The extent of African influence in the Atlantic Creoles has long been a matter of controversy. While some people have tried to deny the existence of African influence, others have claimed that these Creoles are essentially African languag es in which African words have been replaced by European words. Mikael Parkvall provides a systematic and critical review of virtually all the non-lexical features of these Creoles for which other authors have proposed an African origin. Furthermore, wher ever he assesses the evidence to favour an African source for a particular feature, Parkvall attempts to pinpoint its place of origin in Africa, drawing on a wealth of historical and demographic, as well as linguistic, data.
Out of Africa is the most comprehensive survey of African features in Atlantic Creoles to date. With reference to more than 150 African languages and language families, and using data culled from more than 800 sources, this volume deals with potential Africanisms on all linguistic levels. This book is an essential work of reference for Creolists of every persuasion, for students of language contact in general, and for everyone interested in the cultural heritage of African Americans and African Caribbeans.
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