Calunga and the Legacy of an African Language in Brazil

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Language Arts, Linguistics
Cover of the book Calunga and the Legacy of an African Language in Brazil by Steven Byrd, University of New Mexico Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Steven Byrd ISBN: 9780826350886
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press Publication: November 15, 2012
Imprint: University of New Mexico Press Language: English
Author: Steven Byrd
ISBN: 9780826350886
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
Publication: November 15, 2012
Imprint: University of New Mexico Press
Language: English

Although millions of slaves were forcibly transported from Africa to Brazil, the languages the slaves brought with them remain little known. Most studies have focused on African contributions to Brazilian Portuguese rather than on the African languages themselves. This book is unusual in focusing on an African-descended language. The author describes and analyzes the Afro- Brazilian speech community of Calunga, in Minas Gerais. Linguistically descended from West African Bantu, Calunga is an endangered Afro-Brazilian language spoken by a few hundred older Afro-Brazilian men, who use it only for specific, secret communications. Unlike most creole languages, which are based largely on the vocabulary of the colonial language, Calunga has a large proportion of African vocabulary items embedded in an essentially Portuguese grammar. A hyrid language, its formation can be seen as a form of cultural resistance.

Steven Byrd’s study provides a comprehensive linguistic description of Calunga based on two years of interviews with speakers of the language. He examines its history and historical context as well as its linguistic context, its sociolinguistic profile, and its lexical and grammatical outlines.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Although millions of slaves were forcibly transported from Africa to Brazil, the languages the slaves brought with them remain little known. Most studies have focused on African contributions to Brazilian Portuguese rather than on the African languages themselves. This book is unusual in focusing on an African-descended language. The author describes and analyzes the Afro- Brazilian speech community of Calunga, in Minas Gerais. Linguistically descended from West African Bantu, Calunga is an endangered Afro-Brazilian language spoken by a few hundred older Afro-Brazilian men, who use it only for specific, secret communications. Unlike most creole languages, which are based largely on the vocabulary of the colonial language, Calunga has a large proportion of African vocabulary items embedded in an essentially Portuguese grammar. A hyrid language, its formation can be seen as a form of cultural resistance.

Steven Byrd’s study provides a comprehensive linguistic description of Calunga based on two years of interviews with speakers of the language. He examines its history and historical context as well as its linguistic context, its sociolinguistic profile, and its lexical and grammatical outlines.

More books from University of New Mexico Press

Cover of the book The Robin Hood of El Dorado: The Saga of Joaquin Murrieta, Famous Outlaw of California's Age of Gold by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book The Science of Soccer by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book Behind the Carbon Curtain by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book For Our Navajo People by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book Bush League Boys by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book Progress on the Subject of Immensity by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book The Course of Andean History by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book Spain and the Independence of the United States by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book New Mexico's High Peaks by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book In the Presence of the Sun by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book The Day the Sun Rose Twice by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book Fifty Years at the Pit by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book Women Drug Traffickers by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book Woodswork by Steven Byrd
Cover of the book A Garlic Testament by Steven Byrd
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy