Bemé: Difference between revisions
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| agency = ''Tak eh Bemeh!'' | | agency = ''Tak eh Bemeh!'' | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Bemé''' (/[[Help:IPA|bəˈmeɪ̯]]/ ''buh-MAY''; ''bemeh'', pronounced [[ | '''Bemé''' (/[[Help:IPA|bəˈmeɪ̯]]/ ''buh-MAY''; ''bemeh'', pronounced [[IPA for Bemé|[bemɛ]]]), also called '''Poccasin Creole''', '''Poccasin Pidgin''' and '''Poccasinese''', is an [[w:English-based creole languages|English creole]] and [[w:Pidgin|pidgin language]] spoken in the Poccasin Archipelago. It is widely spoken as a first language in Cassim Po and is by far the predominantly spoken language in many other urban areas in the Poccasins, but elsewhere in the archipelago it only holds pidgin language status, exclusively used to communicate between people of separate ethnicites; as such, it is not used at home in most of these areas. | ||
Despite this varying status, Bemé is by far the most spoken language of the Poccasin Archipelago with around 15 million speakers as of 2025; native speakers with Bemé as their mother tongue, primarily inhabiting Cassim Po, number around 14,565. This high amount of speakers can be mostly attributed to two factors: extensive [[w:United Kingdom|British]] and later [[w:United States of America|American]] colonisation, as well as widespread teaching of the language. Bemé is an official language and designated [[w:Lingua franca|lingua franca]] of the Poccasin Federation, ensuring its continuous widespread usage after independence. | Despite this varying status, Bemé is by far the most spoken language of the Poccasin Archipelago with around 15 million speakers as of 2025; native speakers with Bemé as their mother tongue, primarily inhabiting Cassim Po, number around 14,565. This high amount of speakers can be mostly attributed to two factors: extensive [[w:United Kingdom|British]] and later [[w:United States of America|American]] colonisation, as well as widespread teaching of the language. Bemé is an official language and designated [[w:Lingua franca|lingua franca]] of the Poccasin Federation, ensuring its continuous widespread usage after independence. | ||
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The name ''Bemé'' is derived from the [[Kabao]] phrase ''beme po kasin'' [[Help:IPA|[ˈbeme pɔ ˈkɑsin]]], literally meaning "nation of the red mountain", it is also the origin of the English [[w:Exonym|exonym]] ''Poccasin'' and ''Poccasinese''. | The name ''Bemé'' is derived from the [[Kabao]] phrase ''beme po kasin'' [[Help:IPA|[ˈbeme pɔ ˈkɑsin]]], literally meaning "nation of the red mountain", it is also the origin of the English [[w:Exonym|exonym]] ''Poccasin'' and ''Poccasinese''. | ||
===''Beme'' vs ''Bemé''=== | ===''Beme'' vs ''Bemé''=== | ||
The words ''Beme'' and ''Bemé'', both derived from Kabao ''beme'', mean two distinct things in English. ''Beme'', (/[[ | The words ''Beme'' and ''Bemé'', both derived from Kabao ''beme'', mean two distinct things in English. ''Beme'', (/[[IPA for Bemé|ˈbɛmeɪ̯]]/ or /[[IPA for Bemé|ˈbɛmiː]]/, ''BEH-may'' or ''BEH-mee'') without the accent, is the widely used [[w:Endonym|endonym]] of citizens of the Poccasin Federation; in the Poccasins specifically, ''bemeh'' in this context is mostly used to refer to the Poccasin federative government, akin to referring to the British government as simply "Westminster". | ||
In contrast, ''Bemé'', (/[[Help:IPA|bəˈmeɪ̯]]/ ''buh-MAY'') with an accent, is exclusively used in English to refer to the Bemé language. However, in Bemé itself, both ''bemeh'' "nation" and ''bemeh'' "Bemé" are homophones and homonyms, and their differing meanings is only discerned by context, such as: | In contrast, ''Bemé'', (/[[Help:IPA|bəˈmeɪ̯]]/ ''buh-MAY'') with an accent, is exclusively used in English to refer to the Bemé language. However, in Bemé itself, both ''bemeh'' "nation" and ''bemeh'' "Bemé" are homophones and homonyms, and their differing meanings is only discerned by context, such as: | ||
: ''Yu '''bemeh''' wan, yu | : ''Yu '''bemeh''' wan, yu wan bi dan, ni grown bela sky.'' | ||
:: "Thy '''kingdom''' come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven." (Matthew 6:10) | :: "Thy '''kingdom''' come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven." (Matthew 6:10) | ||
versus | versus | ||
: ''Takin '''bemeh''' | : ''Takin '''bemeh''' gud la?'' | ||
:: "Do you speak '''Bemé''' | :: "Do you speak '''Bemé''' well?" | ||
