What is it about?
It is first about giving a brief history of the language and the sociological context in which it develops and exists today. Next, it describes its lexicon and goes on to examine different word classes of the language. The simple sentence is then described before complex structutes are studied, not neglecting how information is packaged in the language. All examples of phrases and sentences used are glossed. Finally, sample spoken texts from people of various age groups are provided, together with their English translations.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
This grammar is unique in the sense that it is the first of its kind for Cameroon Pidgin English. The level of linguistic description involved in this book is very different from that in Nkemgkong 2015. Describing CPE in the manner done in this book showcases the fact that CPE is a fully developed language and so deserves more prestige and acceptance than it has hitherto received.
Perspectives
"CPE: A Comorehensive Grammar" is a milestone in the study of this Atlantic / West African pidgin. It enhances the debate as to whether it is still a pidgin or could be called a creole; it raises the question, again, whether it could be used for education; it calls for urgent efforts to standardise the language; and it confirms its status as the number one lingua franca in Cameroon.
Miriam Ayafor
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Cameroon Pidgin English, November 2017, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/loall.20.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
