São Vicente Creole

Characteristics

• The progressive aspect of the present is formed by putting tí tâ before the verbs: tí + tâ + V.
• The sounds and are palatalized to and when they are at the end of syllables. Ex.: fésta “party” pronounced instead of, gósga “tickles” pronounced instead of, más “more” pronounced instead of.
• The stressed final sound is pronounced. Ex.: já instead of djâ “already”, lá instead of lâ “there”, and all the verbs that end by ~â, calcá instead of calcâ “to press”, pintchá instead of pintchâ “to push”, etc.
• The sound is represented by the sound : bói’ instead of bódj’ “dance ”, ôi’ instead of ôdj’ “eye”, spêi’ instead of spêdj’ “mirror”. When it is after the sound, the sound remains: fídj’ “son”, mídj’ “corn”. When it is immediately after a consonant, the sound remains: m’djôr “better”, c’djêr “spoon”.
• The sound is totally represented by. Ex. já instead of djâ “already”, jantá instead of djantâ “to dine”, Jõ’ instead of Djõ’ “John”.
• Existence of a certain kind of vocabulary that does not exist in the other islands. Ex.: dançá instead of badjâ “to dance”, dzê instead of flâ “to say”, falá instead of papiâ “to speak”, guitá instead of djobê “to peek”, ruf’ná instead of fuliâ “to throw”, stód’ instead of stâ “to be”, tchocá instead of furtâ “to steal”, tchúc’ instead of pôrc’ “pig”, etc.

  Vocabulary

Grammar

Phonology

Alphabet

Examples of São Vicente Creole