However, in recent years, some internet users have, through [[w:Hypercorrection|hypercorrection]], started orthographically distinguishing the two meanings by capitalising ''bemeh'' "Bemé" as ''Bemeh'' or in some cases ''BEMEH'', as is common in many indigenous languages of the Poccasins. However, this is generally considered non-standard. | However, in recent years, some internet users have, through [[w:Hypercorrection|hypercorrection]], started orthographically distinguishing the two meanings by capitalising ''bemeh'' "Bemé" as ''Bemeh'' or in some cases ''BEMEH'', as is common in many indigenous languages of the Poccasins. However, this is generally considered non-standard. | ||
===''Kriyal''=== | ===''Kriyal''=== | ||
''Kriyal'' ([[ | ''Kriyal'' ([[IPA for Bemé|[kɹijal]]], [[IPA for Bemé|[tɹijal]]] or [[IPA for Bemé|[t͡ʃɹijal]]]) is a less commonly used term, and is derived from its status as an [[w:English-based creole languages|English-based creole language]]. Although originally referring to the entire language in the same manner as ''Bemé''/''Bemeh'', nowadays it is mostly used to refer to [[w:Basilect|basilectal]] varieties of the language, though older speakers may still refer to the language as ''kriyal''. | ||
==''Tak'' vs ''kriyal''== | ==''Tak'' vs ''kriyal''== | ||
Bemé incorporates a [[w:Post-creole continuum|creole continuum]], but unlike other creole continua such as that of [[w:Jamaican Patois|Jamaican Patois]], Bemé speakers do not consider the continuum to have '''mesolectal''' levels, instead only distinguishing between acrolectal ''tak'' and basilectal ''kriyal''. ''Tak'' is often described as the official government Bemé, used on street signs, government buildings and in most Bemé literature, while ''kriyal'' is often described as the vernacular forms of Bemé spoken outside of the contexts of ''Tak''. For example, the vernacular Bemé of young people can be considered ''kriyal''; but the use of Bemé by older, illiterate speakers may also be considered ''kriyal''. | Bemé incorporates a [[w:Post-creole continuum|creole continuum]], but unlike other creole continua such as that of [[w:Jamaican Patois|Jamaican Patois]], Bemé speakers do not consider the continuum to have '''mesolectal''' levels, instead only distinguishing between acrolectal ''tak'' and basilectal ''kriyal''. ''Tak'' is often described as the official government Bemé, used on street signs, government buildings and in most Bemé literature, while ''kriyal'' is often described as the vernacular forms of Bemé spoken outside of the contexts of ''Tak''. For example, the vernacular Bemé of young people can be considered ''kriyal''; but the use of Bemé by older, illiterate speakers may also be considered ''kriyal''. | ||
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| colspan=2 | [[w:Open central unrounded vowel|a]] | | colspan=2 | [[w:Open central unrounded vowel|a]] | ||
|} | |} | ||
There are only three possible diphthongs in Bemé: /ei̯ oi̯ ou̯/, written ⟨ey, oi, ow⟩ respectively. However, although these diphthongs may roughly match with similar English diphthongs /eɪ̯ oɪ̯ oʊ̯/, these diphthongs rarely match; diphthongs in general are rare in Bemé, but even with words derived from English words with diphthongs, the diphthongs are often replaced with monophthongs, e.g. ''sh'''e'''k'' [[ | There are only three possible diphthongs in Bemé: /ei̯ oi̯ ou̯/, written ⟨ey, oi, ow⟩ respectively. However, although these diphthongs may roughly match with similar English diphthongs /eɪ̯ oɪ̯ oʊ̯/, these diphthongs rarely match; diphthongs in general are rare in Bemé, but even with words derived from English words with diphthongs, the diphthongs are often replaced with monophthongs, e.g. ''sh'''e'''k'' [[IPA for Bemé|[ʃek]]], compared to English sh'''a'''ke /[[w:Help:IPA/English|ˈʃeɪ̯k]]/. In ''kriyal'' varieties diphthongs may be entirely replaced by monophthongs, so words like ''sk'''y''''' [[IPA for Bemé|[skei̯]]] become ''sk'''eh''''' [[IPA for Bemé|[skɛ]]]. | ||
/ɛ/ only appears in word-final open syllables; elsewhere, /ɛ/ is neutralised with /e/. However, there is a tendency of native speakers in Cassim Po to shift initial /e/ to /ɛ/, leading to alternative spellings such as '''''eh'''nga''(standard ''enga'' / ''nga'' "or") which break Bemé orthographic rules. In other dialects, /ɛ/ may be neutralised with /e/ in ''all'' positions, leading to pronunciations such as /beme/ or /bɛmɛ/ for ''bemeh'' "Bemé". | /ɛ/ only appears in word-final open syllables; elsewhere, /ɛ/ is neutralised with /e/. However, there is a tendency of native speakers in Cassim Po to shift initial /e/ to /ɛ/, leading to alternative spellings such as '''''eh'''nga''(standard ''enga'' / ''nga'' "or") which break Bemé orthographic rules. In other dialects, /ɛ/ may be neutralised with /e/ in ''all'' positions, leading to pronunciations such as /beme/ or /bɛmɛ/ for ''bemeh'' "Bemé". | ||