]] to {{IPAc-en|ɔː}}, making "cot", "caught" and "cut" homophones.<ref name=Routledge>{{cite book|last=Pearce|first=Michael|title=The Routledge Dictionary of English Language Studies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2P0Re-EGsSEC&pg=PA200|date=10 September 2012|publisher=[[Routledge]]|isbn=978-1-134-26428-5|page=200}}</ref> Similarly, "lock" and "luck" are pronounced alike. And "[[white-collar worker]]" sometimes becomes "white-''colour'' worker" in Cameroon.<ref name=Loreto/>
⚫
*{{cite book |title=A Dictionary of Cameroon English Usage |last=Kouega |first=Jean-Paul |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2007 |publisher=Peter Lang |location=New York |isbn=978-3-03911-027-8 |pages= |url=}}


==Expressions==
⚫
Kouega, Jean-Paul (1999). Some Major Speech Traits of Cameroon Media News in English. ''English Studies'' 80(6), 540-555
Characteristic turns of phrase in the country or local coinages:<ref name=Loreto>{{cite book|last=Todd|first=Loreto|title=Cameroon |series= Varieties of English Around the World |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8Y1nLo6hvPAC&pg=PA83|year=1982|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing|isbn=90-272-8670-1|page=83}}</ref>
*"detailly" = in detail
*"to see with me" = to agree with me; to see my point of view
*"installmentally" = by installments
*"of recent" = recently; lately


==See also==
Kouega, Jean-Paul (2000). Some Aspects of Cameroon English Prosody. ''Alizes'', 19, 137-153
*[[Languages of Cameroon]]
**[[Cameroonian French]]
** [[Cameroonian Pidgin English]]
**[[Camfranglais]] (when mixed with French)
*[[Anglophone Cameroonian]]
*[[Anglophone problem (Cameroon)]]


⚫
==References==
Kouega, Jean-Paul (2003). Influence of Contacts between Western and African Cultures on English in Cameroon. ''Proceedings of the Unifying Aspects of Cultures conference at Vienna'', Austria, November 7–9.
{{Reflist}}
⚫
In: TRANS. Internet-Zeitschrift für Kulturwissenschaften. No. 15/2003, (2003). WWW: http://www.inst.at/trans/15Nr/07_2/kouega15.htm.
⚫
*https://web.archive.org/web/20060917043540/http://www2.univ-reunion.fr/~ageof/text/74c21e88-656.html


⚫
==Further reading==
⚫
Kouega, Jean-Paul (2005). The Effects of French on English L2 in Cameroon. In J. Cohen, K. T. McAlister, K. Rolstad, and J. MacSwan (Eds.) ''ISB4: Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Bilingualism'' (pp.&nbsp;1201–1210). Somerville, MA, USA: Cascadilla Press.
⚫
*{{cite book|title=A Dictionary of Cameroon English Usage|last=Kouega|first=Jean-Paul|year=2007|publisher=Peter Lang|location=New York|isbn=978-3-03911-027-8 }}

Kouega, Jean-Paul, (2006). ''Aspects of Cameroon English Usage: A Lexical Appraisal''. Muenchen, Germany: Lincom Europa. ISBN 3-89586-877-9
*Kouega, Jean-Paul (1999). Some Major Speech Traits of Cameroon Media News in English. ''English Studies'' 80(6), 540-555
⚫
*Kouega, Jean-Paul (2000). Some Aspects of Cameroon English Prosody. ''Alizes'', 19, 137-153

Kouega, Jean-Paul (2006c). Interplay of Accent and Orthography in L2 English in Cameroon. ''Annals of the Faculty of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences'', University of Yaounde 1(5), 183-197
*Kouega, Jean-Paul (2003). Influence of Contacts between Western and African Cultures on English in Cameroon. ''Proceedings of the Unifying Aspects of Cultures conference at Vienna'', Austria, November 7–9.
⚫
*In: TRANS. Internet-Zeitschrift für Kulturwissenschaften. No. 15/2003, (2003). WWW: http://www.inst.at/trans/15Nr/07_2/kouega15.htm{{Dead link|date=November 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}.

⚫
*Kouega, Jean-Paul (2005). The Effects of French on English L2 in Cameroon. In J. Cohen, K. T. McAlister, K. Rolstad, and J. MacSwan (Eds.) ''ISB4: Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Bilingualism'' (pp.&nbsp;1201–1210). Somerville, MA, USA: Cascadilla Press.
Kouega, Jean-Paul (2007). Forenames in Cameroon English speech. The International ''Journal of Language, Society and Culture'', 23, 32-46. [On-line version at: www.educ. Utas.edu.au/users/tle/JOURNAL/.]
*Kouega, Jean-Paul, (2006). ''Aspects of Cameroon English Usage: A Lexical Appraisal''. Muenchen, Germany: Lincom Europa. {{ISBN|3-89586-877-9}}

