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| stand1 = Tak Bemeh | | stand1 = Tak Bemeh | ||
| dia1 = Kasimbo Bemeh | | dia1 = Kasimbo Bemeh | ||
| dia2 = [[w:Basilect| | | dia2 = [[w:Basilect|Kriyal]] Bemeh | ||
| dia3 = [[w:Acrolect|Agrow]] Bemeh | | dia3 = [[w:Acrolect|Agrow]] Bemeh | ||
| agency = ''Tak eh Bemeh!'' | | agency = ''Tak eh Bemeh!'' | ||
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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. | ||
==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
The name ''Bemé'' is derived from the [[ | 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'' and ''Bemé''=== | ===''Beme'' and ''Bemé''=== | ||
The words ''Beme'' and ''Bemé'', both derived from | The words ''Beme'' and ''Bemé'', both derived from Kabao ''beme'', mean two distinct things in English. ''Beme'', (/[[Help:IPA|ˈbɛmeɪ̯]]/ or /[[Help:IPA|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 deh bi dan, ena grown bela sky.'' | : ''Yu '''bemeh''' wan, yu deh bi dan, ena grown bela sky.'' | ||
:: "Thy '''kingdom''' come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven." (Matthew 6:10) | |||
versus | versus | ||
: ''Spik '''bemeh''' gudgud la?'' | : ''Spik '''bemeh''' gudgud la?'' | ||
:: "Do you speak '''Bemé''' very well?" | :: "Do you speak '''Bemé''' very 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'' ([[Help:IPA|[kɹijal]]], [[Help:IPA|[tɹijal]]] or [[Help:IPA|[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''. | |||
==Creole continuum== | |||
Bemé incorporates a [[w:Creole continuum|creole continuum]], though said continuum is very distinct from other continua such as that of [[w:Jamaican Patois|Jamaican Patois]]. One primary difference is that | |||
==Orthography== | ==Orthography== | ||
{| | {| | ||
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* ⟨kr⟩ may be heard as /tɹ kɹ t͡ʃɹ/; | * ⟨kr⟩ may be heard as /tɹ kɹ t͡ʃɹ/; | ||
* The approximant may be devoiced, leaving /tɹ̥ kɹ̥ t͡ʃɹ̥/; | * The approximant may be devoiced, leaving /tɹ̥ kɹ̥ t͡ʃɹ̥/; | ||
* In the most [[w:Basilect|basilectal]]('' | * In the most [[w:Basilect|basilectal]](''Kriyal'') varieties, the stop may be simply [[w:Aspirated consonant|strongly aspirated]], leaving /tʰː kʰː t͡ʃʰː/; | ||
* The realisation may be aspirated [[w:Retroflex consonant|retroflex]] /ʈʰ/, and similarly [[w:Voiceless retroflex affricate|affricated]] to /ʈ͡ʂ ʈ͡ʂʰ/. | * The realisation may be aspirated [[w:Retroflex consonant|retroflex]] /ʈʰ/, and similarly [[w:Voiceless retroflex affricate|affricated]] to /ʈ͡ʂ ʈ͡ʂʰ/. | ||
The pronunciation of ⟨gr⟩ is less variable; there still exists a distinction between /gr~d͡ʒr/ and /dr/, though /dr/ is extremely rare and only exists in certain words, such as '''''gr'''ag'' "stop (v.)" and '''''dr'''ag'' "drag queen". | The pronunciation of ⟨gr⟩ is less variable; there still exists a distinction between /gr~d͡ʒr/ and /dr/, though /dr/ is extremely rare and only exists in certain words, such as '''''gr'''ag'' "stop (v.)" and '''''dr'''ag'' "drag queen". | ||
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| colspan=2 | [[w:Open central unrounded vowel|a]] | | colspan=2 | [[w:Open central unrounded vowel|a]] | ||
|} | |} | ||
/ɛ/ only appears in word-final open syllables; elsewhere, /ɛ/ is neutralised with /e/, though there is a tendency of native speakers in Cassim Po to shift initial /e/ to /ɛ/, leading to alternative spellings such '''''eh'''nga''(standard ''enga'' / ''nga'' "or") which break Bemé orthography rules. | /ɛ/ only appears in word-final open syllables; elsewhere, /ɛ/ is neutralised with /e/, though there is a tendency of native speakers in Cassim Po to shift initial /e/ to /ɛ/, leading to alternative spellings such '''''eh'''nga''(standard ''enga'' / ''nga'' "or") which break Bemé orthography rules. In other dialects, /ɛ/ may be neutralised with /e/ in ''all'' positions, leading to pronunciations such as /beme/ or /bɛmɛ/ for ''bemeh'' "Bemé". | ||
[[Category:Bemé]] [[Category:Conlangs]] [[Category:Languages]] [[Category:Creole languages]] | [[Category:Bemé]] [[Category:Conlangs]] [[Category:Languages]] [[Category:Creole languages]] | ||