*Kouega, Jean-Paul (2006c). Interplay of Accent and Orthography in L2 English in Cameroon. ''Annals of the Faculty of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences'', University of Yaounde 1(5), 183-197
⚫
Talla Sando Ouafeu Yves (2006). Intonational meaning in Cameroon English discourse: a sociolinguistic perspective. Goettingen: Cuvillier Verlag
*Kouega, Jean-Paul (2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20160702025904/http://www.aaref.com.au/attachment.aspx?id=2111 Forenames in Cameroon English speech]. The ''[http://www.aaref.com.au/en/publications/journal/journal-articles/issue-23-2007/ International Journal of Language, Society and Culture]'', 23, 32–46.
⚫
*Talla Sando Ouafeu Yves (2006). Intonational meaning in Cameroon English discourse: a sociolinguistic perspective. Goettingen: Cuvillier Verlag


{{Navboxes
{{Navboxes
|title = Articles Related to Cameroon English
|title = Articles related to Cameroon English
|list =
|list =
{{English dialects by continent}}
{{English dialects by continent}}
{{English official language clickable map}}
{{English official language clickable map}}
{{Languages of Cameroon}}
}}
}}


[[Category:English dialects]]
[[Category:Dialects of English]]
[[Category:Languages of Cameroon]]



{{Ie-lang-stub}}
{{English-lang-stub}}
{{Cameroon-stub}}

Latest revision as of 04:56, 6 August 2024

Cameroon English
RegionCameroon
Native speakers
17 million Anglophone Cameroonian (2011)[1]
Early forms
Latin (English alphabet)
Unified English Braille
Official status
Official language in
 Cameroon
Language codes
ISO 639-1en
ISO 639-2eng
ISO 639-3eng
Glottologcame1256
IETFen-CM
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.
Part of a series on the
English language
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This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

Cameroon English is an English dialect spoken predominantly in Cameroon, mostly learned as a second language.[2] It shares some similarities with English varieties in neighbouring West Africa, as Cameroon lies at the west of Central Africa.[3] It is primarily spoken in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon.[4]

Northwest_Region_location in Cameroon

Southwest_Region_location in Cameroon


It is a postcolonial variety of English, long in use in the territory (Southern Cameroons, now split into Northwest and Southwest). Over the years, it has developed characteristic features, particularly in lexis but also in phonology and grammar. Those characteristics were once regarded as errors but are now increasingly accepted as distinctive Cameroonian contributions to the English language.

Phonological features

[edit]

The phonemes /ɔː/, /ʌ/ and /ɒ/ tend to merge to /ɔː/, making "cot", "caught" and "cut" homophones.[2] Similarly, "lock" and "luck" are pronounced alike. And "white-collar worker" sometimes becomes "white-colour worker" in Cameroon.[5]

Expressions

[edit]

Characteristic turns of phrase in the country or local coinages:[5]

  • "detailly" = in detail
  • "to see with me" = to agree with me; to see my point of view
  • "installmentally" = by installments
  • "of recent" = recently; lately

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Georg Wolf, Hans (2001). English in Cameroon. New York. ISBN 9783110170535.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ a b Pearce, Michael (10 September 2012). The Routledge Dictionary of English Language Studies. Routledge. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-134-26428-5.
  3. ^ Kouega (2007): "Cameroon is a Central African country whose variety of English shares a number of features with West African Englishes."
  4. ^ Anchimbe, Eric A. "Multilingual backgrounds and the identity issue in Cameroon." Anuario del Seminario de Filología Vasca" Julio de Urquijo" 39.2 (2011): 33-48.
  5. ^ a b Todd, Loreto (1982). Cameroon. Varieties of English Around the World. John Benjamins Publishing. p. 83. ISBN 90-272-8670-1.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Kouega, Jean-Paul (2007). A Dictionary of Cameroon English Usage. New York: Peter Lang. ISBN 978-3-03911-027-8.
  • Kouega, Jean-Paul (1999). Some Major Speech Traits of Cameroon Media News in English. English Studies 80(6), 540-555
  • Kouega, Jean-Paul (2000). Some Aspects of Cameroon English Prosody. Alizes, 19, 137-153
  • Kouega, Jean-Paul (2003). Influence of Contacts between Western and African Cultures on English in Cameroon. Proceedings of the Unifying Aspects of Cultures conference at Vienna, Austria, November 7–9.
  • In: TRANS. Internet-Zeitschrift für Kulturwissenschaften. No. 15/2003, (2003). WWW: http://www.inst.at/trans/15Nr/07_2/kouega15.htm[permanent dead link].
  • Kouega, Jean-Paul (2005). The Effects of French on English L2 in Cameroon. In J. Cohen, K. T. McAlister, K. Rolstad, and J. MacSwan (Eds.) ISB4: Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Bilingualism (pp. 1201–1210). Somerville, MA, USA: Cascadilla Press.
  • Kouega, Jean-Paul, (2006). Aspects of Cameroon English Usage: A Lexical Appraisal. Muenchen, Germany: Lincom Europa. ISBN 3-89586-877-9
  • Kouega, Jean-Paul (2006c). Interplay of Accent and Orthography in L2 English in Cameroon. Annals of the Faculty of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences, University of Yaounde 1(5), 183-197
  • Kouega, Jean-Paul (2007). Forenames in Cameroon English speech. The International Journal of Language, Society and Culture, 23, 32–46.
  • Talla Sando Ouafeu Yves (2006). Intonational meaning in Cameroon English discourse: a sociolinguistic perspective. Goettingen: Cuvillier Verlag


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